Do you keep your amp/turntable powered all the time?

[SailToTheMoon]

Got a new amp (Cyrus i9-XR) and turntable (Rega P3) recently. I’ve been keeping them on a smart plug, only telling Alexa to power them up when I want to use them (pretty much daily). So when not in use they’re hardly ever on standby - they’re completely unpowered.

However recently I was wondering if being switched on and off at the plug all the time could possibly be harmful? Would I be better just leaving them powered and on standby all the time?

Appreciate any thoughts!

 

[James105]

Got a new amp (Cyrus i9-XR) and turntable (Rega P3) recently. I’ve been keeping them on a smart plug, only telling Alexa to power them up when I want to use them (pretty much daily). So when not in use they’re hardly ever on standby - they’re completely unpowered.

However recently I was wondering if being switched on and off at the plug all the time could possibly be harmful? Would I be better just leaving them powered and on standby all the time?

Appreciate any thoughts!

Theres a thing called "chip creep" where the heating and cooling of equipment (expanding and contracting) can cause a component to work loose, I think the idea of standby is to maintain a constant operating temperature inside the unit.

This used to be an issue with PC's many many years ago I'm not sure it's still relevant but I leave everything in standby and only power off for cleaning or cabling.

 

[The_Lecht_Rocks]

capacitors are prone to power up / off and may manufacturers used to recommend leaving on.
note with current European laws devices must revert to a standby mode with <0.5W in a set period, but sometimes by passable.
I doubt you will ever see or hear a difference on anything other than pure Class A

 

[Integralista]

Theres a thing called "chip creep" where the heating and cooling of equipment (expanding and contracting) can cause a component to work loose, I think the idea of standby is to maintain a constant operating temperature inside the unit.

This used to be an issue with PC's many many years ago I'm not sure it's still relevant but I leave everything in standby and only power off for cleaning or cabling.

Hi I agree, also using standby mode on my units, where possible.

 

[record_spot]

Phono stage (Musical Fidelity X-LP) on all the time, turntable (Cambridge Alva ST) either on all the time or on standby.

 

[SailToTheMoon]

Thanks everyone! I’ll keep it on standby.

 

[Al ears]

No.
The only things that stays on standby are my TV and Sky Qbox
Might be different if I used my hifi gear every day but I don't.....

 

[Gray]

I’ll keep it on standby.

If nothing else, your volume setting will remain the same when coming out of standby 👍
(And it won't hurt to get the smart mains switch out of your mains supply equation).

Some people are paranoid about the possible effects of powering up and down when turning off at the wall.
But it's worth remembering that going in and and out of standby - is (often) still doing that to many of the internal components.

As previous threads on the subject prove, when it comes to standby or fully off, each to their own.

 

[The_Lecht_Rocks]

I do turn all volume knobs down on class AB kit when not in use.
And ALWAYS if off, switching on…..
Old habits !

 

[matthewpianist]

Only when I forget to turn off the Neo PSU.

If I'm using an amp that has a standby option I usually use that unless I'm away, in which case I do a hard power-off. I have quite a bit of kit that doesn't offer that, and it just gets turned off at the end of a listening session.

 

[Rui]

No.
The only things that stays on standby are my TV and Sky Qbox
Might be different if I used my hifi gear every day but I don't.....

totally agree, i do the same, only the tv box and tv are on, well stand-by every hour of the day, music components that i put on everyday, due to problems with fading displays i turn all off each day before bed, just a on/off switch that i can switch off with my slippers

 

[Al ears]

totally agree, i do the same, only the tv box and tv are on, well stand-by every hour of the day, music components that i put on everyday, due to problems with fading displays i turn all off each day before bed, just a on/off switch that i can switch off with my slippers

you have stuff you can switch off with your slippers???
Shucks, mine require a finger......

 

[Offertonhatter]

Personally, I switch off my Amp when I am not in my listening room/office/man cave, as it is the Aura VA50 and can get quite hot. Okay in the Winter, but not in the summer.......

 

[abacus]

If it has a standby mode use it, and only turn it off if it is not to be used for a long time. (In other words follow what the instructions say, as the manufacture knows more about its products than you)

Bill

 

[RJW232]

My power amp only has a on/off switch at the back (and it doesn't have a trigger input to switch it on via the preamp). And I'm too lazy to reach into the cabinet to switch it off. So it's always on. But energy consumption in quite low, it cost me maybe 10 euro's per year extra.

 

[ToppingSMSL]

Heat degrades electrolytic capacitors faster so it's best not to leave things on.

 

[Gray]

My power amp only has a on/off switch at the back

Mine and many others too.
I use my own front mounted mains switches.

 

[Rui]

you have stuff you can switch off with your slippers???
Shucks, mine require a finger......

it´s on horizontal position , the power suply, just a metter of stepping on it. The on/off switch

 

[Rui]

Heat degrades electrolytic capacitors faster so it's best not to leave things on.

True, my room on my family house is the most hot room in the house, where i have a couple of system that i had stopped , as it were boxed in when searching for them i opened a lot of wrong boxes,
and the heat does destroy the parts more sensible to the high temperatures ,
have noticed some amplifiers having a strange sound on one of the outputs , normally the more heardable it is ,it´s when it seems the sound is not coming out at 100% of the quality expected,
as it sounds superior on the other output, this with any source, have a Pioneer and a Sansui with this problem , both from mid 80´s to early 90´s and conected in the last 4 years , the main capaciteurs seem ok .
One that i´m using a 89 amp. with great sound with the monthes , having already digital inputs i conected to it the tv sound with optical fiber cable , at night when going to bed i sometimes forget to disconect it, getting a higher temperature than usual , and now it´s doing the same but it starts to work good from both sides after being in use for a while.it seems more like a conection that is off but with the heat the metal expands and the refered conection starts to work good, this more related with a bad internal conection

 

[Rodolfo]

I have six devices connected to my integrated. I believe only the two analogue devices can be powered off "completely" of "fully". The four digital ones are each moved to a "standby" state regardless of the labeling on the units or the remotes, whether it's "power", "standby", "on", "off", etc.; accordingly, there's no standard labeling across or even within devices, that is, between the units and their remotes. They all go into a standby, lo-consumption mode, regardless.

Thus, our devices have something like the following notations in their manual's opening pages:

"The unit is not disconnected from the AC power source as long as it is connected to the wall outlet, even if the unit itself is turned off. This state is called the standby mode. In this state, this unit is designed to consume a very small quantity of power." Or, "The player is not disconnected from the AC power source (mains) as long as it is connected to the wall outlet, even if the player itself has been turned off."

If you read further, you find reference to the units complying with international standards/requirements that units consume tiny amounts of power in such standby modes. I've seen a .5-watt consumption claim in one of my unit's manuals.

If you require truly off, pull the plug(s). I power-down after every use. Almost always that means the integrated and one other device. (My integrated has "link" and "trigger" connections/features that I've not used.)

 

[Jasonovich]

I have mine on standby