Warm up time for valve gear

[tkr001]

I have always tried to let my valve gear warm up for about 15-30 minutes before using it. I am sure it sounds better after that period than after a minute or so.

 

However a mate of mine is adamant that is rubbish and given valves have heaters they attain their operating temperature quickly and thereafter no improvement will be noticed.

 

What do others do? Is there any scientific reason for an extended warm up period? Opinions?

[I will decide!]

sadly my valve amp is sitting in the corner broken - but from what i can remember - if you turned the amp on from cold it would take at-least 3-5mins for sound - then seemed to liven up a bit more after that.....

 

i know that the transformers x3 started to warm up after a good while after that also

[Electra]

I find that my valve preamp ( and also my SS power amps ) like several hours before they sound their best. The prior owner claimed that it took a day before everything sounded best. I dont leave it all on 24/7 as I am no fan of the idea of replacing valves frequently, nor of the power bill - my amplifiers draw 4 odd amps at idle.

[Owen Y]

There will be an old thread or two about this somewhere but...

 

IMO valve amps take less than LP side to warm up/stabilise, sonicaly, ie 10-15mins.

 

SS amps often tend to take much longer, some say days or wks, even.

[Owen Y]

too_tall;137429 wrote:

I find that my valve preamp ( and also my SS power amps ) like several hours before they sound their best. The prior owner claimed that it took a day before everything sounded best. I dont leave it all on 24/7 as I am no fan of the idea of replacing valves frequently, nor of the power bill - my amplifiers draw 4 odd amps at idle.

What valve amps are these, t_tall?

[victor tubeman]

I have found min 1hr,and found 2 to 3hrs to fully stabilize temp of amps(note very large mono blocs),it will depend on type and size of amp,min 30mins should be ok for most.

[Owen Y]

Having used a few valve (& the odd SS/hybrid) amps over the yrs, I get the feeling that valve amps containing much SS components, take a wee bit longer to 'warm up' - ie. reach say 95% best sonic performance level.

 

eg. My old Audio Research amps/preamp seemed to take a bit longer to warm up (ARC amps usually have complex regulated PSUs with many semiconductor devices involved)....transistors, regulators, ICs, diode rectifiers, etc, ...vary in performance with air temp.

 

Whereas, my recent valve amps have tube rectifiers, no regulator ccts, v simple cct design.... & warm up quickly.

 

Another factor is if an amp is not well designed for heat dissipation, then high temps may become a factor.

 

Valves themselves reach operating temp v quickly - sometimes valves are positioned (too) close together & bulb temps can be v high, but even this should not affect sonic performance. Power trannies can run hot but shouldn't affect sonic performance (mains supply voltage variation is a bigger factor IMO). Choke & OPT iron shouldn't be an issue ...unless, as said, amp cooling is problematic.

 

SS devices generate less heat & are usually well heatsinked, so SS amps tend to take longer to 'heat up'...IMO.

[kiwi_1282001]

 

tkr001;137424 wrote:

I have always tried to let my valve gear warm up for about 15-30 minutes before using it. I am sure it sounds better after that period than after a minute or so.

 

 

 

However a mate of mine is adamant that is rubbish and given valves have heaters they attain their operating temperature quickly and thereafter no improvement will be noticed.

 

 

 

What do others do? Is there any scientific reason for an extended warm up period? Opinions?

 

 

My valve equipment (pre & power amps) take only ten minutes or so to come on song.

 

My solid state equipment (pre & power amps) easily take 45 minutes to come on song with the power amp in particular performing better after a couple of hours.

[Electra]

Even my partner, who has little understanding of the fascination I have with, and the expenditure I commit, to audio, can hear the difference if the system has been on several hours.

 

I guess my gear just takes a long time.

[Guest]

 

Owen Y;137502 wrote:

 

eg. My old Audio Research amps/preamp seemed to take a bit longer to warm up (ARC amps usually have complex regulated PSUs with many semiconductor devices involved)....transistors, regulators, ICs, diode rectifiers, etc, ...vary in performance with air temp.

 

 

Noticed that with my old ARC SP8/II, so much so that I just left it on.

 

On the other hand, my old Counterpoints were so cranky, popping and farting like an old Weber'd Fiat on a cold morning, that they were left on not for sonic reasons but in fear that the next start-up might result in a mini-Krakatoa !

[Owen Y]

Ha ha, back then, my Giulietta was cranky, but it outlasted my Counterpoint SA-20 hybrid power amp (which was moved on by a 30+yr old Leak valve amp).

 

Such hybrid amps as the C'point sometimes inherit the best and the worst of both technologies, you never know.