[foodman]

To anyone who owns this pre-amp, I'm wondering if it has a break in period.  If so, how long and how does if change.

Thanks,

Paul

[avahifi]

No break in required other than probably playing it for a few hours to let the vacuum tubes thermally settle down.  Any sonic changes you notice are very likely just you noticing what it can do that your previous equipment could not do.

Frank Van Alstine

[CE2]

  Surely the AC line cord needs breaking in.  Align the atomic structure of the "dielectric".  Surely the metal plug tips need some atomic cohesion restructuring.  come on.  So many other high end pieces need hundreds of hours to atain maximum sonic pace, timing, rhythm,magnetic alignment with one of Jupiter's moon for ultimate fidelity.  Frank, have you managed to build electronics that don't need this.  how dare you, Kimber,Carda,shunyata,Harmonix,Boogiman,Magic Twisted Wire Works, all have "white papers".  Nothing ever sounds right until the wires are cohesive and broken in.  My new Krups coffee maker is just now "setteling in" and brewing coffee and boiling that water to perfection.  It took about a week, probably woulda' taken shorter time, if I purchased the "burn in" coffee grounds and left it on continuous brew for the first  few days.  Nothing is ever right until the wires are. 

[Wayner]

You should have put a Longhorn on the Krups! 

[Zheeeem]

Nothing ever sounds right until the wires are cohesive and broken in.  My new Krups coffee maker is just now "setteling in" and brewing coffee and boiling that water to perfection.  It took about a week, probably woulda' taken shorter time, if I purchased the "burn in" coffee grounds and left it on continuous brew for the first  few days.

With all due respect, coffee makers actually do need to be broken in.  This allows some of the coatings and readily leached plasticizers to be extracted so that you don't have to drink them.  It is best to do this with a few runs of water followed by a few runs of coffee, since the coffee contains oils that help the leaching process.  Plus, the coffee will coat the various parts to help further contain leaching.

As Frank noted, his equipment does require some break in.  And this is not unusual, especially, e.g., with speakers.  But obviously break in of things like wires is nonsense, and only minimal break in of non-mechanical components should be needed.

For whatever reason, "audiophiles" are more comfortable thinking that components take 1-3 months to break in than they are thinking that their perceptions on a particular (new) component will change over time.

[rustneversleeps]

Perhap some of you are confused about the both.

I do notice equipment do sound better after 45 min to an hour of warm-up. My Fet valve 550 amp's right channel high freq are not extended as the left in the first 45 min after turn-on, then it improves.

Break in means you have to play the equipment or leave it turned on for a period of time in order for it to sound good.

Some manufacturers take advantage of the term, on their manual it states that "it will sound better over time...", meaning it may sound like crap now, but it will sound better later.

So we should focus on how long is the break in, a few days, a few weeks, months, or a few years.

[westcoast]

Hi Paul,

I bought a lovely Ultra SL recently on Audiogon.  It's the latest model, with two prior owners (the second owned it one day!), and I don't think it's got more than 50 hours on it.  I had it shipped to Frank for his bench check/cleanup service (recommended - Frank was great).  I have it in my system now, and it sounds goooooood!

So, I can't comment on the early hours of any break-in, but if I observe any changes going forward, I'll let you know!   

 

[avahifi]

Rusty, I am suspect that you might have a doggy tube in the Fet Valve amplifier.  Shut it off, unplug from AC, remove cover, and swap the tubes from one channel to the other.  If the slow warmup issue swaps channels, then it was the tube for sure.

Frank Van Alstine

[CE2]

I have the Ulra DAC, Ultra Pre  EC, 2 Ultra phase inverters, no change over the weeks I've been listening.  Sounded great out of the box, sounds great several weeks later.  And I don't hear any difference between first turn on and listening hours later.  As to the coffee maker, I know I always run a batch or two of water in a new pot, that is mentioned in every one i ever bought, yes, it's mostly to clean out the stuff from mfg. but i was mostly speaking of the power cord, since audio nuts seem to think they need break in, and it continues and continues, I am jealous, i didn't think of it years ago, I coulda' been someboy, selling nonsense to the gulliable, of course, I don't have an open mind, blah blah blah.  And i don't have an empty wallet buying that crap

[westcoast]

I have the Ulra DAC, Ultra Pre  EC, 2 Ultra phase inverters, no change over the weeks I've been listening.  Sounded great out of the box, sounds great several weeks later. 

Nice, CE2!  Did you get those all at one time?  What else are you running in your rig?   

[CE2]

4 OmegaStar EX in the hafler P500 chassis, in mono with the 2 phase inverters, so I bi amp each speaker   Some Furman power supply stuff for PF corection and surge/spike .  OmegaStar pre in a PAT-5 chassis for extra inputs for a bunch of CD/SACD/DSD players, Rane eq The AVa stuff makes it REAL. 

[foodman]

Thanks for the responses.  I'm comparing my Ultra SL to another pre-amp in my system so I was just curious about break in.  Westcoast, PM me any time, mine also sound very good.  CE2, I've been loaned a Furman Power Factor for when I get time (one component at a time), I've heard good things about it.  Getting ready to go see Willy Porter tonite, thanks again!

Paul

[CE2]

I have a total of 6 Furmans Rack mounts  3 PF units  and 3 PM8-series II, i like the volts and current LED numric display, see how much I is using, cus this room sure do heat up when 4 P500/OmegaStar EX go to high speed fans I have to run my system off of 3 different lines, so i don't pop the breakers.  check out my friend   winner of guitarmegeddon in June 2006, in Chicago house of  Blues    www.mattoree.com

[westcoast]

4 OmegaStar EX in the hafler P500 chassis, in mono with the 2 phase inverters, so I bi amp each speaker   Some Furman power supply stuff for PF corection and surge/spike .  OmegaStar pre in a PAT-5 chassis for extra inputs for a bunch of CD/SACD/DSD players, Rane eq The AVa stuff makes it REAL. 

Sweeeeeeet....I wanna hear that rig!! 

[rustneversleeps]

Thanks for the tip, Frank.

I swapped the tubes after I first noticed the slow warm up issue, I didn't notice the problem moved to the left.

I tested the tubes with my trusty Jackson 684 tube checker (a 1957 vintage), both tubes are just a bit over to the "good" area, so they are reaching the end of their service life.

I haven't bought new tubes for it yet. Since my Nakamichi PA-7II (a big hunk of metal) needs about 45 min warm up time for it to sound good, so I assume the Fet Valve needs the same amount of warm up time.

With not so strong tubes in the Fet Valve 550, and takes 45 min warm up time to sound good, so I thought that was normal.

Could there be other parts cause this issue?