2. amps-preamps
  3. 1304873730

stupid tube question of the day

Hi all.

Do tubes get consumed at the same rate when the system is on but not playing music, or does playing music cause faster consumption of the tube.

My guess is that for tube amps, definitely faster when playing music. But what about CD players with tubes in them or preamps?

Thanks.

--dan
dgaylin

Showing 3 responses by g_m_c

g_m_c
443 posts
 
i run my tube amps 4 hours max. if i want to keep going, i turn them off for 30 minutes then back on.
g_m_c
443 posts
 

Samhar, i have very nice (and expensive) nos Mullards and want to maximize their life. I was told by the canadian dealer whose name escapes me to do just that. he seemed to know what he was talking about and i am happy not to take any risks with this lovely stuff. :)
g_m_c
443 posts
 
I dug into the records and found that Alfred Kayser of KR Tube Products sold me my nos Mullards and advised me to not run the amp more than 4 hours at a time. That was over 3 years ago. Absolutely no issues with the tubes in that time. Also, the tubes I bought have almost doubled in price since then...
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