Hi:
There are a few things to consider. The first is the warm-up time needed to get the preamp and amp up to optimum performance. For the solid state equipment you only need a few minutes. For tube equipment (including hybrid) the warm-up time is around 5 minutes. The warm-up time allows the system to settle into working state where the heat generating components stabilize thermally.
As for electrical break-in time, all of the units we ship go through a pretty lengthy burn-in before we ship them. While it's very rare to have an initial failure, the lengthy burn-in catches those types of failures. The burn-in time of tube equipment is longer so that we can make sure the tubes perform properly. With tube equipment there is a risk of tube damage during shipment, but we have not had much of a problem. If a tube is damaged (internal damages to the tube, for example) it's pretty noticeable during the first listening session.
As for break-in time once you insert a unit into your system, there is a period of time where your hearing is trained to the new and often different sound. The time depends on your expectations, the differences between the new and old equipment, etc. For example, replacing a mid-fi system with a very transparent T7/FetValve system will result in a pretty significant sound change that you will need time to get used to.
If you are adding a new set of speakers at the same time there is another variable that needs to be considered, and that is the break-in time of the speakers. Because the speakers have mechanical components you will need to have a fair amount of break-in time to allow the physical speakers to settle.
Thanks for your interest in AVA products!
Larry Jenkins
