Powering off vs leaving on

If you amp can't run at idle without overheating, consider a different amp! There are many well made amps on the market. If you worried about Air conditioning bills, that's another thing and a valid concern.

You do not mention whether this is tube or solidstate gear.

I quick acid test with tube preamps is do they have a power switch in front. If so, the designer probably meant for it to be turned on and off regularly. Most will have a standby switch. When I was younger (27 now) and home more I would leave my tube pre on standby 24/7 and switch it on anytime I would listen (which was often several times a day). Now I do most of my listening on the weekend, so I switch it off until I use it. No sense it leaving idle for days, IMO.

Actually my cartridge takes longer to warm up (4 sides of a LP) than my tube preamp and power amp take (20 minutes). So I now leave my tube gear off. I do leave my solidstate phonostage and digital gear on 24/7. I don't hear and warm up effects from my phonostage, but I do from the DAC. And it takes a full 48 hours to settle it. So it must be left on all of the time.

During the weekend, I'll put my tube pre into standby if I'll use it within 8 hours. But my tube amps I'll turn off if I won't use them within 60 minutes. No sense it burning up power tubes. But the flip side is it makes to sense to constantly cycle them on/off several times in one single day. I get 2 years out of a set of output tubes. IF the power amp is left running 24/7 I'd need a new set every 6 months. Time to get that 845 tube amp right? Hahahaha.

KKM, my concern was wear on the tubes and sonics. But I do not think you post was aimed at me. I agree with you. Well made gear should be expected to both stand up to 24/7 duty cycles, as well as being switched on and off.

But sometimes, even with heavy duty stuff, there is something to be said for (extra) logitivity by keeping everything "hot" all of the time.