Is it best to leave your amp 'On'?

[Tapehead47]

It was suggested to me about 30 years ago to just leave your power amp in the 'on' position all the time. Supposedly it was easier on the unit rather than having it turned on and off. I'm talkin about SS equipment.
I don't know much about tube gear, so this theory doesn't necessarily apply.

The only time I turned my Yamaha M-50 off was for vacations.

Rick

[OvenMaster]

I wouldn't. I figure that many output transistors and other parts are now unobtainium, so why wear 'em out more than they have to be worn? Not to mention the possible fire hazard and waste of electricity and room heating.
Tom

[restorer-john]

Honestly it's just a waste of power. I feel guilty leaving my big amps on thinking of all that coal being burnt unnecessarily.

[dogscanskate]

My ss is always "on".

[totem]

I turn mine off, they get pretty warm at idle over several hours. Leaving the power switch in the on position, but engaged by another means, IMHO is a good idea. IE power bar etc.

[stuartk]

Electronics are only going to last so long before something breaks. The parts have finite lifespans.

I would rather use up their lifespans listening to music, instead of just acting as a space heater.

Turning a properly engineered component on and off should not cause any problems.

You also have to figure that, if you leave your equipment on all the time, they have a 100% chance of getting hit by any spikes or surges coming down the power line.

In addition, if something inside your amp shorts out, you could wind up with a fire. It's probably a good idea to be around in case that happens so that you can put it out before it burns your house down.

Hmmm.... I wonder what the insurance companies say about leaving things on all the time? They might consider your having left your system on as being negligence and then not cover you when you have a fire.

[meggy]

Leaving stuff on, you're subject to external conditions. Sudden storms, lightning strikes, surges, power company clicking power off/on, etc.

[Tapehead47]

There was no Audio Karma for advice back then. The guy who told me to leave the amp on said the heating/cooling of the components did more damage than leaving it on.

Live and learn, I always say.

Thanks,
Rick

[stuartk]

Originally Posted by Tapehead47

There was no Audio Karma for advice back then. The guy who told me to leave the amp on said the heating/cooling of the components did more damage than leaving it on.

Live and learn, I always say.

Thanks,
Rick

I have been told that the story behind this particular piece of advice is that it dates back to the early computers. They took up entire rooms, had enormously complex wiring, lots of tubes, and plenty of contacts and switches.

In those circumstances, things did indeed shift around if everything heated up and cooled down, plus there's a big power surge when you turn everything on.

These computers were run around the clock because they needed every bit of time to do what they needed. Computing time was wildly expensive.

So stuff did wear out and things did break. It was judged to be better to leave it on all the time.

This really doesn't apply to any electronic equipment you're likely to have in your home.

[juncers]

Originally Posted by Tapehead47

There was no Audio Karma for advice back then. The guy who told me to leave the amp on said the heating/cooling of the components did more damage than leaving it on.

Live and learn, I always say.

Thanks,
Rick

Actually, at the time his advice was given he was correct. It is better to leave it on from a pure theoretical point of view ( or so my physics professor used to say). The famous 100 year old light bulb scenario. The problem is the world has changed. Electricity is more expensive, fossils fuels are an environmental problem, blown transistors/IC's ( from surges/lightening strikes) may be impossible to find, 30 year old ( unrefurbished) equipment is more likely to be a fire hazard than it was when it was new etc.

All things being equal-turn it off.

Ray

[dogscanskate]

All things being equal, I don't like waiting 5 hours for my amp( yup, this particular amp) to start sounding good. I have noticed from a cold start, it takes time for the amp to settle in so why not keep it on all the time? Of course if I'm aware there may be lightning and heavy showers, I'll turn it off for safety issues. It has never sounded better. Btw, there are still makers who suggest leaving it "on" all the time.

[MAXZ28]

Call me paranoid, but I've always turned off my gear AND unplugged my power strips when I'm gone for the day....I've just never really trusted those surge protectors in case a sudden lightning storm blew through. I do leave my switches in the on position to save wear and tear and utilize the power strip switch instead.

[Tapehead47]

Hmmmm....We've gotten a few 'on' responses lately. Getting more interesting now....
When I left it on day and night it was always ready when summoned to action. If bad weather were approaching I would not only turn it off, I would unplug it. Lightning that travels 3 miles isn't going to stop at a little gap in the on/off switch, one would think.
However, the amps bulbs failed, as did the the power indicator lights. A Yamaha M-50, by the way. I have no clue as to how long it would have lived had I turned it off when not in use.

Rick

ps: it looks like MAXZ posted before I did while I was writing this. Ditto. I THINK Florida has worse storms that are more unpredictable than Mn.

[avionic]

I never leave my electronics on unattended.I can wait a few minutes for stabilation.Which is a mute point IMO for SS.

Dave

[restorer-john]

Is that a 'moot' point, although 'mute' point was clever if you meant it...

Bulbs will die if left on, I am in the process of changing a big power amp with 15x 28v 0.04A bulbs over to LED's. Not only will it save a lot of power (around 14 watts) They will last forever. To do this I am using a separate regulator to run the leds instead of running from the unregulated 29v speaker protection rail. That could save 122kW over a year if I left the amp on and $24.50 in electricity- just for the panel lighting, not the amp itself!
For the sake of originality I used to always use the same bulbs etc etc, but let's face it, half the bulb holders, reflectors and housings are brittle and won't see out another 10 years due to the heat and UV from incandescent bulbs, so why not improve on the design (the manufacturers would have used high intensity LED's if they were available)? I have changed my tune due to the endless number of pieces of mine and my fathers needing unobtania bulbs.