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  3. 1274905836

Is it proper to leave amp on all the time?

Hi, I recently started to try to build a system that for years that I thought was way out of of my league. Going back 35 years ago it just seemed when everybody was so interested in speakers that could blow you off the planet, I walked into a audiophile high fi store & my outlook on stereo forever changed. (Source Linn LP12 turntable to Speakers), better to have a solid front end, working through mid section (Amp, Pre-Amp)and finally speakers. Sub-Par Speakers sound better than good speakers without good source. Anyway enough of that, this is a little bit of an introduction to myself!!! I recently bought a used Rotel DVR 995 $50.00, a used pair Vandersteens 2Cs $450.00,& A brand new NAD 326BEE Integrated Amplifier $450.00 After all of that, my question is that I was told by my Audio Dealer to just leave my amp on all the time, and if that is true, why? Seems like it would shorten lifespan of unit. Also I forgot to mention that along with the Rotel & the Vandersteens, I got Silver Sonic Q10 High Resolution Speaker Cables, Tributaries Audio OFHC Copper Cable Interconnects from the same person that I bought the Rotel & Vandersteens. I like all kinds of music for the most part!!! My dealer said he would give a 100% back on NAD if I was to return it within 2-3 months to upgrade. I was thinking that I would trade for the NAD375BEE which would be the most cost effective, before I went & started on the CD player which I could do the same as the NAD326 to buy some time to save for a nicer CD player. Then Cables, Power Supplies, Speakers etc. What is a good plan to get better sound each time I add something? I do like the idea of a warranty & the expertise of the local dealer who comes highly reccommended we'll see!!! Novice looking for guidance!!!
dtgiroux
7 responses Add your response
j_bailey
53 posts
 
Some S/S amps require significant warm-up time, say on the order of 24 hours. This is probably the reason for the dealer's recommendation. As far as the life of the amp, it will probably increase it owing fewer tunr-on time current surges.
paladin's avatar
paladin
227 posts
 
SS - Yes! 24/7
Tubes - No! Give 1/2 hour to warm up & 1 hour to start sounding normal/fantastic (providing they are broken in).
hodu
312 posts
 
you might think of it like this: You know how a light bulb most frequently burns out -- blows out, really -- when you switch it on, and not when it's just sitting there glowing? That's because switching it on causes a great big surge, stressing the heck out of the thing. Happens each time you hit the switch. Same thing with your amplifier. It doesn't need the stress -- so just leave it on all the time. Except, of course, when there's a thunder storm rolling into town. Then, turn it off -- and unplug it, too. On the scale of stress, a lightning strike is way above flipping the power switch.
Post removed 
jaybo
4,478 posts
 
not really.
puerto
372 posts
 
If you have amps that draw as much current in standby as they do while working you may find your power bill going through the roof if you leave them on all the time. That was my personal experience. Now I shut them down completely when the listening is over. (Krell fpb 350's in case you are wondering).
nsgarch's avatar
nsgarch
2,524 posts
 
Most modern amplifiers, both tube and ss, employ some kind of inrush current protection, even something as simple as a cheap thermistor -- (this is not to be confused with surge protection.) When you consider that both tube and ss amps take about the same amount of time to warm up and stabilize, as Paladin says, there's really no reason to leave even ss amos running all the time. If you'll be home all day, flip 'em on as soon as you get out of bed; otherwise as soon as you get in from work. It's a matter of having a routine.

Fine solid state preamps and DACs are another matter. They have very sophisticated and sensitive power supplies, and I think it's the PS (and not the audio circuits) that need to stabilize; and for reasons I don't understand, they can supposedly take a bit longer. My Levinson preamps and Wadia DAC don't even have power switches, and besides, my whole front end only draws 50W at idle (without the tube tuner on ;-) All the same, I now turn them all off at night (save the planet!) and on again first thing in the morning. I don't require ultimate fidelity for NPR News in the morning, and by the time I'm ready for good sonics, so are they.
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