[JLM]

Call me nuts, but I'm satisfied with most of my stuff.  So I'd like to keep it for a long time.  I know this runs counter to hunting and gathering instincts.   

So is there any secrets (beyond not "over cranking" the volume) to extending the life of my gear?

[mark funk]

Don't leave it on all the time! 



                                                                                       

[Diamond Dog]

No Cats. No Kids. 

D.D.

[PRELUDE]

No Cats. No Kids. 

D.D.

[Elizabeth]

Leave it all on, all the time.
(Gee the opposite of another poster's comment.)
Speakers: keep out of sunlight!!
Do not use ozone producing air cleaners.
Do not have wild drunken parties.
Do not fiddle with your stuff when: drunk, stoned, really tired, really pissed off.

[thunderbrick]

Stay single.  She-who-must-be-obeyed will redecorate and insist you get different stuff that looks better but sounds like crap.
Or she'll break it on the first try.  My first big system was controlled by a single switch.  Every time I was out of town she'd throw the switch and blow every fuse in the system.  Never could figure out why.

[S Clark]

Don't go listen to another audiophile's system!

[thunderbrick]

Don't go listen to another audiophile's system!

+1!   

[Devil Doc]

Avoid the audiophile press at all costs.

Doc.

[*Scotty*]

Basically what Elizabeth said if it's SS. Tubes on the other hand, are incandescent light bulbs, good luck with that.
 Also, if you have the addiction,don't smoke anywhere near your system.
And believe it or not watch out for those very tiny ants in your home. They can infest your equipment and cause it to short out.
Don't forget we are fighting ENTROPY and regardless of what we do it will win in the end. If you really like a piece of gear, get a parts list and put the critical semi-conductor parts on the shelf in a static proof bag. Just when you need a replacement part for one that died you may find that it has turned into unobtainium when you weren't looking.
Scotty

[neekomax]

Leave it all on, all the time.
(Gee the opposite of another poster's comment.)
Speakers: keep out of sunlight!!
Do not use ozone producing air cleaners.
Do not have wild drunken parties.
Do not fiddle with your stuff when: drunk, stoned, really tired, really pissed off.

Wait, I should leave my stuff on all the time? What's that about? 

[richidoo]

Use it up with passion. When it's tired and done there will be something even better to take it's place.

[Mikeinsacramento]

LOL!  Never, ever, ever use it.

[Matty_J]

Don't under power your speakers...and also use cooling fans for your amplifiers.

[Ericus Rex]

Wait, I should leave my stuff on all the time? What's that about? 

Some believe the surge at power on and constant swings from cold to warm are what kills the components inside a component.  I've heard it likened to light bulbs;  they never seem to blow when they've been on for a while, mostly when you turn them on or off.  Similar fates await electrical parts...so some say.  Tube stuff should not be left on all the time, however.

[lonewolfny42]

Do not have wild drunken parties.

Wow.....do you have any experience with those ?   

[Elizabeth]

Wild drunken parties.. The sort where one becomes blotto and then wakes up and cannot remember what happened after a certain point?
Ahhh yeah.. but that was over 40 plus years ago... Lucky for me nothing wierd/bad happened. (others were able to fill in the events)
Then bumping my tweeter and crushing the dome a few years ago... just tipsy.. (New Years Eve) and better me than someone else!!

And another thing which can dramatically extend the life of your speakers:
Do NOT move, and if you do move, do not have your friends move your stuff in the back of a pickup, especially if it is raining.. and you are all drunk.

[Niteshade]

Tube gear:

1. Top of rack! Always!!
2. Power tubes: Watch for glowing plates as tubes age.
3. Popping, noisy tubes: Eliminate ASAP
4. Electrolytics: Perform a visual inspection every 3-5 years. Look for bulges, leaks. DO NOT TOUCH them or anything else underneath!!! Or have someone else do the inspection who is knowledgeable.
5. Rapidly blowing fuses: If a second fuse blows immediately, there is an issue.
6. Keep dust, debris off the amp & preamp tubes
7. Biasing: Run those power tubes at manufacturer's settings and NOT above them.
8. Never run an amp without speakers being plugged into it.
9. Never clean an amp while running
10. Don't put cold water on a hot tube
11. Keep tube pins clean, at the very least remove and reinstall every once in a while
12. NEVER run smaller tubes or larger ones in the output stage unless it's specified.
13. Tube variances: Contact manufacturer before trying them- goes for driver/preamp tubes as well.

[Steve]

Some believe the surge at power on and constant swings from cold to warm are what kills the components inside a component.  I've heard it likened to light bulbs;  they never seem to blow when they've been on for a while, mostly when you turn them on or off.  Similar fates await electrical parts...so some say.  Tube stuff should not be left on all the time, however.

Yep, it is called "initial conditions". Pros and cons of each.

1) Turning on and off is tough on some parts with surges present (Initial conditions).

2) Leaving on means continued heat on parts. Some parts tolerate better than others.

Depends upon design and layout which might tip the scales in their direction.

Cheers.

[pansixt]

Niteshade,

Just curious about Tube Gear on top of Rack.

What is your reasoning behind this? I'm guessing heat dissipation as one?

The only reason I keep my Amp on the bottom is due to its weight. I do need
a new stand with more room for cooling.

James