Warming-Up Amps w/o Inputs or Speakers Attached


How dangerous is it to warm-up amps without inputs and speakers connected? When running A/B comparisions between gear it's difficult to truly gauge differences when one piece is good and hot and the other stone cold. What about the differences between doing this with SS vs tube amps? Can you just plug them in and let them cook?
stickman451
As a general rule do not have a tube amp on without a load (speakers) attached. There may be a few tube amps that this does not hold for, but don't find out by mistake that yours is not one of them.
Go to Goodwill and just buy a used pair of anything to hook up, I see crap speakers at every visit for a few bucks.
I don't know about all of the solid state amplifiers out there, but I do know VTL and it is not recommended with your amps.
I have purchased 100 watt 8ohm dummy loads from Parts Express just for this purpose. Pretty cost effective at $13.50 a pair. They work great and they genereate no sound although they can generate some heat. Easy to keep those tube amps warmed up without any speakers or damage. Check it out at: http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=019-020