is there really amp warm up ?

Aside from technical aspects of warm up and internal voltage stabilization, there are always psycho-acoustics at play. If the listener believes that a warmed up amp sounds better, it will sound better. That's expectation bias. You might snicker at the thought but this subjective dynamic is in my opinion a real phenomena.
I usually deal with disappointment bias, and I am not joking. I am pleased when I'm not let down by a changeout.
 
Disappointment bias (def): When an AKer tries to adjust the bias pot and accidentally shorts a driver which in turn takes out the entire output stage with a massive bang followed by a large plume of acrid smoke.

:)
Not yet, hoping never.
The amp I've been tweaking has the trimpots with little fingertip wheels, so instead I can put a knuckle across one of the reservoir elyticaps (again) if I'm not careful.
 
The amp I've been tweaking has the trimpots with little fingertip wheels

Go to your local thrift store and pick up a handful of plastic knitting needles for a few cents. File/cut them into various screwdriver shaped tips for adjusting pots from a safe distance. Get different colours so you know which ones are which when stored in your tool case/rack.
 
My Musical Fidelity NuVista m3 takes a good 45min to an hour when first turned on to sound it’s best . It does have Tubes in the prestage and solid state amps so that may be why it takes a bit longer, who knows .

Audiofreak71
 
Before I turn on my amplifier it feels cold, especially in winter.
Not so much so in summer.
However no matter the season my amplifier gets warmer after I turn it on.
 
Hi Guys I own an Adcom rack mount face GFA-555 that I bought from Audio Classics about 10/12 years ago.Sight and sound unseen just on reputation alone. I've had absolutely no problems w/ the amp and we already discussed the spooling down noise that I get through my speakers but is there a warm up time for a solid state amp? I contend I hear absolutely no difference from power up through xx hours of warmed up running time. My amp also powers up immediately w/ no lag what so ever. Is this normal to an Adcom and to solid state amps in general. Obviously there is clearly a defined warm up time for tubed gear which is apples and oranges. Do I have the cleanest most responsive GFA55 ever made or they all do this?
Lew
I never consider "warm up time". But ime, regardless of amp, it's after the 5th tune that the system seems to be running at it's best. I do listen at loud 100+ db spl at my listening chair, though. So the system as a whole could be responsible rather than just the amp.
 
Outside the solid state hifi realm, but my five watt tube guitar amp needs fifteen minutes of warm-up before it sounds it's best. Before that it sounds... I guess "shrill" would be the right description.
 
optimum levels are mostly set after warm up when performing a service or repair . whether the speaker sounds different before and after warm up depends on your ears.
 
I think the main reason I let my amps idle for awhile before I play them is because my dad told me to always do it on his stereo when I was a teenager. It was drummed into me so much then that it just became part of my routine. When I get home from work I turn everything on and go out and run the dogs, and when we get back inside the system is good to go.
 
DS2000,
Do you have a PDF (or other medium) of this entire M-510 Start Up Procedure article? I acquired this amp a while back and want to keep it in proper functioning order through proper start-up and use. Thanks.
Best bet would be to open a free account at hifiengine and download the service manual for free.
The process is timed, during which the bias to the drivers and outputs is increased. It returns to normal after the status bar on the front is all lit.

If a small cap replacement and service bulletin update had not yet been done to the amp, it is a MUST DO!
 
If you go the way "the ones who know" like the hi-end magazines say, then warm-up is the way to go. I know tube amps need
the warm up, so I'm sure certain solid state needs it too.
 
Best bet would be to open a free account at hifiengine and download the service manual for free.
The process is timed, during which the bias to the drivers and outputs is increased. It returns to normal after the status bar on the front is all lit.

If a small cap replacement and service bulletin update had not yet been done to the amp, it is a MUST DO!

Thank you for the advice. The amp "blew up" a few months ago. POP from the front left quadrant and a burning smell. Amp immediately went into protect mode. This was the second such occurrence. Instead of taking it back to my local tech, it now rests with an Onkyo Authorized Center in MD. The tech there said he could get it back to factory specs but it will take some time and cost.
 
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