Leave it on?

I have a large Pass XP-30 preamp and I can't find a way to turn it off other than unplugging it, and I'm not climbing behind my equipment racks every night to do that. My McCormack UDP-1 doesn't seem to turn off either. I leave my Hovland Radia Amp on all the time because it doesn't sound good for many hours until warmed up and I listen every morning. I have a Moon 280D streamer which I do turn off. I'm not sure where the logic is there. My ARC PH-7 has tubes, so it's off until I use it. I had a McCormack amp and McCormack told me to leave it on, that it's power usage was like a lightbulb when not listening to music. 

Like many, I leave ss gear on 24/7, unless i'm going out of town for some time. Tubed gear gets turned on for listening, then off at the end of the evening.

The only exception to this is the Aleph 2's I own. Those generate so much heat in my small listening room they get treated like tubed gear.

@audiodwebe Yep I turn my Aleph 1.2's off nightly after listening – the heat but also the electrical bill.

@au_lait “…. the heat but also the electrical bill”.

As @vair68robert said previously in the earlier days of this discussion…..

A single amplifier at the national average KWh rate, consuming just 85w powered on amounts to $166 a year.
 

Your Alephs draw 500w each. Good job you turn them off.

Hi.some of my equipment have manufacture shut off automatic.xconsult the manual and have fun

@thecarpathian 

"Do you hear any appreciable difference with your thermal magnetic switches in?"

The only physical changes were adding a thermal magnetic switch in the wall to the hot wire feeding each amp, and then removing the (pretty good - recent SR color) fuse installed by SMc Audio and replacing it with a1/4-inch, 99.9 percent copper rod that was burnished smooth.

To your question, no, I do not hear any appreciable differences that I would reliably attribute to changing out the fuse for a thermal magnetic switch.  I am not surprised.  However, I do get to turn my amps off without unplugging them or turning off the breaker at the main electrical panel so I am happy with the win. 

@mitch2 ,

I score it a win if it didn't degrade the sound, plus it was a cool things to do!

You know this, some things can be left on all the time, and some things can't. I wouldn't leave any tube gear on all the time unattended, on the other I think solid state could benefit from being powered up for long lengths of time. It could be true that the act of turning SS on and off a lot with the in-rush of current could increase the risk of component failure. 

I turn everything off after each session. I have a PS Audio P15 and part of its design is that it soft starts everything so there isn't the harsh inrush of current that could be damaging. The other reason is that my system was hit by lightening so it is now off and unplugged from the wall when I'm not listening. One strike is all it takes and that is the end of your equipment that you are trying to get extra life on. I also don't need the extra heat and electrical bill with the five amps being on at all times. 

Both arguments seem valid. I myself have a 25-year-old Harman Kardon integrated amp that has been turned on and off for almost every use and is still fully functional. However, remember that heat is still the worst enemy of electronics, so I would suggest leaving it on or in standby mode during the day when you’re actively listening. But if you go on vacation or will be away for an extended period, I don’t see any good reason to leave it on. Occasional power cycling won’t harm the gear, as it’s well within the design tolerances.  My Parasound a23 PA is running 126 deg F inside the chassis and the Harmony micro DAC is running 104 deg F on the top of chassis (so could be even higher inside).  I really don’t think it’s a good idea or good practice to leave it on all the time—unless you can convince someone that the high temperature won’t cause any damage to or degrade the performance of the electrolytic capacitors inside.

I have checked up on my equipment.

Grimm says to leave the MU1/2 on and currant draw is scant.  

Weiss DAC501 consumes 2.2 VA in standby. Some think a twenty hour warm up is key. In use DAC uses 25 VA. 

AudioQuest Niagara Says leave on or off.  I keep on as streamer is connected as are low voltage PSU’s for swich and filters.   

Tubes on for use only  

The internet AI reports it Depends on priority. Best sound = keep it on (except Holliday’s or if you listen very rarely of course), Best for your wallet = switch it off. Always turn your equipment off if you are not going to be using it for a few hours (that’s not great advice) and always turn it off of you are leaving the house or over night.

Yes , for me, if away it all gets turned off  Not good if you need yr. roon core and are using remote?????

I suspect/know darn well that other things in my house suck way more juice than standby audio gear. Internet is connected to so many things and they all are on and drawing power. Kill your television. 

Given switches location on Subs turning off very unpractical. 

Plinius said leave my Class AB integrated on all the time. Their newer ones have the power switch on the back panel. My phono stage doesn't even have a power switch (Sutherland Insight LPS) - if it's plugged in, it's on(unless your power conditioner if unplugged or off).

I know it's socially acceptable to not really care about the planet anymore, but you should turn it off.

We all know that coal is now the cleanest Energy producer that's available, but still good idea to turn off your equipment.  Most ss equipment is durable enough to last a lifetime.  

Naim recommends leaving their equipment on 24/7, primarily because it allows the system to maintain a consistent operating temperature, which is believed to improve sound quality and stability over time. Leaving it on also avoided the potential stress on components from powering up and down. While some may be concerned about energy consumption, Naim suggests that the environmental impact is minimal compared to the benefits.  

N

@nutty “Naim recommends …. 24/7”

Nothing against Naim (their sales slogan, “You are nothing without a Naim” was however pure nonsense) but manufacturers will swing or exploit anything to sell their products. Market perception is easily tweaked.

Yes, one amplifier left on will only have a minute minimal effect on the environment. However, if we all multiply that “effect” exponentially with trillions of products on standby then the “effect” becomes huge. For Naim to say this is not a good sales pitch. Maybe they could be honest and put in a disclaimer and say, “With so many Naims burning natural resources unnecessarily, we could add to and end up with no one having any names”

We are all by our individual choice’s either become a problem, or a solution.

l leave you with two very important and getting closer words…. “Tipping Point”

The title of a 1970s Moody Blues album springs to mind, “A Question of Balance”

I'm turning off at night and turning on in the morning...

