[Chik0240]

Dear Fellows,
    Since most amps no matter solid state like the bursons or the tube amps, it was recommended that everytime after turning on the amp to wait a period before actually using the amp to get better result, leaving the amp always seemed to be a better option, but since it will continuously draw in power, will it be better for the amp's life if I only switch it on after I prepare to use it? I am only a noob head-fier and daily listening sections will range from 1-3 hrs only.
 
Thanks

 

[Kevin Brown]

I would say, that if you're only using an amp 1-3 hrs a day, turn it off.  Otherwise, you're potentially wasting a lot of power, and tubes do wear even while the amp is on but not being used.
 
In my case, I listen during the day at work, anywhere from an hour to up to 4 hrs a day, so I turn stuff on when I first listen, and then off at the end of the day.  Seems like a good compromise to leaving stuff on all the time, vs only when I'm actually listening.

 

[telecaster]

Quote:

Dear Fellows,
    Since most amps no matter solid state like the bursons or the tube amps, it was recommended that everytime after turning on the amp to wait a period before actually using the amp to get better result, leaving the amp always seemed to be a better option, but since it will continuously draw in power, will it be better for the amp's life if I only switch it on after I prepare to use it? I am only a noob head-fier and daily listening sections will range from 1-3 hrs only.
 
Thanks

Your solid state ON always. For tube amps of course not.

 

[wuwhere]

SS or tubes, turn them off. There is absolutely no reason to leave them on.

 

[hodgjy]

This. 
 
Quote:

SS or tubes, turn them off. There is absolutely no reason to leave them on.

 

[haejuk]

The sudden draw of power when turning an amp on is the biggest source of wear on solid state amps.  The amp will generally draw about 2 times as much power than it would under normal operation the instant it is turned on and this puts wear on the parts.  In general though, I would agree that there is no reason to leave your amp on all the time unless you are turning it on and off many many times a day.  At the very least you can turn it off when you go to sleep or leave the house for school/work.
 
And for tube amps, I would turn them off whenever I am not using them.  Those tubes wear out with use and some don't come cheap.

 

[duncan1]

Agree with Telecaster .My own equipment manufacturers-Cyrus Audio-UK- state their equipment must be left on  24/7- and they are right. my SS Cd player /my DAC -own built buffers are never off. You might get away with this in loudspeaker reproduction but in a totally open SS  system like mine the difference after 2 days and then a week is great. NOT because of badly made products-My system totals $14000 but due to the ability to hear even the tiniest change in fidelity. I have proved it to my satisfaction over decades --others might disagree but I am not alone many UK manufacturers and "Golden Ears think the same . I realize D.self does not and he has his followers here and he has designed a "self adjusting" power amp . But it all down to your OWN perception of the fidelity of music-Oh no! not anther subjective comment -BUT it is proven scientifically  too. 
           Having said that I do agree about tube equipment.

 

[fabio-fi]

I don't see the need to leave my gear 24/7 (unless its in the burn-in process) other than that, there's no reason to do it. 

 

[duncan1]

Its  left on 24/7 because electronic components[much as the scientific lobby would like us to believe] are not perfect. You have only got to look at the space program for any country to see electrical/mechanical/electronic components fail .Hi-Fi isn't some special case its just electronic components soldered together. Resistors heat up and so can certain capacitors-all active devices heat up depending on their use. This takes TIME .Tube technology with its beautiful "roundness" covers a lot of this up . But in a SS design with no tubes anywhere that is as "straight through"as you can get it without any filters/tone controls etc that is used for head-phones goes down to a depth that no tube can go to. By that I mean the minutest amount of detail which means you will hear sibilance that lot of people hate although its a natural mouth function. Unless you employ filters that can only cut off the sibilance without changing the frequency response or lowering the depth of detail WITHOUT lowering ANY other instrument/voice at that frequency then you will not achieve a realistic reproduction of the music you are playing[a  narrowing of sound stage/image /lightness of detail].In other words a "flatness" of the music. Instead of being defensive  why not admit the perfect amp that will achieve what I said is still to be made.as in the future resistors /capacitors etc will no longer be required.to transmit music to your brain it will be done by some type of light wave technology and maybe then we will get perfection. Just look at the latest fighter jets operated by brain impulses both by the US and Russia.
                              I know this sounds subjective---well it is!! I make no apologies for that Robots hear  zeros and ones in music--- organic  human beings  listen subjectively and FEEL the music -name me another way we enjoy music or reply in head-fi if not subjectively??

 

[telecaster]

My meridian preamps Inside the speakers and DAC are always powered on, even when in sleep mode. The power section of the speakers is off when in sleep mode. This is part of the design of my system (DSP3100 and 561 Meridian). Maybe you SS component doesn't requiere to be left on 24/24. Mine does. They are discreet component. Maybe opamp based SS stuff is not that critical to be warmed up.
I notice a sound improvement when I warm up my analog preamp and amp for two hours in my Meridian M2 active speaker.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Off, given the heat accumulation may be worse than the wear caused by switching on. Also, unplug the amp from the surge protector and/or voltage regulator, or the latter from the outlet. Why? Surge protectors only work if they're switched on (which means you'd subject them to the same heat issue you're trying to avoid the amps and other equipment from getting), and even then, they aren't perfect. These are Hi-Fi equipment, meant to be used with a human present, not computer servers or hospital machines (which of course has someone on duty 24/7 if it's some kind of life support).

 

[Kevin Brown]

A properly designed electronics component is designed to protect itself against on/off current surges.  I don't view that as a reason to keep a device powered on when it's not otherwise being used.
 
Heat degrades solid state devices too, discrete or part of a integrated circuit.  Just takes longer.

 

[hodgjy]

This.
 
Quote:

A properly designed electronics component is designed to protect itself against on/off current surges.  I don't view that as a reason to keep a device powered on when it's not otherwise being used.
 
Heat degrades solid state devices too, discrete or part of a integrated circuit.  Just takes longer.

 

[duncan1]

Funny ? My system has been on 24/7 for nearly 5 years ---As advised by the manufacturing company I bought them from also check out Naim and other UK manufacturers . Amazingly NO problems only a smoother sound. It depends on the QUALITY of components as to whether they brake down or not. When do you think my system will brake down so I can forward the information to my manufacturer to tell them to change their[seemingly to you] low grade  advice??? Which is given out to ALL their buyers.
                           The   answer?  OVER engineering.so that NO component is stressed no matter how long its on.
                              WE are talking digital design engineers/analogue /power supply engineers all with a string of letters after their names from university in the UK. So their advice is wrong???

 

[reff]

Quote:

The sudden draw of power when turning an amp on is the biggest source of wear on solid state amps.  The amp will generally draw about 2 times as much power than it would under normal operation the instant it is turned on and this puts wear on the parts.  In general though, I would agree that there is no reason to leave your amp on all the time unless you are turning it on and off many many times a day.  At the very least you can turn it off when you go to sleep or leave the house for school/work.
 
And for tube amps, I would turn them off whenever I am not using them.  Those tubes wear out with use and some don't come cheap.

exactly !