The best advice by the tube sellers I buy from is to conserve tube life by turning the amp off. I also asked about the power up cycle as potentially leading to excessive wear on the tubes. The answer is that most amps nowadays have a soft start cycle to blunt whatever the power surge may damage. The other concern for me is that I am fond of old stock tubes which as everyone know have become scarcer and scarcer. Therefore I really do my best to preserve them.
Tube amp on/off: best practice?
My main system, with a tube integrated, is in my studio where I work 10-12 hours a day, interrupted by the occasional offsite meeting or errand.
What's the best practice/rule of thumb for powering it up and down as I duck in and out of the studio? Just leave it on all day?
How long do I need to be away for it to be better to power it down?
Right now I'm firing it up and cooling it down about 3x a day, running it a total of 6-8 hours a day.
What's the best practice/rule of thumb for powering it up and down as I duck in and out of the studio? Just leave it on all day?
How long do I need to be away for it to be better to power it down?
Right now I'm firing it up and cooling it down about 3x a day, running it a total of 6-8 hours a day.