Hi friends,When you're done with listening session, do you simply turn off the switch on your preamp, amp, CDP, LP player or plug out the main power cord as well? Some recommend just leave the gear powered on, but others say plug out the cord as well. I hear many saying one needs some warm-up time to get the best outcome from the gear, so just let the cord plugged in, even after you turn off the switch. What do you think?
No practical need to leave gear powered up if it is well designed and has a good power supply.Originally Posted by pyonc
Some people think it makes things sound better (especially tubes) to leave things constantly powered on and God bless them.
I see no reason to waste power and burning up hours on equipment and tubes when no music is involved.
As for unplugging?
That's certainly the safest, especially if you live in an area as I do with shitty utility service.
Lightning too, but it would still be a personal choice as for just how "safe" you want to be.
Obviously, unplugging anything with any sort of memory sets would be problematic.
I have all of my equipment on switchable power strips and conditioners, best of both worlds.
Power on the strip then power up the equipment.
Objectively speaking? Unplugging ANY electrical device that does not require power from the mains for memory is best as far as protection is concerned, and fire prevention. (especially now with all the nice crap from overseas and the .10 cent wall warts as for fire hazards)
Other than lamps, I grew up in a home with a Father who's deal was "if you're not using it, unplug it"
He was born in the early 1920s.
Actually, like you, I have all the power cords of my gear on APC surge protector that stayed powered up all the time.
But I only turn off the power switch of each gear after listening session, but not the APC.
I do like to unplug the gear. While my gear is all new, current equipment, none of it has anything that needs resetting. A layered approach here. Whole house lightning arrestor. Whole house EMF filter. Sola ferroresonant transformer on the power supply to the whole audio system, with an on/off switch. "Unplug" it all with the flip of a switch.
Cost? Delta arrestor and facility EMF filter, $60 each. These pieces are designed to protect an entire commercial facility. Sola 250 volt amp transformer, $120 new. Shop around, the list on the Sola is over $650 now. Be patient, incredible deals online. If you need a 750 volt amp unit it can be had used for less than $90. Forget the audiophile protection equipment. Inferior and expensive. Do you want to protect your house and gear or pay for someone's spoiled daughter to go to college?
Forgot plugs, junction boxes, Romex scrap, a few feet of RV cable, switch. Around $20-$25. Half that if you really want to buy the cheap stuff for this application.
PS Don't install an EMF surge capacitor without installing the lightning arrestor first. Electricity 101. Bonus, since the EMF filter is on the service entrance, it smooths the power problems that originate outside and inside the house. Picture the refrigerator compressor or the air conditioning turning on, and those delightful florescent lights and dimmers. Even though it will do it all, in almost any scenario all that is left for the Sola to do is construct a perfect sine wave and keep it at 120 volts +/- one percent. No matter what happens, it does. If the Delta gear was not there, it would choke off the current in a surge in milliseconds and be undamaged.
The one potential downside to the Sola is it using 20% of its capacity current at idle. Its core is always saturated. Since it is only on when I am playing music, not a problem here. Hey, another reason to turn it off! Leave it on and your electric bill goes up. It does not wear out in the usual sense. The mean time between failures is 25 years in continuous - always on - use. In plain English that means it should last at least fifty years under the worst conditions.
Information is not Knowledge; Knowledge is not Wisdom
Too many audiophiles listen with their eyes instead of their ears
I always keep the lo-power components on all the time as they all have Class A output stages that sound the best after a warm up.
If its tubes I leave it off. If I lived in Florida I would probably unplug my gear when not in use. I think that's the best lightning arrestor money can buy considering how much some of these toys can cost. That being said I usually leave my sources powered up all the time.
Other then that I think its just users choice. After 20 minutes it shouldn't really matter anyways.
Just my thoughts though.
Nick
Thanks a lot for your valuable inputs and feedback on this issue.
Looks like most of you prefer the gear powered up, with just the main switch off.
I'm now on the same page with you.
Not me! I yank the meter when I leave.
I have Furman ASD120's on my main systems. If nothing else, there is just something cool about having your audio system start with the turn of a key.
Barry.
If we knew what the hell we were doing, we wouldn't call it research would we.
It is still good form to turn on source - preamp or DAC - power amp in that order, and turn off in the reverse order. I always do that, but use my master shut-off switch to isolate everything from the electrical system, and more urgently to save electricity because of the previously mentioned Sola transformer ~50w idle drain.
I admit there can be the odd circumstance here and there. My Stax electrostatic headphones need to remain plugged in to their amplifier lest their static charge on the diaphragm leak away. It can take considerable time to fully establish it. I know it sounds unlikely that being connected to a turned off amp prevents that, but electrostatics have their own set of rules. Failing to do this results eventually in one channel becoming fainter and fainter re: the other.
Information is not Knowledge; Knowledge is not Wisdom
Too many audiophiles listen with their eyes instead of their ears
I visited the first experimental reactor to generate electricity. It had a start key in the control panel, like a car.Not me! I yank the meter when I leave.
I have Furman ASD120's on my main systems. If nothing else, there is just something cool about having your audio system start with the turn of a key.
Barry.
Information is not Knowledge; Knowledge is not Wisdom
Too many audiophiles listen with their eyes instead of their ears
My LSR&D Superamp monos take 3 hours to warm up. But even once they are at operating temp, it takes about 5 to 7 tunes before they sound their best. I have lots of amps and find it to be the case with all of them. Maybe it's just my ears adjusting?
I'd say so; from ambient day to day noise and conversation to music.
A requisite 3 hour warm up to sound it's best, even for a tube amp, is..................I don't know the word?
