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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.
soundgasm

Showing 1 response by elevick

elevick
2,636 posts
 
The on/off is supposedly harder on the tubes than just leaving them on. However, a tube blowing is scary too. You are in a "no win" situation.
For that same reason I went with solid state in my office. I just leave it on all week now. If that were tubes and they were totally safe, you would still be stuck retubing once or twice a year!
Save the tubes for home or serious listening only.
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