Tube Question - Do they need time to "Break In"

Other than a Preamp/Amp's given warm up time...do tubes need time to mature or settle in similar to a new speaker?

chadlesko02-07-2009 4:48am

johnnyb53 Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 3,510 posts 02-07-2009 at 09:53pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete 02-07-09: Cyclonicman My preamp takes about an hour before it sounds best too. I think the warmup period is not for the tubes, but for the other electrical components within the preamp. Bingo. I have some all-tube guitar amps, and once the tubes are up to operating temperature, they're ready. Having been a solid state hi-fi guy for decades, I was really surprised that I could immediately hear the difference when I swapped in some '60s-era NOS RCA grey glass 6V6GTs for the stock Sovteks in my all-tube (including rectifier) Top Hat combo amp. No break-in or settling in required. I think it's the SS components that take awhile to reach optimum operating temp and attendant tolerances. I keep many of my SS components on all the time for this reason.