Subwoofers.....Leave On/Off?


I run dual Sunfire Sub Juniors in one of my A/V system and really like what they bring to the game.
They are connected to independent power strips, which I use to turn them on/off since they lack the
auto on/off feature most subs now have. Both subs emit a sizable thump when I power them up/down,
making me wonder if I'm doing more harm than good by not leaving them on full-time.

My monthly power bill reflects the amount of equipment I have plugged in throughout my home, so I'm
trying to lighten the load, so to speak.
discnik
I have Golden Ear Triton One speakers that have a powered sub. In my case, there is an auto sensing mechanism that after determining no audio signal is present for about 20 minutes, the amp shuts down, albeit power is still supplied. At this point I power them down via a power conditioner switch.

I too wonder if switching them off while the auto sensor hasn't powered them down does any harm, because  - as you state - there is a sizable thumping sound. That said, I do not believe the "thump" causes any real damage. I say this because there have been times when I've powered my T1s down "prematurely" (and intentionally) and there is no audible (or visual upon inspection) degradation the next time I use them. Also, many years ago I had a pair of JBLS412P. They too had a powered woofer and the same thump would occur if powered down prematurely. Doing so never damaged them.  

I would recommend leaving your Sunfire's powered on in most circumstances. However, if your not using them for an extended period of time - like more than 48 hours - I would power them off completely. Just my .02.
Lots of subs have "auto-on" but almost all are class D. They don't draw very much power when idling.

If you are concerned, I suggest a home watt meter. You plug them in between your sub and the socket and they show you how much power is being used. This may help you decide.

http://amzn.to/2jxqB62

Best,


E
I two have sunfire hrs12 s ,they are into my furman ,I manually turn them off then flip my power off. They are class d subs and i have found they are at there best when warmed up .I have two  15 "velodynes on my ht room , also do the same there .
cheers 

The Sunfire True Sub Super Junior does have an auto on/off feature. It is either on or in stand by mode. This is the same for the vast majority of powered subwoofers. Typical power consumption in stand by mode cost approximately $1 per year. I agree to try and save on power usage, but for that little amount, as the old saying goes, it’s like "peeing in the ocean".


I have gone as far as to unplug subs that I didn't use daily. Maybe a power strip switch will work too? :)
I have two fathom subs that are always left on as is the rest of my system (except TV) which has 12 channels of 200watts class A/B each. Never had a problem yet. Power consumption is small change really
Thanks for all responses.....my HVAC thermostat was the culprit in high power bills. My dual Sunfire subs are suing me for libel.

I know a bit about the thermostat that it is a device which senses the temperature of a physical system. It is one of the important components in the HVAC system. I think the energy bill depends upon the usage of electricity. I also have the HVAC system in my home. It is the complete package of the home appliances which is used for the heating, ventilation and an air conditioning purpose. It consists of so many devices like heater, furnace, AC. Regular maintenance is needed in order to run all the devices smoothly. One can pop over here if looking to install a new HVAC system in your premises.
A couple of years ago, I was concerned about my electricity bill, over $100 for just two of us. I bought a meter to check how much usage  for all things plugged in. The biggest culprit was a 7 channel amp that I rarely turned off. That was aver $10/month, subs were only a little over $1.
I now turn off the amp when not in use and leave the subs on.
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My dunlavy sub amp just went out a few months ago.  It’s been always on since 1994.   It does notspin the power meter  very much at idle.  I just use an external amp with it now.  My 2 class a amps ,on the other hand, add over 100 per month to the electric bill
discnik

The thump you hear is likely discharge of capacitors in the power supply and causes no harm, nor is it a sign of something wrong.  I am associated with a company that manufactures monitors that do the same thing, and I have had long discussions about it.  The normal way to prevent the thump is to use turn on/turn off muting circuits, such as a relay, which in some cases engineers feel affects the sonics.  In other cases they say it's one more thing to go wrong.  Connecting the driver to the amp without power on/off muting is a choice and not an oversight.  It does sound a bit alarming but isn't a worry!

Brad