Tube Preamps and Odyssey Power Amps - turn off?

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Chazz

Tube Preamps and Odyssey Power Amps - turn off?
« on: 4 May 2016, 03:47 am »
Hi,

I'm one of the few Australians who own an Odyssey Amp (Mono extremes), and I just wanted to ask what other users who have a tube pre and Odyssey power amp having been doing with the turning on/off their power amps.

I have been following the recommended source -> preamp -> power-amp for turning on equipment and reverse for turning off the equipment each time I want to listen to music.

However, I know that Klaus recommends that the power-amp be turned on all the time and I also know that turning equipment on and off can reduce the life of the equipment.

One option - keep the tube preamp on all the time - I have avoided as it will have the effect of reducing the life of the tubes.

So what are people doing?  How are you managing the integration of a tube preamp and your Odyssey Power Amp?  :scratch:

Many Thanks
Charles

foz1982

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Re: Tube Preamps and Odyssey Power Amps - turn off?
« Reply #1 on: 4 May 2016, 04:22 am »
My monoblocks are about 3 years old and have been on right after plug in.
I only plan on turning them off when I give them back to Klaus for upgrades.
I do turn the preamp off though. A 5 min warm up for my system seems fine
for the pre.
 

G Georgopoulos

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Re: Tube Preamps and Odyssey Power Amps - turn off?
« Reply #2 on: 4 May 2016, 04:27 am »

However, I know that Klaus recommends that the power-amp be turned on all the time and I also know that turning equipment on and off can reduce the life of the equipment.

 :scratch:

Many Thanks
Charles

Hi from down under Charles
Klaus's amps are not different than other ss amps when it comes to amp life
I have been a long time technician and this turn on all the time imho is nonsense
if tubes life is reduced so is an every other component and solder connection
so klaus can say %$#@ whatever

cheers

erniek

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Re: Tube Preamps and Odyssey Power Amps - turn off?
« Reply #3 on: 4 May 2016, 06:22 pm »
I keep my Khartago on all the time and turn my Candela pre on about an hour before listening. I also like having the word Odyssey glowing whenever I decide to take a peek at my system when not in use.

AlTran

Re: Tube Preamps and Odyssey Power Amps - turn off?
« Reply #4 on: 4 May 2016, 08:15 pm »
My Odyssey mono blocks are on 24/7. My Candela is on every morning Monday through Thursday at around 6:30 & off at around midnight before I go to bed. Candela is then on again from Friday morning & off on Sunday night. As far as the tubes, Alex had advised this pair of tube will last 20,000 hours. Besides I have more 200+ of these 12AU7 tubes. I don't care what other brands may require on or off, but as far as I know these Odyssey are performing its best when fully charged. 

klaus@odyssey

Re: Tube Preamps and Odyssey Power Amps - turn off?
« Reply #5 on: 5 May 2016, 05:31 am »
Hi from down under Charles
Klaus's amps are not different than other ss amps when it comes to amp life
I have been a long time technician and this turn on all the time imho is nonsense
if tubes life is reduced so is an every other component and solder connection
so klaus can say %$#@ whatever

cheers





Yup, I can certainly say %$#@ whatever ..........

And WTF ????   Of course our amps are different....vastly different and more talented than any other amp in the world....



they will pop your popcorn,  light your bong, and if you have the " HE "  Edition !!!,  they'll do a reach-around !!!!!!





Dude,  read the question...and stop trying to be a contrarian...of course our amps aren't any different from others,  duh !!!  on / off  sequence is correct, and as for ss amps on the on/off vs. 24/7, there are discussions to be had based on people's own experiences only !!!!   Obviously in case of a ss amp, the differences are indeed small as for life span...but with performance, 24/7 is the only way to go, and a few minutes won't do for charging the ps and for best sound...now, with tubes that is a different story, as tubes have a different life span than other components, OBVIOUSLY !!!!!!!!!!!!!  and this life span greatly depends on how tubes are biased in their particular designs...and then there are differences in  different types of tubes, manufacturer, etc........but then again, what the hell do I know ??
« Last Edit: 5 May 2016, 10:38 am by klaus@odyssey »

Tomy2Tone

Re: Tube Preamps and Odyssey Power Amps - turn off?
« Reply #6 on: 5 May 2016, 11:57 am »

And WTF ????   Of course our amps are different....vastly different and more talented than any other amp in the world....



they will pop your popcorn,  light your bong, and if you have the " HE "  Edition !!!,  they'll do a reach-around !!!!!!



