2. amps-preamps
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How do I break in a tube amplifier?

I should be taking delivery of my Yaqin MC-30L tube amplifier this weekend. I believe the dealer is going to set it up and bias it and may even let it run for a few hours before I pick it up. It's going to be a 2nd system sharing speakers with my primary home theater system so I will have few opportunities to leave it running for extended periods of time.

Does it do any good to just leave the amplifier turned on or does it actually need to by playing music?
mceljo

Showing 1 response by stevecham

stevecham
3,340 posts
 
30 min warm up time is usually about right for my tube monoblocks and preamp. For the first one hundred hours or so I would leave it on continously and play music when you can. It will break in the fastest this way, but by then the electronics should be well settled in. If you're lucky you will get to be present when a break in "bloom" plateau appears; I recently had this happen with a new preamp and fortunately I had audiobuds over for a listening session when it happened. Everyone went "whoa!"
Tubes are amazing.
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