Constant Current for Tube Heaters. Extend the Life of Your Amplifier’s Vacuum Tubes

In this article, Bill Reeve explains how to drive tube heaters with a constant current to lengthen the life of your vacuum tubes. As he explains, obviously, the best way to extend your amplifier’s vacuum tube life is to never turn it on. Some would say that the second best thing you can do is to never turn it off. The third and fourth options may be to gently turn on the tube heaters and not leave the B+ voltage on when the heater voltages are off. This article was originally published in audioXpress, May 2014.