That's what sold me... :smoke:

cementhead

Re: Tube Preamps and Odyssey Power Amps - turn off?
« Reply #7 on: 5 May 2016, 07:21 pm »
The HE reach around is the best! and it sounds good, too. :hyper:

klaus@odyssey

Re: Tube Preamps and Odyssey Power Amps - turn off?
« Reply #8 on: 6 May 2016, 12:01 am »
Actually got 2 messages asking me about the HE Edition....


guys,  in the context above it's meant to be  "Happy Ending"  HE Edition.........

Cheeseboy

Re: Tube Preamps and Odyssey Power Amps - turn off?
« Reply #9 on: 6 May 2016, 04:52 am »
Klaus,

I just listened to my buddy Sunil's system and after his Odyssey "HE" edition monos were put through the paces I almost did shoot in my shorts.  It has taken many months to break them in.  At last I got a sit down with your handywork.  He is fronting the mono amps with a Modwright LS-100 Pre-Amp.  We were listening to CDs on his Modwright Tubed Oppo 105.  He has the giant Line Source LS9s design by Danny at GR Research. He leaves them on 24/7.  I can say my virgin ass did pucker after the very first cut.

Sunil has the best room in Napa County.  I've heard your amps at show after show but never fully aged to perfection and in a system that I am very familiar with in every way.  We were drinking a Matrix 2013 Estate Russian River Pinot that we had picked up at the winery after investing in futures at a barrel taste two years ago.  That transaction reminded me of buying your best pair of mono amps.  Here we were listening to one of the best buys in amplification and it took almost 8 months for that day to come.  It was like buying wine futures.  That is the best way I have found to get access to some of the best Pinots in Sonoma.  I'd say the same about buying the best in amplification.  Why would a flat earth engineer not believe that a great amp has to have it's components broken in to reach their peak in performance and then be left on to stay there.  I just came back from a session that confirms that this is reality for quality audio components in a resolving high end system.   Wine changes with age.  Electronic components change with age.  Even Solid State.  It's not so solid. 

I really enjoyed the session.  I can say this with alot more authority.  Your amps rule brother.

I heard they sound best naked.

soundofrockets

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Re: Tube Preamps and Odyssey Power Amps - turn off?
« Reply #10 on: 11 May 2016, 06:40 am »
It was short sweet and fun evening.  Certainly, Klaus amps are ready for prime time and even without much placement they sounded lively and full.  It has been a long journey and eventful for sure.  Now we have something special.  We also added the Rogue Apollos both in linear and triode mode.  I must say that the rogues took the set up to another level.  Money for nothing hasn't sounded musical, clear, rich and dynamic.  All in all both the amps are clear winners with the LS9.  Time for a small GTG.  Are you interested klaus?

klaus@odyssey

Re: Tube Preamps and Odyssey Power Amps - turn off?
« Reply #11 on: 14 May 2016, 10:49 am »
Another satisfied HE customer from Australia..........




martinr

Re: Tube Preamps and Odyssey Power Amps - turn off?
« Reply #12 on: 14 May 2016, 03:53 pm »
 :lol:

RDavidson

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Re: Tube Preamps and Odyssey Power Amps - turn off?
« Reply #13 on: 14 May 2016, 05:14 pm »
Whether or not to leave your gear on or turn off is a personal decision. It really boils down to:

1. Do you use your gear daily for several hours? If so, then maybe it makes sense to leave it on.

2. Do you use your gear sporadically? If so, then it might make more sense to turn it off. In terms of warmup, just try to plan ahead for it. Turning amps on/off won't put any more wear and tear on them than leaving them on (but not being used). Keep in mind we're talking about electronic gear, not mechanical. So either way, what's really to wear out? Some caps? Even then, those typically last a LONG time regardless of constant use or on/off. It's really nothing to worry about.

Regardless of what I stated earlier, we'll assume you want to leave your amp on and turn the preamp off. The only thing I can think of, following the on/off sequence rule, would be to disconnect the preamp from the amp prior to power off. Not very convenient. But before that, do you know if your preamp is direct coupled or does it have caps in the output? Does it have a mute function? If it is direct coupled then you definitely want to follow the on/off sequence rule. If it has coupling caps in the output, you should be fine turning it off without sending DC nasties to the amp. Normally, the coupling caps will protect from that issue. If you're not sure, talk to the manufacturer of your preamp. Regarding the mute function : Many times this works by switching off the output stage. So if you mute your preamp prior to turning it off, you'll avoid sending DC nasties to your amp.

