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Scott LK48 warming up

jonw

jonw

Active Member
Tonight I noticed after about an hour of listening to vinyl the sound started to just "sound better". More bass, more detail, and a better sound stage.

When I recapped the unit I only changed the caps under the chassis and behind the front panel. I also changed the selium rectifier.

Could it be the multi cap cans I didn't change take that long to "recharge"?

It really sounds fantastic! :banana:
Using original Telefunkin and Scott tubes.
 
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jonw said:
Could it be the multi cap cans I didn't change take that long to "recharge"?
Click to expand...

It doesn't work that way! The sound that you seem to hear that sounds better as it warms up is only the tubes after about 20 minutes or so.

I have been listening to tubes for over 40 years and I cannot hear the "so called" tube warm up sound after 2 minutes let alone 10 minutes to an hour.

Let the posts begin................again and again and again and again and...........

I also own an LK-48! Still sounds the same and really good after 50 years of service.
 
I've long been convinced that its not the tubes warming up, but all the rest of the parts. Many components will drift in value with temperature changes, old carbon comp resistors are especially bad about it. Possible some of them are heat soaking and changing how the amp acts. It may also be the original can caps re-forming to some extent, and moisture baking out of the old resistors as they heat up.

I know my Bogen definitely sounds better after about 15-20 minutes. If I hang meters on it, its mostly the bias supply thats changing value. The crappy trimmer pot I have in there to adjust the supply voltage changes and gets the bias where it belongs after a while. Its run too cold at first, and it sounds a bit rough as a result.
 
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I believe that as the unit reaches a therman "equilibrium", the components stabilize and they can perform as designed. I have no scientific proof other than speculation and my ears,
 
I sure would want to replace the can caps. If you can't find the correct values in cans, wire it up with individual caps.
 
I tend to have things start out sounding good......and about an hour or two into it, I start to pick up some kind of 'debris' within the sound. The last few times this has happened to me, it turned out to be bad cables (required replacing), dirty pots (required cleaning), and a failing CD player! It ticked me off too, since in the initial stages of picking up these kinds of anomalies you start by hearing something, then going into denial! Then, you hear it again, a bit louder or more pronounced.....and finally you say: I've got a problem! Then, where do you start? Amp, speakers, wires, pre-amp, 'source' device????? It took me not just hours....but days to track down my problems!! So, if your system sounds better as you listen to it.....I say 'Count your lucky stars!!!' Hope you can say that a year from now!!
 
I've been listening to Scott 222c and LK-48 for years now. I also think that they sound a little better after 30 min or so. I've got no data though. Maybe the transformer performance at temp may just be a little better? The "warm-up" effect was much more pronounced in a Cary SLI-80 I had for awhile.
 
My Scott Lk-48 definitely sounds better after 1/2 hour or more. The longer the better. Of course, if I'm listening that long, it usually involves some OD114. :banana::banana:
 
My rebuilt Fisher requires about one minute warm up to reach peak sound. All tubes are NOS with low hour use. It could also be the speakers.
 
It could be the listener.
The time of day was not stated. It is possible the AC coming in cleaned up as people nearby stopped running their dishwashers and other appliances.
 
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