Warming up for best performance.

[Summit]

Okay as fun as it is to read about Frank and his wisdom about audio gear I think we may can move on now 😊.

 

Warming-up is an expression used for gear that sound better when their circuits has reached their optimal temperature. It can also refer to gear or components that sounds better after some sensitive circuits has stabilized.

 

All components and circuits has an electrical and temperature span in with they will work optimal. Some components has a rather wide span while some has a much narrower span. This is true both in spec and in practice. In all audio gear we have some components that are “known” to sound quite different depending on if they have reach their optimal temperature and/or if they have stabilized electrically. Crystal oscillator is one component that normally has a rather slim temperature span and that also need some time to stabilize (voltage) before it will perform at its best. Another component that can be rather picky about the right temp is transistors.

 

The first category of circuits that will benefit from been on for a while is the one that will get considerably warmer after a couple of hours. The difference between a Class A circuits temp cold and after it been left on for 2-3 hours is obvious and easy to understand, for most people. The second category of circuits is much harder to understand just how it can take so much time for them to stabilize. I can’t explain it, but still I know it can change the sound profoundly. If you are in doubt of this, just listen to a Schiit Yggdrasil cold for example and then after a few days. The temp is reached after a couple of hours.  

[Summit]

19 hours ago, sandyk said:

 This doesn't have to be the case . Yes, the HFE of a transistor increases with temperature to a certain degree, but it is quite possible to overcome this problem with careful design using the temperature coefficient of a Silicon diode or another additional transistor in the current mirror area of a Solid State Class A amplifier as I have done with my 15W/Ch. (in full Class A) DIY Amplifier.

 It tracks and compensates for the changes immediately after switch on and is completely stable in SQ within several minutes

 

No not all gear will benefit from been turn on for a while before the listening session begins. I said that gear that gets considerably warmer after a couple of hours can benefit from warming-up.

[Summit]

6 hours ago, tapatrick said:

FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH: I used to love this forum, coming here on a daily basis and learning about and sharing interesting developments and discoveries. However his endless bickering with the same characters, across multiple threads is killing it for me and I'm sure many others. I am coming here less and less and am finding other places to discover and share.... Good luck amigos... everyone knows where this kind of stuff always ends..

 

I still think that it worth to come back here and read about exciting developments and discoveries like @austinpop last review for example. Sure some people seems to have a rather low s/n rate, or appears like they have wake up on the wrong side of the bed, every day, but please don’t forget about all the good stuff and good people that are here as well.      

[Summit]

There is no wrong side of the equator. I have spent a lot of time on both sides and the “problem” is not geographically related in my experience.

[Summit]

31 minutes ago, Ralf11 said:

I agree - it is not the equator that is the problem.  We have more than one non-neurotypical member.

 

Ralf, I really think we can handle all types of members. The issue, if it even an issue, is to stay on topic and doing it without making others feel uncomfortable to share their POW.