Components break-in/burn-in

Freebird · Post by **Freebird** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 3:29 pm

There are many different informations about break-in and burn-in methods. I learnt just playing the amp for a lot of hours takes the longest time. Faster is to feed it with a signal from a cd player. I'm thinking over to do it quickly not in a electrically way bur rather with a oven.

I know it may be a stupid and crazy idea, but I ask me whether with warming up resistors and capacitors in a oven will result in a faster way to do the break-in thing? Does anybody have experience in it?

Thanks in advance for your helpful suggestions!
Daniel

novosibir · Post by **novosibir** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 3:48 pm

"Burn in" doesn't mean, that the process is done only by heat!

i.e. to "burn in" caps, voltage has to be applied!

i.e. to "burn in" transformers, alternating magnetism due to electricity has to be applied.

So better leave the cake in the oven, but nothing else!

Larry

5150loveeddie · Post by **5150loveeddie** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 3:52 pm

Larry,

From your experience, does a mustard cap (a real mullard/Philip cap....) need a "burn in or break in period"????

I know the Sozos do, but let say a NOS Philip cap? How long do you think IF so??

Thanks
putput tube.......

Freebird · Post by **Freebird** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 4:02 pm

"Burn in" doesn't mean, that the process is done only by heat!

i.e. to "burn in" caps, voltage has to be applied!

i.e. to "burn in" transformers, alternating magnetism due to electricity has to be applied.

So better leave the cake in the oven, but nothing else!

Thanks Larry!

Xmas is over. I may got some inspiration from it

. Don't worry I won't cook my amps.

I understand for capacitors and transformers it probably makes not much sense. But for resistors to stabilize the value of resistance?

Daniel

novosibir · Post by **novosibir** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 5:22 pm

5150loveeddie wrote:From your experience, does a mustard cap (a real mullard/Philip cap....) need a "burn in or break in period"????

The only I can say, that they also need a burn in time, but don't ask me, how long! I don't have any experience with new NOS Mustards! I never have buyed a new Marshall in the past, only used items. And all orig. Mustards I've already soldered anywhere into amps all have been used.

Larry

dynaman · Post by **dynaman** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 1:56 am

If you're gonna cook your components, at least seal them for moisture. Otherwise you'll wind up with a very dry tone.

Freebird · Post by **Freebird** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 5:40 am

I once worked from 1989 until 1995 for a famous swiss electricity meter manufaturer company, Landis & Gyr, which is taken over from Siemens. There I repaired meters and after repairing we put the high precision part a PCB of these meters in a oven. All PCB where connected to voltage. This aging process accelerated the drift of the components technical values as resistance, capacity and breakdown of semiconductors. After that we had to measure the PCB again. Of course some components were pretty burnt.

Well with this I just would like to give a discussions base to get ideas of making the amp sounding for a long time as constant as possible. But I see, the above statement probably only makes sense for producing a lots of pieces.

To return to the charge. What is exactly the best way to burn-in the hole amp without just plug in the guitar and playing many hours? Could anybody explain that? May point out the chain from the input signal, take off which tubes and the output load?

Freebird · Post by **Freebird** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 2:23 pm

To complete this thread, I found one answer to break-in an amp:

VelvetGeorge wrote in this thread http://forum.metroamp.com/viewtopic.php?p=28404 following lines:

The difference is subtle, but you should hear the notes become more defined and the harmonics get sweeter.

Sozos seem to have a more obvious change over the first 25 hours than other caps. In fact, I never really noticed it until the Sozos.

You can take your output tubes out if you're worried about wearing. Run a CD into the amp with the standby on and dime everything.

George

Daniel