Power amp---should I turn it off at night, or leave it on?

[JohnnyK]

I have a seperate power amp (Acurus 125x5) and processor. My question is, should I turn the amp off when I am not using it, or can I leave it on. It has no auto trigger or standby mode. I am thinking of leaving it on all of the time. Since there will be no signal going to it, it will be running at idle (so to speak).

Any thoughts?

[Todd Fredericks]

I think you should turn it off when not in use for extended periods (over night, etc.). It'll conserve energy (help the planet!!) and also not wear out your amp's caps, etc.

Todd

[Evan L]

The opposite side of the coin is(from my radio days)the more you turn on and turn off a piece of equipment, the quicker the wiring goes.

Take it or leave it, but just some advice.

[Sckott]

Hell no.

Turn it off when not in use. Even more important in tube amps.

Leaving them on when not in use for a longated period of time creates NO advantage. If you want the amp to warm up for a 1/2 hour, make sure you're playing music, not idling. An amp is actually working moderately when voltage differencial is happening (music). It's barely pushing anything idling, so AFA warm ups, sure! Play music idly for a half-hour. Enjoy, turn off, go to bed.

Save the little birdies and trees. Save your energy bill too.

[Ronflugelguy]

Originally posted by Sckott
Hell no.

Turn it off when not in use. Even more important in tube amps.

Leaving them on when not in use for a longated period of time creates NO advantage. If you want the amp to warm up for a 1/2 hour, make sure you're playing music, not idling. An amp is actually working moderately when voltage differencial is happening (music). It's barely pushing anything idling, so AFA warm ups, sure! Play music idly for a half-hour. Enjoy, turn off, go to bed.

Save the little birdies and trees. Save your energy bill too.

Sckott, I know I have to save extra money for electric bill when I get TUBES!:winkgrin:

[Sckott]

Bah, it's not that bad. What I really fear for is the milage on the tubes, and it's negligable wear. Some amps using caps over 40 years old. UGH!
What really stinks is when you're in southern California in August with strong power tubes. Guess who! http://www.stevehoffman.tv/images/frog.small.gif

It's 53 degrees in the furnished basement room now. Tubes GOOD! ;)

Computers and tubes love a cold room.

[Ronflugelguy]

Originally posted by Sckott
Bah, it's not that bad. What I really fear for is the milage on the tubes, and it's negligable wear. Some amps using caps over 40 years old. UGH!
What really stinks is when you're in southern California in August. Guess who! http://www.stevehoffman.tv/images/frog.small.gif

It's 53 degrees in the furnished basement room now. Tubes GOOD! ;)

But the usage will be more than solid state, right?

[Sckott]

Oh that depends. I have a hafler at 300w. So, the power handling is quite different than let's say, a Dynie ST-70 at 35 peak. Power ratings vary, and it also varies from usage too.

Amps work harder the more you throw at them. My bill ain't that bad with a GF with lazy shower habits and 3 amps working sometimes during the day.

A toaster working for 4 minutes uses more electricity than a Dynaco ST70 does at 10-15 minutes. Electrician gave me that idea, saying by wattage there's an equation he used.

"It's not the wattage that gets you, it's the amps!" [Refering to amperage, Gregory Hines in "Running Scared", MGM, 1986)

[Jeffrey]

Originally posted by Ronflugelguy


But the usage will be more than solid state, right?

Hi Ron,

Lotsa people expressed this issue and more importantly the issue of heat generation as reasons for me not to go tubular. I still love those people but their advice on this subject is no longer in doubt.......... they were making something outta practically nothing and I should have tubed up long ago! :)

Just Do It!
Jeffrey

[Sckott]

As long as you don't have a 1-3 year old crawling at the level where an open tube amp is, then it's fine.

But I wouldn't grab a hot EL-34 with my bare hands right away. OUCH!

[Jamie Tate]

I've always wondered about this. Some studios make you turn off the tube gear and others tell you to leave it on. I turn mine off.

[BradOlson]

I'd turn off the power amp as well.

[Dave]

So you are saying Sckott that leaving your amp on is bad for the caps.?

[Steve Hoffman]

Turn everything off at night, unless you a have full time maintenance person on staff...

[Grant]

I have left my amp mostly on for the last ten years!

[Ted Bell]

my sunfire amps don't even have an on/off switch so I usually only unplug them if I'm leaving the house for a few days or more. My Joule tube preamps have a standby mode that keeps the tubes warm without full power on.

Jay

[Steve Hoffman]

Ted, what Joule Electra preamp do you have?

[Ted Bell]

I just had my LA100mk III upgraded to LA150 and I have the OPS1 mkV phono stage.

Jay

[Sckott]

Originally posted by Dave
So you are saying Sckott that leaving your amp on is bad for the caps.?

In the case of tube amps, you're quietly (idle) beating the filliments in the tubes to a slow death. Remember, tubes are similar to light bulbs in some ways, and merely having them on, you're reducing the hours left on them. Notice 80w bulbs have hours of life written on the pack? Tubes don't last forever (unless you talk about certain Mullards and Telefunkens that just..don't...DIE in many cases). It's unkind to tell the amp to work on nothing, or for no good reason.

If you want to be kind to an amp, put it to work. If you have no work for it, put it to bed. (Off).

AFA SS amps, same thing applies, but the power supply that is integrated to silicone responds to similar wear, and diodes and caps DO have limited time alive. Older caps even have shelf life unused for some older tube amps, and if you shelve the amp too long, the caps will not like being put to sleep for years at a time.

[John Moschella]

I'm for turning them off as well.

Preamps I do tend to leave on, what I mean is in the mute position with my AR tubed preamps. Sckott, do yo think this wears out the tubes?

[Jamie Tate]

A lot of my gear doesn't have an on/off switch. Joe Meek, Geoff Daking, 1176, Neve... Should I still turn it off every night?

[Sckott]

Sckott, do yo think this wears out the tubes?

I know it does. It's slow, but every little bit hurts. You have kind with tubes. Respect. No excuse.

With Russian tubes, some can be quite sensitive, so why ruin the fun, and with NOS Mullards or good 50's/60's tubes, it's just darn right abusive.

I'll say this, I have some OEM Chinese El-34's I've been running for over a year (National Semiconductor OEM if memory serves) and there's been 1-2 times I forgot to turn the damn thing off. Ouch. It's a Dynaco I built from scratch. Tough bugger with recent caps and the SDS cap-board. It hasn't needed biasing in months! Measures steady as a rock at 1.30 (resistor value, it's ok) and I'm pleased.

So, don't get miffed, but make it a conscience effort to be kind. If you're just leaving any amp on doing nothing, it's cruel.

Jamie, do you have power blocks connected to that equipment? ie: an expected On/Off feed switch to be had after the fact?

[Dave]

Like Jamie, my pre-amp has no power switch, just a mute switch. My power-amp is made by the same company but does have the on/off switch. Guess I'll be shuting down from now on.

[SamS]

Originally posted by Steve Hoffman
Turn everything off at night, unless you a have full time maintenance person on staff...

Including source components, Steve? Do you keep your SCD-777ES on all the time?

[Jamie Tate]

Originally posted by Sckott
Jamie, do you have power blocks connected to that equipment? ie: an expected On/Off feed switch to be had after the fact?

I have everything plugged into power conditioners and they have on/off switches.