Amplifier warm-up

[Edbostan]

My Rega Elicit mk5 has replaced a radiator in the house.

Have to listen while it warms up. After 4-5 hours it starts to get me worried about spontaneous combustion 😬

I was brought up to believe heat was the enemy of electrical components.

 

[GeoffreyW]

I assume that the flow of electricity is a physical thing, which in some circumstances can generate heat, so it is similar to car engines or other mechanical systems, which reach an optimum operating temperature.
So I try to give my components time to warm up, which seems to work with my speakers.

 

[Al ears]

I was brought up to believe heat was the enemy of electrical components.

Not if you had a valve amp or a solid state one with decent casework.

 

[BiggaJ]

If I was demonstrating Hifi for a living I’d definitely put it on 20-30 minutes before listening if I could.

My power amp is solid-state Class A and the manual says it takes up to an hour to fully warm up, and sounds better as a result. My class D integrated amp is silent on this, but I think it’s better after about twenty minutes. YMMV!

Interesting, my class D Gato Audio 250S-NPM seems to get a little better after maybe 20-30 mins of use. This could be subjective however, I was going to ask if class D is different in this respect to class A and others ... anyone know?

 

[Gray]

I could see my breath in the room this afternoon - system sounded great (never better) from the first seconds.

I believe in the need for solid state electronics to warm up about as much as I believe they need to be 'burned in'.

 

[Al ears]

I could see my breath in the room this afternoon - system sounded great (never better) from the first seconds.

I believe in the need for solid state electronics to warm up about as much as I believe they need to be 'burned in'.

Agree about those amplifiers, not sure about cables as all but one of mine are second-hand so assume they have already been burnt -in....

 

[Oxfordian]

I could see my breath in the room this afternoon - system sounded great (never better) from the first seconds.

I believe in the need for solid state electronics to warm up about as much as I believe they need to be 'burned in'.

The quote below is taken from the manual of my H95, this would suggest that even the guys who make the stuff believe that allowing their kit a short warm up period can help your listening experience.

That being said, our products sound even better when they are warmed up, typically after about 15 minutes of listening at a moderate volume.

 

[Al ears]

The quote below is taken from the manual of my H95, this would suggest that even the guys who make the stuff believe that allowing their kit a short warm up period can help your listening experience.

That being said, our products sound even better when they are warmed up, typically after about 15 minutes of listening at a moderate volume.

Noted. If they can honestly hear a difference after 15 minutes then they have better hearing than me, but that's nothing new...

 

[nopiano]

Interesting, my class D Gato Audio 250S-NPM seems to get a little better after maybe 20-30 mins of use. This could be subjective however, I was going to ask if class D is different in this respect to class A and others ... anyone know?

I’m not sure one can generalise by Class. My Primare integrated barely gets warm to the touch, and has a closed case - no slots like most amps. By contrast my Nord NC500 with Hypex Class D modules ran quite warm for its type, as the chassis was in effect a heat sink. But the Nord definitely sounded a bit ‘mechanical’ when first switched on, and ‘relaxed’ and sounded more comfortable within half an hour.

 

[nopiano]

I could see my breath in the room this afternoon - system sounded great (never better) from the first seconds.

I believe in the need for solid state electronics to warm up about as much as I believe they need to be 'burned in'.

Yea, tough guys like you obviously don’t pick up these nuances! 😉🤣

 

[Gray]

The quote below is taken from the manual of my H95, this would suggest that even the guys who make the stuff believe that allowing their kit a short warm up period can help your listening experience.

That being said, our products sound even better when they are warmed up, typically after about 15 minutes of listening at a moderate volume.

Yes, like I previously said, Marantz specify 4 minutes settling time after switch on, before adjusting idling current.

We must assume that at least one Hegel engineer could blindly, reliably tell whether an amp has been on for 1 or 16 minutes 🤔🙂

Ask yourself, could you?

 

[aversaurus]

I really started to notice with my old sansui amplifiers the 417 and the 717 really did sound better after about 20 minutes.my music fidelity lights change colour when it's up to optimal temperature

 

[Dom]

Are they talking about better dynamics? Less distortion? Magic?

There generalisation's is the red flag.

 

[aversaurus]

The sansui,s became more dynamic deeper bass fuller sound

 

[Oxfordian]

Yes, like I previously said, Marantz specify 4 minutes settling time after switch on, before adjusting idling current.

We must assume that at least one Hegel engineer could blindly, reliably tell whether an amp has been on for 1 or 16 minutes 🤔🙂

Ask yourself, could you?

I have always been aware from the late 1980's when I had my first proper HiFi system that you should allow your system time to warm up, where did this come from I honestly cannot remember but as I was an avid reader of the Hifi press back then I probably picked it up from there and have carried that forward to today.

My routine when I am going to sit down and have a serious listen to music is always the same, if CD is going to be the source the system will play whilst I am doing something before I settle down, if vinyl is the source I play the first side twice.

Now have I sat and had a serious listen on a cold system, no and I have no plan to, I am just a creature of habit and will continue to be for the foreseeable.

Oh, and out of curiosity I checked the manual for Hegel's latest and greatest integrated amp, the H600 and the same message is printed in its manual, clearly Hegel believe that a warm up period is beneficial.

 

[Gray]

music fidelity lights change colour when it's up to optimal temperature

That probably helps a lot of people to hear a difference .

 

[WayneKerr]

I may or may not have experienced this with my amps too... if I did I just learnt to ignore it

 

[Gray]

I may or may not have experienced this with my amps too... if I did I just learnt to ignore it

I somehow miss the audible differences that many others hear between cables too - not sure what's wrong with me.

(I know there is a difference because manufacturers state that there is).

 

[Dom]

...System sounded great (never better)...

I should hope so.

 

[AJM1981]

I was brought up to believe heat was the enemy of electrical components.

Powerful processors need heatsinks in order not to literally burn to death. Apart from that, there is a threshold temperature for each individual component. Which I would only worry about when a fan gets broken or when you build your own gear. Manufacturers have sorted all out and heat at the outside is a sign it is released.