Thoughts on using a smart plug on intergrated amp.

Amps can draw lots of current so proceed with caution.  Try it and see. 

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)

• Start with a good power strip or power conditioner that has a 12v on/off trigger built in.
• Plug the integrated amp into the strip/conditioner above
• Plug a 12v wall wart/power supply into the smart plug and the leads to the 12v trigger in.  It can be a cheap one as you only need voltage to engage the trigger.
• Plug the smart plug into the wall.
• Then you can use the smart plug to trigger the integrated on/off 

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.

typo in my post....

... Monster Power's on eBay for <$100 .

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..

It takes a while for my integrated to warm up properly, so I leave it on 24/7 and have for years...and its doing fine!  So, I have max performance immediately.  I mostly listen to CD's, so I leave the CD player and tuner on as well.  

This plug will not affect your listening pleasure.

Cheers,

1. There are three points to consider.  
2. Many integrated, pre, and power amps have electronic power supply protection circuits and/or software system checks on startup. Depending on the circuit or software design, leaving the power switch on and using a smart plug my bypass these failsafe designs.  I would contact the manufacturer in this regard to assure long term reliability will  affected, or if there is potential for surge damage.  
3. +1 @ghdprentice Electromagnetic interferes, which includes radio frequency interference will enter at the weakest point causing distortion.  Assuming the smart plug has chips (timer, blue tooth, IR, or WIFi) it mat be an RF generator.  This may cause distortion called digital glare in the press.  An OTS smart plug may also affect AC power transmission limiting dynamics  Therefore, SQ may be affected.  
4. +1 @jeffbij The best solution is to use another component with a remote like a DAC or disc player with a trigger connection, assuming your integrated amp has a trigger.  The trigger technology is old, so I would assume it has one.  The trigger circuit in your integrated amp should be designed to not bypass the power supply protection circuits or software system checks.  Check with the manufacturer. 

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  

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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. 

Set an alarm on your phone. Get up, turn off your amp, go to bed.

@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:

1. Start with any Alexa compatible smart plug and plug it into the wall.  You can program it to turn on or off using vocal commands and/or by running a Alexa routine to turn it off at a certain time or by running it as a timer.
2. Get any 5 to 12V wall wart power supply.  It will need to have a 3.5mm mono plug on one end. There are multiple ones available on Amazon for <$15 USD.
3. Plug the 3.5mm end into the Trigger In connection on the integrated.

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

I purchased a 12Vdc power supply and noticed it was putting out 17.4Vdc, I also noticed when unplugged or shut off with the smart plug it takes quite a while for the DC voltage to shut off/discharge. Are there any decent 12Vdc power supplies out there for 12V triggers?

@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/

@rbull11 

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

jeffbij, I'm using the WiiM pro ( 12V trigger ) which I control by Amazon Echo, do not need to use the smart plug for this. This combo works great together. I tell Alexa to shut off in 20 minutes and now the music stops and the amp shuts off. I no longer have to use the remote to turn on/off amp.

@rbull11 

Excellent.  Glad it is working so easily with the WiiM Pro.

Let's declare Victory and take a nap!  

- Jeff

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.

Since the Micromega M-100 Trigger In can accept 5v to 12v, if in the future your source does not offer a trigger output option, my suggestion would be to use a 5V or 6V supply instead of the 12V supply, which will significantly reduce its discharge time.