What SS amp has the fastest warm-up time


Hi,

I am looking for a SS amp that sounds optimal within one hour of turn on from dead cold (not Stand-by). Please provide any suggestions. I like Levinsons but the stand-by idle of 200W power draw seems substantial. I might go to tubes because most sound good after only one hour. Thanks!
kw6
I don't understand. What is your objection to the stand-by idle of class A amps? I'd like to learn. At standby my Levinson draws 2.4kw/day, about $.40 where I live. Please explain.

Thanks,

Bill E.
I am as confused as Lakefront.This is like checking the gas mileage for a exotic sports car. If you don't care to spend 8 to 10 dollars a month for the electricity then you might want to think twice about dropping x to xx thousands of dollars on a amp.
Low bias amps or amps with a "special" power supply like the Sunfire's will sound the closest when going from "stone cold" to "fully warmed up". Since the Sunfire's and other similar amps are highly efficient, you would not really notice ANY increase in your electric bill if you were to leave them on all of the time. While the Sunfire might not suit your tastes, i simply selected it because it is a relatively beefy amp and is well known. Sean
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My Ayre V3 sounds great immediately from turn-on. It's a 100-watt SS amp that puts out BIG sound.
My Krell 300S seems to peak in 15-20 minutes where when I had VTL's and Atmasphere's they took at least 30 minutes.
I agree with No_money also. Pre amps and digital always sounds best after 1-3 hours and longer-good luck.
Kind of guessing why you would want to cold start an amp. If operating costs are an issue, I side with No $. If it's from an eco friendly perspective, consider that the idling provides heat. In the upper midwest we need supplement heat for approx half the year. It's slightly higher $/btu for electricity but so what. If you live in Cal, well then turn everything off to avoid brownouts and surges.

Another consideration, cold starting amps tends to be more stressful on their components. Especially for tubes.
Hi,

Thanks for all your responses! You guys got me thinking that stand-by might not be bad after all. The other issue is that it seems like I'm leaving a 200 watt halogen light on 24/7 and that seems to be a waste. Doesn't stand-by cause excess wear and tear on parts?
Kw6,the only one I know is the Classé DR3VHC.Plus the VHC will drive any load easely .
While opinions vary on the topic of "on vs off" and life expectancy of gear, i am a FIRM believer in leaving amps & preamps ON all the time. My only hesitation for "always on" is something with an LCD display such as transports, tuners, etc... that will "burn out" or tube type power amps where they are dissipating a lot of power at idle. Otherwise, there is more damage done to equipment due to "inrush current" than there is in letting it idle so long as the unit has more than adequate ventilation. Sean
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