Break in period

The reason this preamp takes so long to break in is because of its teflon caps. You wouldn't believe how much better this thing will sound, compared to the way it does now (which probably isn't too bad). But teflon caps take time, and there's no way around it. Same as my Premier 17LS2. It's worth the wait. The people who haven't experienced this don't know what they're talking about. Good luck, Dave

PS The break-in with teflon caps is not linear. Don't be surprised if it yo-yos back and forth a bit. My Ack dAck 2.0 with the teflon option just about drove me nuts before it finally settled down. That one took a good 200 hours.

Sunnyboy1956, I can understand your impatience for break-in but just enjoy the journey and the music. Many manufacturers are strongly against leaving tube gear on 24/7 as it will lead to premature tube failure (quality tubes are not cheap) which in turn could result in other problems. Look at it this way, your patience will have its rewards. The very act of turning the gear on for a few hours with different types of music & volume levels, then turning it off may contribute more to proper break-in then continous operation, no doubt a safer route with tubes.

Hi Sunny,
I'm sorry I can't offer any help but I own the CJ Premier 11a-17LS combo and have been wondering how significant a step up the new CJs are. Have you listened to any of the older stuff? I hear the new gear if faster which would be good for my JM Labs.

No need to worry about the neighbors. The gear doesn't have to be played very loud to achieve the burn-in needed...usually around 200 hours.

I wouldn't leave tube gear unattended, but I do leave it on during the night, while I sleep when I'm breaking it in.

People who don't believe in break-in of gear are the same people who don't believe cables make any difference or that they need current to settle. They do...and it's usually around 200 hours to achieve 90%.

Speakers benefit from wide dynamic and volume swings. Everything else just needs current. The problem with tube gear is that the tubes can begin to short and if you aren't around to notice the "pops" then you could destroy your speakers or take out an amp.

maybe my next audio investment should be an hour-meter! ;-)