2. amps-preamps
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Amps and Preamps has standby, but should I turn them completely off?

Hi guys, I know there has been discussions of this and the overall consensus seems to be leaving the Solid State amps / preamps on (or standby). I have a Parasound A51 that runs pretty hot. The heat sinks are hot to touch after running them for 2 hours. Ever since I move them to the 2nd floor (gets hot in the summer), I worry that they'd run too hot so I turn them completely off (by switching off the surge protector) after each use. Note that standby mode doesn't solve the heat issue -- it still generates a significant amount of excess heat. 

My question is:
1. Does turning them off after each use shorten their life?
2. Does turning them off increase the probability of failure?
3. Does the excessive heat damage them in the long run by leaving them on?

I am not too worried about warm up time because I use them 2-3 times a week tops. I just don't want the excess heat on the 2nd floor since it's already much warmer than the 1st floor. 

Thanks!!
angelgz2

Showing 2 responses by angelgz2

angelgz2 OP
43 posts
 
sorry, I also have a Parasound new classic 5125 for the rear channels and my preamp is Rotel RSP 1572. The Rotel runs hot too. 
angelgz2 OP
43 posts
 
Got some good answers here. Thanks guys. Yeah, I agree it's all about the trade off. Since I almost exclusively using the units over the weekend, I believe you'll probably agree it's a good idea to turn them off over the 5 week days and turn them on Saturday morning, then, shut them off Sunday night. What I meant by "completely turning them off" is switching off the power conditioner, thus equivalent to pulling the plug. We do get thunder storms here often too in central Illinois. I think this way I minimize the heat problem, chance of electric shock, while also minimizing having to turn them off and on during the weekend. 

Thanks again guys, appreciate the help. 
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