[The Monkey]

I do wish the DAC1 had a power switch. I've noticed that the unit gets pretty warm. Do other owners leave it plugged in/powered up all the time?

 

[hYdrociTy]

Ok I don't have a dac1, but my number cruncher doesn't have a power switch either, does get warm after awhile, and I never shut it off, because the only way would be to unplug the jack in the rear, which is already pretty loose.

I'm assuming the reason they left out the power switch was either to save production money or to reduce chances of confusion for studios when they have racks of stuff and there's no sound, and it takes them a whole day to figure out that their dac was turned off..

Since your dac is around 20x the cost of mine, I guess we can rule out the first reason.

 

[Dave1]

I haven't turned it off in over a year. Most pro gear is built to run 24/7. Recording studios usually don't get powered down except for maintenance. I do not worry about running it. There is also the argument that the power cycles and the cooling/heating cycles do more damage that running SS gear.

 

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I haven't turned it off in over a year. Most pro gear is built to run 24/7. Recording studios usually don't get powered down except for maintenance. I do not worry about running it. There is also the argument that the power cycles and the cooling/heating cycles do more damage that running SS gear.

Thanks, Dave. How warm does yours stay when not running tunes?

 

[Davesrose]

I just turn everything off when I'm not using it. Since I have expensive gear, I've got it all running off a power regulator. Might as well flip the power switch on the strip when I'm not using it all.....saves some on the power bills!

Since this is all well engineered stuff, I can't see how turning electricity on and off would damage a circuit over the long term. Likewise, leaving it on all the time won't damage a SS circuit either: as long is it's not getting any surges. So I guess the real answer is whatever floats your boat

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

I left it on all the time when I owned one. Never had any problems with in in over a year.

 

[feckn_eejit]

I used to have a DAC1 and left it on 24/7, no problems.

My current gear sounds much better after a good hour of warmup... so I leave everything on 24/7. No problems.

 

[eyeteeth]

On all the time and cuddly warm.

 

[johntraveler]

I leave mine on most of the time. I had more problems with blow fusses when I unplugged it frequently.

 

[The Monkey]

Thanks all. Looks like it's going to stay on.

 

[doctorjuggles]

Just a heads up if you plan to switch your DAC1 on and off as needed. I found that unplugging it repeatedly blows the fuse, but if you hook it up to a powerstrip or its own socket and then switch if off at the wall, it's fine. I blew 6 fuses in the first 5 months that I had it by unplugging it, and in the 6 months since I hooked it up to a powerstrip and switched it off at the wall, I haven't blown a single fuse.

Obviously not important if you leave it plugged in, but just thought I'd get the info onto the forums because it would have saved me a few fuses if I'd known about it.

 

[Ori]

The DAC-1 (and many other components) has an IEC jack with an integrated fuse holder. The electrical connection to the fuse assembly is a loose mechanical contact which may arc

and blow the fuse. Open up the case and melt a tiny bit of solder on each of the the two contacts of the fuse on the back of the IEC connector, so that the electrical connection is solid.
Now gimme a big smile!!!

You've just "upgraded" your power delivery to this component without having to install a $100 specialty socket...

Warning: 110V or 220V are seriously dangerous and can kill you!!! If you don't fully understand what you're doing then do not attempt this mod!!!

Happy

(and safe!

) New Year!

 

[daggerlee]

so concerns about electrolytic caps degrading over time shouldn't be an issue?

 

[Ruppin]

Mine stays on.

 

[KrooLism]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey /img/forum/go_quote.gif I do wish the DAC1 had a power switch. I've noticed that the unit gets pretty warm. Do other owners leave it plugged in/powered up all the time?

There is actually a section in my Grace M902 that states that it is suitable for continuous operation.

Look through your manual for the DAC1 - I'm 99% sure that you would find somewhere that states that it is made for continuous operation.