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Warm Up Time/Cost of Operation

When I have solid state gear I will leave it on 24/7. For amplifiers this was no big deal and with certain amps previously I could hear the differences between a cold start up and 3 days of power up. 

A year ago I bought a pair of Classe Omega monoblocks. A bit ago the wife was commenting on our electrical bill. I could not find online specs for power consumption but this morning I located the manual.

Consumption is listed at 706 watts. I assume this is per amp and hourly consumption. Electricity here is 12.6 cents per KWH. A calculator shows the cost of 24/7 on ad being $126 a month. 

It's a bit wasteful to idle like that so I am planning on switching off moving forward. But I am wondering what should my plan be moving forward.

 Thinking I will turn them on when listening in the morning casually, shut them off while at work, turn them on when I get back, and shut off when I go to bed. 

Anyone have experiences running big amps like mine in this manner? Thoughts and experiences are greatly appreciated. 

neonknight

Showing 1 response by dweller

dweller's avatar
dweller
3,744 posts
 

Not an expert but if a variac would not harm anything, you could dial back the voltage when not in use. The reduced voltage would keep things warm and charged (capacitors) when not in use.

Also, being warm in the winter would just contribute to keeping your living space warm which is what you furnace does anyway.

It's funny, some people think leaving an amp turned on is "bad" (constant heat causes deterioration) and some think it's good (hot/cold/hot stresses internal components). 

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