Hello all! I have recently purchased my first tube amp after hearing reminiscences of my father's McIntosh days. I purchased a 1965 Harman-Kardon Award Series A500 integrated tube amp. Everything is original! Beautifully mint condition, I was really lucky to snag it.
I am basically wondering the general operational guidelines for tube amps. Though this amp wasn't the most expensive or sought after that I could buy, I felt I should get my feet wet before moving into the real "audiophile" realm. I have heard a lot of rumors about operating tube amps, from letting them warm up for 30 minutes before use, to keeping them on except at night or during breaks of 3-4 hours or more. What are some truths behind all of this? If I am going to class for two hours and then plan to be back, should I leave the amp on? I have not found anything that explains general operation tips for stereo tube amps, though there are a lot of guitar amp articles. Could someone point me in the right direction?
Hello all! I have recently purchased my first tube amp after hearing reminiscences of my father's McIntosh days. I purchased a 1965 Harman-Kardon Award Series A500 integrated tube amp. Everything is original! Beautifully mint condition, I was really lucky to snag it.
I am basically wondering the general operational guidelines for tube amps. Though this amp wasn't the most expensive or sought after that I could buy, I felt I should get my feet wet before moving into the real "audiophile" realm. I have heard a lot of rumors about operating tube amps, from letting them warm up for 30 minutes before use, to keeping them on except at night or during breaks of 3-4 hours or more. What are some truths behind all of this? If I am going to class for two hours and then plan to be back, should I leave the amp on? I have not found anything that explains general operation tips for stereo tube amps, though there are a lot of guitar amp articles. Could someone point me in the right direction?