2. amps-preamps
  3. 136341-96474

Leave preamp on all day, off at night

Finally had the funds purchased my first tube hifi component, an arc ref 3. Very happy with purchase so far but has raised a concern. System is in main living room - wife and kids listen casually through day - non critical listening. I listen (more critically) for 1-2h at night when they are asleep.
Im used to solid state components that stay on all day long.
Question- is it a problem leaving the valve pre on most of the day, on most days of the week? Is it really just a matter of burning through the tubes faster,  or are there other expensive delicate components in there that don't like being left on all day? Thanks in advance 
divesh
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
4,966 posts
 
If you cherish your tubes they start age from the time they get switched on, if the wife and kids don’t care about sound quality all day, get a small Sonus/Bose or whatever they’er called system for them.
And heat from tubes also effects the internal chassis temps which can age the caps, also the power transformer that is the supply for all the heaters can run warm, this is long term ageing. 

Cheers George
wolf_garcia
4,650 posts
 
Tube amps warm up relatively fast so I suggest turning the thing on when you want to hear it and off when you don't. To sum up: On, off...repeat when necessary...
divesh OP
7 posts
 
Thanks guys, appreciate your response. What you both say makes perfect sense, and is what I suspected. Will do, cheers, divesh 
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
4,163 posts
 
Since you haven't said what preamp you are using any answer may or may not make sense.  If you have something with 10-plus tubes, then the above answers may apply.  However, if you have something with a pair of 12ax7, 12au7, 6922 or similar, then leaving them on 24/7 really won't make a difference (other than shorter tube life).

As an aside, if you truly love your wife and children would you really limit them to a Bose system?  In most states that would be grounds for divorce.
kalali's avatar
kalali
1,645 posts
 
Most of the comments above, heat, aging, etc., apply to both SS and tube electronics. Preamp tubes don't get too warm as compared to amplifier power tubes so the only real difference between an SS and a tube preamp is aging of the tubes and that's part of the ownership experience. Besides, regular/OEM tubes are not that expensive so I wouldn't worry too much about it. That said, personally I think it's a waste to use a piece like an ARC Ref3 for an all day background music purpose but that's just me.  
More to discover