Not a good idea to leave any valve kit on 24/7 IMO.
Don McCorleone
Location: Galashiels
Posts: 14,034
I'm inthescottishmafia.
Not a good idea to leave any valve kit on 24/7 IMO.
Trade: Radlett Audio
Location: Near Saffron Walden, Essex
Posts: 7,363
I'm Dave.
Those 509's are just so practical - you can expect many years of trouble free music. No worries.
If you ask Tim De P about re-tubing he says ' If it's working and doesn't hum or buzz, leave it alone '.......
Site Owner/Administrator
Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK
Posts: 110,938
I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.
I completely agree. All you're doing is wasting electricity and vastly shortening the life of your valves!Originally Posted by Ali Tait
Marco.
Main System
Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & regulator mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat with Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight. Isonoe feet & boots. Ortofon RS-212D tonearm with Denon DL-103GL in a Denon PCL-300 headshell, fitted with Funk Firm Houdini and Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.
Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp and Denon AU-310 SUT.
Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.
CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.
Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.
Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp, fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.
Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.
Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.
Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.
Fount Master & Administrator
Location: Essex
Posts: 38,037
I'm openingabottleofwine.
When I visited Castle Marco, you told me that you kept your valve gear on all the time. Or did I hear you incorrectly?
Regards
Barry
Site Owner/Administrator
Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK
Posts: 110,938
I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.
Lol - you heard incorrectly!
I only keep the solid-state stuff permanently switched on (CD transport, DAC, tuner and PSU for the Techy). The valve amps are only switched on when they're being used. Both the Croft and copper amp only take 20 mins or so to fully come on song, so there's no major warm-up issues
Marco.
Main System
Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & regulator mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat with Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight. Isonoe feet & boots. Ortofon RS-212D tonearm with Denon DL-103GL in a Denon PCL-300 headshell, fitted with Funk Firm Houdini and Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.
Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp and Denon AU-310 SUT.
Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.
CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.
Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.
Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp, fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.
Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.
Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.
Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.
Fount Master & Administrator
Location: Essex
Posts: 38,037
I'm openingabottleofwine.
When you say "the valve amps are only switched on when they're being used", do you mean switched on from cold or is it just the HT that is switched on?Lol - you heard incorrectly!
I only keep the solid-state stuff permanently switched on (CD transport, DAC, tuner and PSU for the Techy). The valve amps are only switched on when they're being used. Both the Croft and copper amp only take 20 mins or so to fully come on song, so there's no major warm-up issues
Marco.
Regards
Barry
Senior Member
Location: Norwich
Posts: 1,064
I'm Mike.
Since posting my findings I've come across other references to a burn-in/settling down time for valves (of weeks in some cases, but obviously depends upon usage). One of these was from the States, so it would seem to be a fairly recognisable phenomenon.
Everything else seems to need a 'burn-in' period (odd phrasal verb, that, esp. when used for cables!), so it all seems quite logical to me.
Site Owner/Administrator
Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK
Posts: 110,938
I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.
Hi Barry,
Initially switched on from cold. I will knock the HT off though if I leave them for a bit while I'm doing something elseWhen you say "the valve amps are only switched on when they're being used", do you mean switched on from cold or is it just the HT that is switched on?
However in answer to the thread question, from experience, I would say categorically "yes".
In my experience, most components used in a hi-fi system benefit from 'running-in': from cables to equipment (valves included), to loudspeaker drive units - all sorts!
Marco.
Main System
Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & regulator mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat with Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight. Isonoe feet & boots. Ortofon RS-212D tonearm with Denon DL-103GL in a Denon PCL-300 headshell, fitted with Funk Firm Houdini and Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.
Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp and Denon AU-310 SUT.
Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.
CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.
Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.
Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp, fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.
Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.
Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.
Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.
Senior Member
Location: A Strangely Isolated Place in Suffolk with Far Away Trains Passing By...
Posts: 14,540
I'm David.
Marco, you're quite wrong you know..................
Running in indeed - never heard such nonsense
I can't go on and I can't go back, I don't feel so matter of fact,
I tried and tried to make good sense, What's the good to try it all again?
Don McCorleone
Location: Galashiels
Posts: 14,034
I'm inthescottishmafia.
Well I must be cloth-eared also then,cos I'd say stuff definately runs in,including valves.If you are sceptical,go to hifi collective and purchase some ESA Clarity Caps.Stick them in a valve amp and then listen to sound going all over the place for the next fortnight or so.One minute screechy as hell,the next loads of bass and no top end.I thought there was something wrong with them at first,but they did settle down eventually,and now sound very nice indeed.
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