Hope this helps.
« Last Edit: 14 May 2016, 09:22 pm by RDavidson »

martinr

Re: Tube Preamps and Odyssey Power Amps - turn off?
« Reply #14 on: 14 May 2016, 09:09 pm »
I turn my Candela on and off each time I listen leaving the Odyssey Hybrid Kismets on always (unless I'm on vacation).  Never had any problems doing this.  I have heard Klaus say it takes a couple (maybe 3) days for the Kismet Caps to come up to full capacity and sound as good as they are capable of (which is why I leave mine on).

Arcticdeth

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Re: Tube Preamps and Odyssey Power Amps - turn off?
« Reply #15 on: 14 May 2016, 09:46 pm »
Amplifiers always off and unplugged, preamp always on, never shut off. CD player always off.

 When I know I will be listening for an evening of music, I will turn my system on the morning of my session, go to work, them when I get home everything is nice and warmed up for a nice jam session. If I will be listening the following day/eve, I will leave on.  If I know I'm busy the next day n no chance of a jam session, I will power off the amps and source, unplug the amps until my next session. With the time I have to listen, I think my routine is just fine.  It's up to you what to do, with the warranty klaus has I would probably leave mine on also, and hopefully soon , I will.

aaron.luebke

Re: Tube Preamps and Odyssey Power Amps - turn off?
« Reply #16 on: 14 May 2016, 09:54 pm »
Is anyone using heat dissipation on the Candela tubes?  I've just got in some IERC heat shields and based on the links below these should increase the life of any tube you're using.  I just put a couple on other tubed components I have.  The Candela is parked for the moment as I'm using the Tempest.

http://www.qsl.net/kh6grt/page4/shields/shields.htm


Ooooppsss....wrong thread!  When I figure out how to remove this I'll make it disappear.  SRY... :oops: :oops: :oops:

twitch54

Re: Tube Preamps and Odyssey Power Amps - turn off?
« Reply #17 on: 15 May 2016, 12:33 am »
My Odyssey mono blocks are on 24/7. My Candela is on every morning Monday through Thursday at around 6:30 & off at around midnight before I go to bed. Candela is then on again from Friday morning & off on Sunday night. As far as the tubes, Alex had advised this pair of tube will last 20,000 hours. Besides I have more 200+ of these 12AU7 tubes. I don't care what other brands may require on or off, but as far as I know these Odyssey are performing its best when fully charged.

'fully charged' ............ ?????????

you really don't believe that keeping them powered continuously keeps them more listenable do you ?

AlexG

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Re: Tube Preamps and Odyssey Power Amps - turn off?
« Reply #18 on: 15 May 2016, 04:11 pm »
Let me say something here that some of you already know and give a couple personal opinions (facts) specific to the Candela Preamp...

I left on purposely the original (first Beta unit) Candela in my Lab for a long period. At one point I realized the unit had been on for over "six years" - (that's over 52,000 hours AlTran  :D), with the original JJ stock tubes. Then I decided to test the tubes and they measured "very good"! For those of you that don't know - the Candela circuit (as designed) is running the tubes (12AU7/ECC82) at approx. 25% of their full capacity - reason for lasting a very long time. Now, keep in mind that a tube is like a light bulb - and it may go out at any time. Also because of this, the tubes don't run that hot (read heat) and are easy to the touch.

Based on this there is no need in my opinion to use heat dissipation adapters as such. Now, ring rubber type adapters (not the dissipation kind) may help dissipate microphonics depending on tube type and other (manufacturing) factors.

If you leave your amp(s) on - it is always a good practice to turn the volume all the way down (tube based units or not) of your preamp before turning the unit off.

And yes, I leave my power amps on all the time...they sound better to my ears  :D

Alex

 


AlTran

Re: Tube Preamps and Odyssey Power Amps - turn off?
« Reply #19 on: 16 May 2016, 04:57 pm »
Alex, oh wow. I'm leaving the Candela ON then.

Aaron, what is your question again? I keep my monoblocks ON 24/7.