Tube DAC Conundrum

Leave it on 24/7 and change the tubes every year. It's perfectly safe assuming proper ventilation and decent equipment design. The issue with digital equipment is that the clocks need to be at thermal equilibrium for optimal performance. Effectively, that means leaving them on 24/7.

If you're interested you could conduct a test. Leave the D/A powered for a week and listen, then turn it off for 48 hours. Power it up and figure out whether you can hear a difference.

Yes Onhwy61,

A test does seem the logical thing to do. I will do just that. Thanks all.

I have a tube dac and pre-amp. Can't practically leave tube gear on. Too risky! So I don't. SS amps, DACs, etc. I often do.

Audio Note recommends 24/7 operation for their tube linestages, phono preamps, and D/A converters.

Dealer disclaimer

You should never turn your tube gears on as it is too risky and a tube failure could take down other componants. Make sense? of course not. Tubes in dacs are most likely small signal tubes and should last far longer then a year, so leave it on and minimise the thermal cycle of the other componants. And may powdered sugar fall upon your ears tonight!