Tubes>M1200's

Audio Components
1

Upgrading from M700>M1200
Have never owned anything with tubes in it. My normal practice is to just leave everything on.
Is it recommended to put M1200’s in standby mode when not listening to extend the life of the tubes or is this not necessary?
Thank you

2

I used to put mine in stand by mode. Tho from what I understand the tubes on the M1200 with last a very long time.

3

Thank you

4

I’ve had my M1200s for almost 2 years. They are in standby mode when I’m not listening. My P12 wakes them up when I power the system on. I’ve never been able to notice any improvements in the sound when the amps have been on for a couple hours. I also haven’t noticed any degradation in the sound over time that you might attribute to the tubes going south. I have a back up pair, but haven’t felt the need to try them. My guess is, tube degradation is a slow thing and you may not notice it without switching out for a new pair. I, like you, am new to tubes.

5

I put mine in standby. That turns off the tubes while leaving most of the solid state electronics powered so the amps get up to speed quickly when fully powered up. Small signal tubes can last a long time but they do wear out. They’ll last longer if you use standby when not playing.

1 Like
6

To clarify a bit, I would not take this to extremes, such as by using standby when not listening for short periods. I turn my PSA tubed equipment on when I start listening and turn it off at the end of the day, not every time I walk away for a few minutes (I may put it in standby when it’s going to be a couple hours or more but that’s just me).

7

I have M1200s and I leave them on 24-7 unless I’m leaving the house for several days.

Wondering how long the tubes should last before considering replacement in thIS scenario. My concern is that the degradation is so slight that I won’t notice the change until I finally swap out the old tubes.

I’m running Golden Lions BTW…

8

I keep my M1200’s in standby mode and have not had them long enough to feel the need to replace the tubes. With other tube gear in the past, the soundstage will become smaller and the magic will disappear from the system. This is most noticeable after listening to another stereo system that hasn’t become flat sounding.