Always leave equipment on?

Lots of other threads on this. Try a search.

There are a lot of threads, but most of them are for power amps. I generally leave power amps on all the time. Source and pre-amp in standby if available and if not I generally turn it off. All of my high end source components have a standby--so the only things that do get completely turned off are not high end or are part of the HT. There are two issues to this: one is sound quality the other is realiablity. For amps it generally affects both (+ to leave on). For source components the heat generation is rather small (with the exception of some tube equipment) and so reliability is not affected as much by cyclical heating--however the sound might be. You should try your components on for 24/7. Then turn them off overnight and let them cool, and see if the next day when turned on cold if they sound worse. If so, how long until they stabalize--different gear takes different times, but most source equipment stablizes faster than power amps--but that is a general statement and not always true. You'll have to do some experimenting to determine it for your system.

If you use a Theta outboard DAC (I have a IIIa) Theta sez it takes FOUR DAYS before it sounds its best. So I just leave the entire system on 24/7.

I leave all my high-end audio on 24/7. It just sounds best. The major drawback i have found is that on equipment without a 'display off' switch, displays get dim over time.

that is, of course, unless you live here in Califirnia!

I used to leave my equipment on 24/7.The digital is still on 24/7 but the amp now is in stand by mode when not listening.Reason,s? amp is pass x350
1. I changed the wiring to 35 amp fuses with 8 g. braided and in doing so the amp run,s hotter. I talked to peter at pass and while there position on the 35 amps is ok and well not effect the amp they recomended i turn the amp back to stand by mode when not listening.
2. while pass made this recommendation i well stick to it for any future melt down well be covered by warranty.
3. Yes ss. gear left on does sound better? or is it the mood we are in when listening which is then subjective.
Has alway,s everybody has different experiences, But more importantly set up is critical, the foundation and tweaking of one,s system well have huge differences in sound reporduction over the same equipment just plug in play mode.
Has does cables, there is no strick guidlines i beleive. In other word,s the most unusual tweak well yeild the biggest improvement when one does not expect anything to happen, but that goes back to what mood is one in at the time and time of day for best electricity to your system.
I do beleive this, if you get into this hobby and buy the better equipment, and not get the best associated goodies then you are wasting your money , or better yet go buy a sony juke box.
steve

I'll be the lone person how says off with the power! Unless you fancy replacing those hard to find power transformers and odd proprietary transistors that are in you amps, you might want to get comfortable with turning the power off. Of the transformers I've replaced almost all were in units left on to "maximize" the sound. TRUE, Amps will sound better after 20 - 30 mins . I've told more than a few people that unless they wanted to spend multi hundreds on a custom built transformer, their broken equipment would make a GREAT doorstop.