Does a Solid State amp sound better when warm?

[Electricblue]

As the title says, does a solid state amp sound better when its been on for a while?

Its another pointless thread, but I'd like to see some people's views on it. I have nothing to do :|

[BigOldHarry]

no.

[boynamedsuse]

I also suspect the answer is no unless a component on the amp is failing. Tubes are a different story, of course.

[BassmanPaul]

"Golden ear" types will tell you yes. For myself after 50 years of unprotected playing, I don't hear much difference to be truthful.

[jumbodbassman]

NO. might be the opposite as the amp heats up actually

[chokeslam512]

With the presence of cooling fans, I would say no.

[BassmanPaul]

Originally Posted by chokeslam512

With the presence of cooling fans, I would say no.

Well, if your fans start cooling you'll just have to work harder to get them warmed up again!

[jumbodbassman]

Originally Posted by chokeslam512

With the presence of cooling fans, I would say no.

then i don't heat up as much. i was really referring to overheating... I had several ampeg SS heads that would shut down on occasion. I had to add external fan blowing thru the cooling vents to avoid problems... after that never an issue again

[metron]

No. Tubes are supposed to be hot. Otoh heat is the enemy of semiconductors. Keep them cool for optimum performance.

People with golden ears cant hear. Because their eardrums are covered in gold.

[Electricblue]

Originally Posted by metron

No. Tubes are supposed to be hot. Otoh heat is the enemy of semiconductors. Keep them cool for optimum performance.

People with golden ears cant hear. Because their eardrums are covered in gold.

Ive never been able to tell the difference between quite a lot of sounds...

You know them 30'000hz descending sine wave ringtones you can get? My friend's nan heard it about 10 seconds before i did. It really sucks to have buggered ears at this age

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

Probably not unless it has something wrong with it.

[fdeck]

+1

The components which determine the tone of a typical solid state amp are resistors and capacitors, which have minimal temperature dependence. Even the temperature dependence of components in discrete transistor circuits is not profound.

[chucko58]

With all due respect to the folks who actually know their electronics, I could believe that crossover distortion would change from just-powered-on cold to fully warmed up. I have to think it's a small effect in a well designed power amp though.

[will33]

Actually all amps sound better when warm but so do your ears. They adjust to the volume after a while and begin to naturally compress things in a effort to protect themselves. Ironically, this take about the same amount of time it takes for an amp to warm up.

[Electricblue]

Originally Posted by will33

Actually all amps sound better when warm but so do your ears. They adjust to the volume after a while and begin to naturally compress things in a effort to protect themselves. Ironically, this take about the same amount of time it takes for an amp to warm up.

What if you left the amp to warm up and then walked in and played it before your ears got used to it? Would the world collapse in on itself?

[Rockmusician]

No

[lomo]

No. Someone claiming he can hear the difference between cold and hot SS amps is like claiming he can feel a piece of belly button lint on the sole of his ski boot when he walks.

[I Forget]

Yes, because when it's warm I drink more beer.

[randall p]

No. SS amps sound lousy whether they are warm or cold.

[Lync]

I used to play in a band that practiced in a warehouse next to a bowling alley. I swear that the amps (Bassman 400 for me, Carvin Legacy and Soldano SLO 100 for the guitarists) sounded better when the bowling alley was closed.