Off = Tube power amp, tube preamp, tube SSX Foz sound expander, field coil speakers power supply

On = Everything else.  DAC, Sub, Streamer, Roon core, EtherRegan/clock, LPS’s, power conditioners 

The above is a fair example of my example. Choices… Are you problem or solution orientated, or even care?
Burning the midnight oil, but in another guise…. A serial power killer.
Let’s leave all the lights on too. Saves turning them off and on again. 

I drive a gas guzzling 4 wheel drive pickup with a 36 gallon tank.

I ride loud motorcycles.

I own guns.

I leave my SS amp, DAC and phono preamp on 24/7.

I guess I am the problem.

Typical reactionist answer.

A man has got to know his limitations. 
 

My dad had a gun. He was a Bombardier with a 3 mobile Bofers anti aircraft unit. When there were no Luftwaffe left to shoot down he was asked to shoot snipers out of bell towers with high explosive rounds. When the war was over he put away the gung-ho boyish childish things and led a decent life. He was a hero serving in three theatres of war. He taught his 3 kids family values.

l bet my dad could beat your dad.

l have 1 wife, 2 houses, 3 cars* and 4 hard earned pensions and a life and attitude which l would never want to compare with yours: but l did have an air riffle pop gun and a 100cc Yamaha in my youth.

*Obviously l can only drive one at a time

In canada  we need arms only to hunt, not against, but with the Indians. The native Wendat tribe is always here on his territory. I bet it is not the same in the US. We keep arms only for hunting or in case US invade us.

My amplifier is sometimes "on" many days but sometimes "off" ...i use it for my headphones...

My small speakers are active one then off for the night...

• @mahgister “….only to hunt”

A very interesting perspective. I have friends who emigrated to Virgina, Sascathewen who now live among many Ukrainians. Lot of respect there for these people who escaped barbarism during the last century, who had very little, and carved out a future in a difficult terrain that not many wanted to live in. They would l think all agree with you as they lived off the land and the forest, just like they did in Ukraine.

A Question of Balance….
 

At last a voice of reason.

@mahgister 

A typo… “Saskatchewan” Canadian Province.

My friend is a plumber (and Red Cross volunteer) who married a Canadian nurse while she was on a years secondment to a hospital in the UK. 
He was a first generation Pole over here as his father escaped from a POW camp and joined the Polish Army in England, then to go back and fight in Italy and Normandy. He settled in England to escape Communism.

It all goes to show what a small world we live in. 

@mylogic 

Reactionist?

You are assuming to know my attitude. That's quite an assumption. 

My personality is who I am. My attitude depends on you.

@ozzy62 “My attitude depends on you”

Perhaps l should apologise and say that “knee jerk reaction” may have been more accurate.

You sound like a really nice guy now, but that may depend on your attitude now, to me.

I always keep my knives sheathed. Dangerous as they are I just can't bring myself to get rid of them. Know what I mean?

@bolong ”l always keep my knives sheathed on”

You sound like a turned on guy.

If your knives are of the Crocodile “Dundee” type they can still be useful.
You can unsheathe them, not threateningly, make a cross and (not for the lighthearted) do on your toes over them, the famous “Highland Fling” 

Now that would make you look so “cool”, depending on your “execution” (of the dance) of course, or if you inadvertently slip

The choice is yours.

My source component and my amps have a standby feature. The manufacturers both recommend turning them off when not listening. They do sound better after fully warm. I turn everything on 30 minutes before starting to listen and we're good to go.

@mylogic  - You seem to have very little of it; logic that is! I believe you're on the wrong forum, and should be on the Tree-Huggers forum, elsewhere!

How long will you keep your new gear? = Irrelevant to this discussion.
How do you feel about global warming? = Irrelevant to this discussion.
How confident are you leaving other appliances on all day and night? = Irrelevant to this discussion, as we're not talking of washing machines or fridges here!
How would you feel if your house burnt down? = Irrelevant to this discussion.

@maprik Naim and MANY other manufacturers advise to leave their equipment on 24/7/365 for a reason, and that reason is to gain the maximum sound quality from their expensive components. Nelson Pass, designer/builder of my Threshold S300 power-amp recommends leaving it on 24/7 to avoid thermal shock each time. He also has the same view of his Pass Labs equipment. SS Pre-amps in particular, can take several DAYS to fully warm up, to the point where they're giving their full SQ potential. One of my previous Pre-Amps; a Jeff Rowland Consonance; the manual 'instructs' to leave on always as it can take several days (it suggests 6 days!) to warm up. Likewise DACs (not tubed), can take several days to fully warm up, and also many streamers too. So, leave such items switched on, always, unless you're going to be away from home for extended periods. (there's no risk to the Planet btw!)

I would not leave any tubed or Class A equipment on when not in use, as they; 1) run hot, 2) use lots of electricity, and 3) reduce their lifespan per hour. Electrolytic Capacitors eg have a surprisingly limited lifespan - some just a couple of thousand hours if run at rated temperature. With every 10°c reduction, in use, from rated temperature, the lifespan increases by 3x, which is why Class A amps usually use main Caps rated at 105°c, and they are expensive.

To @daveteauk ’s point, electrolytic capacitors are negatively impacted by inrush current that occurs every time power is turned on.

Since audiophiles are inexplicably obsessed with electrolytic capacitors and the urgent need to replace them all the time, leaving our gear on seems to make sense in that respect too.

Just watch for bias drift from time to time. 

@au_lait - No rocker or plunger switch on the back of the external DC supply?  There weren't many of those made...only a scant few Master Supply w no switches.