Whenever I read threads like this (and there's a million) the first thing that comes to my mind is "how do they know it's not the associated equipment that's needing or benefiting from all that warm up time?", which I personally don't believe to be needed, but that is my experience. Might buy it with Lp playback though.
If thermal stability hasn't been reached within the first hour of use then it's a bad design or layout and that's being generous (but I do realize gear needs to be warmed up just as with any machine) 3 hours? But then it's the next 15 - 25 minutes of actual play time that brings it all together? Assume we're not talking Jazz or Classical "tunes"
Found the word I was looking for: incredible
Maybe I'm wrong, maybe there are systems playing in walk in freezers somewhere or outdoors on a really cold day (and windy). I'm working with an ambient temperature of between 68 and 71 degrees Fahrenheit frame of mind.
I also cry for all the hours wasted on beautiful old, "no longer in production" U.S.A. and European vacuum tubes.
I vote turn your equipment off when you're not using it and turn it on 15 minutes before you want to use it under most conditions.
I'd say so; from ambient day to day noise and conversation to music.
A requisite 3 hour warm up to sound it's best, even for a tube amp, is..................I don't know the word?
Whenever I read threads like this (and there's a million) the first thing that comes to my mind is "how do they know it's not the associated equipment that's needing or benefiting from all that warm up time?", which I personally don't believe to be needed, but that is my experience. Might buy it with Lp playback though.
If thermal stability hasn't been reached within the first hour of use then it's a bad design or layout and that's being generous (but I do realize gear needs to be warmed up just as with any machine) 3 hours? But then it's the next 15 - 25 minutes of actual play time that brings it all together? Assume we're not talking Jazz or Classical "tunes"
Found the word I was looking for: incredible
Maybe I'm wrong, maybe there are systems playing in walk in freezers somewhere or outdoors on a really cold day (and windy). I'm working with an ambient temperature of between 68 and 71 degrees Fahrenheit frame of mind.
I also cry for all the hours wasted on beautiful old, "no longer in production" U.S.A. and European vacuum tubes.
I vote turn your equipment off when you're not using it and turn it on 15 minutes before you want to use it under most conditions.
Well, that's not quite what I said. The design is also quite highly regarded; the Leach Low TIM circuit by the late Dr. Marshall Leach at Georgia Tech. The EI core transformers are 1Kva and about 10 inches long. At an ambient temp of 72, they do in fact take about three hours at idle to reach their 105F operating temp with bias set to 150ma. which is about optimum. This is why I leave them on. I have 2 pairs of the model 102. I also have 2 model 101, the stereo version with the same transformer. They all behave the same, among the best you'll ever hear. I can assure you the "tunes" I'm referring to are definitely not "looney". I know this for a fact because I leave all my other gear on 24/7 also. Fancy that!
Btw, I've never been among a voter turnout.
I quoted exactly what you said, your question "out loud". Not your entire post I'll admit; I left out the part where you said you had a "lot of amps" and they were all that way. Do they ALL require 3 hour warm ups to sound their best?Well, that's not quite what I said. The design is also quite highly regarded; the Leach Low TIM circuit by the late Dr. Marshall Leach at Georgia Tech. The EI core transformers are 1Kva and about 10 inches long. At an ambient temp of 72, they do in fact take about three hours at idle to reach their 105F operating temp with bias set to 150ma. which is about optimum. This is why I leave them on. I have 2 pairs of the model 102. I also have 2 model 101, the stereo version with the same transformer. They all behave the same, among the best you'll ever hear. I can assure you the "tunes" I'm referring to are definitely not "looney". I know this for a fact because I leave all my other gear on 24/7 also. Fancy that!
Btw, I've never been among a voter turnout.
The quote out of context doesn't appear to change anything? Sorry if it does.
Sounds like a pretty poor design to me (or a case of the snake oil Voodoo), that or some sort of placebo effect; I'm leaning more towards the oil.
That very specific target number sounds like something you were told. (the mystic of the boutique)
I never knew there was a target temperature for transformer iron beyond the cooler the better (I use the back of my hand check). If I can hold it on the iron (power supply) and count slowly to 10 then all's good, any longer, just icing on the cake.
For the OPTs? Cold would be just fine but warm will do (hold it comfortably for as long as I like).
I'm ragging on you, but look at it from my perspective: 3 HOURS for transformer iron to achieve a measurable temp only 6.4 degrees above Human body temperature?
And you know this to be the core temperature how?
Instead of the provincial tube amp cooling fan(s) you need to have Dr. Leach install some sort of secondary heating source.
I'd love to know what tube it is you are running with 150mA bias?!
What's the plate voltage and dissipation?
Post a schematic or provide a link to this amp if you would
Thanks
Thomas
Forget the diagram request, I found it.Well, that's not quite what I said. The design is also quite highly regarded; the Leach Low TIM circuit by the late Dr. Marshall Leach at Georgia Tech. The EI core transformers are 1Kva and about 10 inches long. At an ambient temp of 72, they do in fact take about three hours at idle to reach their 105F operating temp with bias set to 150ma. which is about optimum. This is why I leave them on. I have 2 pairs of the model 102. I also have 2 model 101, the stereo version with the same transformer. They all behave the same, among the best you'll ever hear. I can assure you the "tunes" I'm referring to are definitely not "looney". I know this for a fact because I leave all my other gear on 24/7 also. Fancy that!
Btw, I've never been among a voter turnout.
And please accept my apologies, I thought for sure we were talking tube amps! What with a 3 hour requisite warm up!
Definitely something wrong with that then, that long to get right with a sand amp (MY OPINION)
I'm going to study your toy's guts now.
Thanks
Thomas
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