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Powering Off/On - Am I worrying too much? (Read 3193 times)

donovan

Verified Member

Posts: 48

Powering Off/On - Am I worrying too much?
09/28/16 at 01:28:56

I have had my SE84UFO for two months now and I'm very happy. 90% of my listening is low level and near field so 2wpc is perfect for the Open Baffle Betsy's that are paired with the amp. I did swap out the Valve Art rectifier for a soviet "Winged C" and the improvement was notable. The only improvement I could think of is perhaps some chassis color choices. Some green, copperish or silver would be cool even if they were limited runs.

My main question is about powering up and down. I am not the type of listener to have extended, multiple hour listening sessions. Most times I want to listen to one album and that's it. I don't want to leave the amp on while I'm out of the house. And then there are the times I want to fall asleep to music, but don't want to worry about waking up and turning it off.

Am I worrying too much about powering on and off? What is the worse that could happen other than short lived tubes (not a big concern because the replacement costs are low). Could it cause any concerns about the innards? Also, would a power timer in between the mains and the amp be alright. At night I could set the timer for two hours and go to sleep with no worries about the tubes burning all night. Would that be kosher?

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Lonely Raven

Seasoned Member

Jack of all Trades,
Master of None

Posts: 3567

Re: Powering Off/On - Am I worrying too much?
Reply #1 - 09/28/16 at 19:58:29

My Original SE84 is 18 years old now - I would power it on and off multiple times a day - especially when for a few years I even used it for TV sound when I put together my first small home theater setup.

Tubes don't like being turned on and off, but the tubes Steve uses tend to be robust as well as good sounding.

I wouldn't worry about a thing - just use it the way you want to use it.

I think Steve recommends not leaving a tube amp powered on and unattended - though I've forgotten my amps on overnight once or twice. Wink

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donovan Verified Member Posts: 48	Re: Powering Off/On - Am I worrying too much? Reply #2 - 09/29/16 at 18:30:56 Thanks Raven, that eases my mind. If Steve happens to read this, what do you think of such a device used with one of your amps? https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Conserve-Socket-Energy-Saving-F7C009q/dp/B003P2UMS...
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Lonely Raven

Seasoned Member

Jack of all Trades,
Master of None

Posts: 3567

Re: Powering Off/On - Am I worrying too much?
Reply #3 - 09/29/16 at 20:07:13

I can't speak for Steve, but as an audiophile nerd who tends to go a bit extreme for details....

#1 I'm of the belief that anything extra can cause trouble (K.I.S.S.). The device might add noise to the line, might slow down the draw of power when the amp needs some quick juice for dynamics, or it simply might not allow enough current to keep the amp happy or sounding good.

#2 All the above said, this is only 2watt amp and I can't imagine it needing big current, and your outlet is probably shared with other devices elsewhere on that circuit. So assuming the timer can handle the current, and wherever you buy it has a good return policy...I'd just get it and let your ears be your guide. I can't imagine it hurting the amp, only your sound.

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