Amps can draw lots of current so proceed with caution. Try it and see.
Thoughts on using a smart plug on intergrated amp.
I listen to music mostly at night before bed. My intergrated amp doesn't have a signal sense and doesn't turn off after music stops playing so when I wake up in the middle of the night I shut it off. What are your thoughts of using a smart plug on the amp so I can set a sleep timer? What effect if any will it have on the audio? Will it cause any issues to the amp by turning power on/off this way?
Here is one thing you can try. (This is assuming two things. 1) that the integrated amp has a normal power switch and not a soft start switch and 2) does not have a 12v trigger in/on)
You can also do this with with some power conditioners that allow some of the outlets to be controlled independly and plug the smart plug into one outlet on the conditioner, which is always on, and run a cord from there to the trigger for another outlet. I have used an older Monster Power home theater conditioner this way for non-critical equipment to turn equipment on and off with voice commands. You can find the Monster Power's on eBay for >$100. -Jeff
|
Is your system a high end audio system or a good sounding audio system. If the later... using a switched plug is probably OK. But I feel very comfortable in going out on a limb and saying it is definitely going to compromise the sound quality of a high end audio system.
Provided it is not a tube amp, there probably isn't any downside to leaving it on unless it is a monster Class A amp. |
I think they are small and cheap and if you can’t hear it you can’t hear it. This is the brand I use. You can even schedule it to turn itself off at specific times or events like sunrise/sunset. I don't have one on my listening gear per se, but I have about 14 switches and smart plugs around the house and I definitely can't hear them degrade the sound. If anything, compared to the old school dimmer switches I think they are a lot quieter physically and electrically. |
I don’t know what amp/system you have but if your music stops playing and your amp goes into standby mode, what’s to fix? worry about it the next day. Some leave their amps on 24/7. OTOH, if you have a class A amp, it won't go into any standby mode. if you still want to try it, the question will be does it change the sound? i certainly would’t do it as i am a bit of a fanatic about good power. but if it has good contacts and conductors, it may not make a difference. If your amp has a power supply that does’t need bursts of high current to handle bass and dynamics, it may be fine. The problem is, it won’t be easy to do A/B testing. Jerry |
I have a Micromega M-100 with AE 509 speakers. The reason I like the amp turnned off is so the display / lights turn off. My previous Rotel intergrated amp and my Arcam both had signal sense so when my music stopped they’d shut off 10 to 15 minutes later. I use an Alexa device to control my streamer and I have a Geeni smart plug that is also Alexa controlled and can be used as a sleep timer.. |
In conclusion, check with the manufacturer on 1+ 3. Test SQ on any solution. Use good quality audiophile electrical connections, interconnects and cords in any solution you use. Good luck
|
I use one of these SwitchBot Button Pushers my tube amp to make it "smart" and give it remote control/auto abilities. It presses the power button on the front of the amp for me.
|
I would approach with caution, most smart plugs are not meant for high amp circuits. If you absolutely must, buy only from a reputable brand from an authorized dealer. I.E Schneider from Digikey or Mouser. Do not buy from Amazon, even if it from the manufacturers store. Amazon, especially the market place, is full of fake items that are near impossible to identify until after they set your house on fire (yes, it does happen). Fake items get returned and mixed in with genuine items frequently. The internet is full of bad advice, and none more than for electrical equipment. The advice is often surrounded by phrases like "I have been doing this for years and never had a problem." Random Chinese stuff needs to be de-rated by about 80% (yes, they are that bad), so a 20amp random Chinese outlet is really a 4amp outlet. Your outlet should exceed the fuse rating on the amp by more than 20%, so a 4amp fuse requires a 4.8amp outlet (preferably much more). Use a reputable North American or European brand that is UL listed from an authorized dealer. Also, be wary of IoT devices in general, there was a recent report of wifi enabled vacuum cleaners purchased on Amazon that were sending telemetry back to Chinese servers. Two good suggestions so far are to use a remote controlled button pusher or an extra device with a signal wire. This could also be easily done with a Raspberry Pi with all the goodness of a smart device and none of the worry of your bedroom activity being sent to a server overseas. Another good suggestion is a remote controlled outlet, these use either a relay or or a solid state relay. They plug into your standard outlet, but are designed for high amperage. Schneider makes one that is WiFi capable, there are also remote controlled devices used for fans and dust collectors. Lastly, you could use a solid state timer. I use one to turn on my espresso maker, and love it.
Personally, I would not put a wifi enabled plug on my main system, but would seriously consider it on the system in my shop or basement. |
@rbull11 - I just got back to reading this post. According to the brochure the Micromega M-100 has a 5v to 12v Trigger In connection that will turn the integrated on and off. So, to me the easiest solution is basically what I proposed earlier:
You can leave the AC power for the Micromega plugged into either the wall/power conditioner/power strip, etc. as it is now. And since the smart plug on/off control is not in the AC/signal path of the integrated amp, there should be little to no degration in the sound quality. And with the integrated designed to be turned on and off using the trigger, you don't have to worry about @jsalererno277's valid concerns about bypassing the checks/softstart routines or AC current draw through the smart plug. My 2 cents... - Jeff
|
jeffbij, That is a great suggestion , one I would not of come up with on my own. I've never had a reason to use the trigger function before, Thank You |
@rbull11 - Which one did you get? Can you post a link. Since it was my idea, I'll take a look and see if I can find something better. (I have a few ideas.) -Jeff |
jeffbij, I just discovered my WiiM pro has a 12V trigger, all I need to get is a 2.5mm to 3.5mm mono cable. As far as the power supply I tried, I was told that with no load it’ll show the higher voltage. I hooked it up , but it did not turn the amp on. AC-DC Linear Power Supply 12V DC @ 500mA; 3.5 MALE (+) center polarity is what I tried. I ordered it from https://www.acdcpowershack.com/ |
I would have thought that would have worked unless it was running too high of an initial voltage. 500 mA should be more than enough to work. It might require a "regulated" power supply that will keep the voltage between 5V and 12V regardless of a load being present. That said, using the WiiM Pro as a trigger is a logical next step. I'm running a variation of this idea to voice control both my bedroom and office systems by triggering the power conditioner(s) on and off. Let us know how the WiiM works out. - Jeff |
jeffbij , todays discoveries, I had an e-mail sent to Micromega and they told me the trigger ports were the opposite of the labeling due to a manufacturing issue, so i was plugged in to the output not input. I rehooked the power supply up and the trigger turned unit on but not off. The 12Vdc takes a long time to discharge when I shut off smart plug or disconnect from power. I have a 2.5mm to 3.5mm cable coming tomorrow so we'll see how it works with the WiiM Pro. |
@rbull11 - Well at least one mystery is solved. Makes you wonder how many people went nuts trying to get the trigger (especially the trigger out) to work "due to a manufacturing issue". It makes you wonder sometimes... Let me know how the WiiM trigger works out. - Jeff |
jeffbij , Got the cord for the WiiM pro from Amazon and it works great. I believe a switched mode 12V power supply would work with the smart plug too, the power supply I got probably would work but it takes a while to discharge so the voltage drops enough to shut the amp off. I never left it on long enough to find out. |
It should. Make sure it is listed as a "regulated" power supply. It might cost a little more, but it will keep the voltage constant regardless of the load. For now you could use the WiiM Pro connected to the smart plug as the trigger controller, but it might add some noise to it. Let us know how it works out. - Jeff |