Question on tube rolling


If one should let the tubes really warm up and settle in, say 30 - 60 minutes before doing any serious listening, how does one go about rolling tubes for sonic comparison. Plus, do you pull the tubes when they are hot? Also, don't tubes need some break in time to sound their best?

Trying to learn.....
04rdking

Showing 1 response by sbank

It differs based on the gear you are using, but warmup can be as long as 2-3 hours to sound its best. When you power down, they usually cool off after just a few minutes, or you can use a towel or oven mitt if you don't want to wait. I'd recommend giving it a few minutes.
Yes, tubes need break-in, but most of the ones you will roll to are old stock, and although many will be advertised as NOS, I bet most of them are just used old stock, thus already broken in. Cheers,
Spencer