Is it bad to leave your AMP on all the time? (1 Viewer)

[Mike_Ped]

Just wondering. I have an older Carver M500t that I use to power my Sonosub, but it's so old that it doesn't have a remote...so, it requires me to turn it on and off manually (oh how hard it is to have to get up! Who's ever heard! ). However, is it bad to just leave it on ALL the time?
Thanx,
Mike

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

Leaving it on will probably prolong its life. Some people believe that leaving amps on all the time make them sound better. I leave my Cinepro 3K6II on all the time as well.

 

[Ron-P]

I don't see a problem with leaving it on. Personally, I power everything down.
Peace Out~

 

[Glenn Overholt]

I'd say get up off of your lazy butt and do what is right.

Every piece of just about anything has a failure point. With PC's the hard drives are rated at the MTBF, or mean time between failures. It is when they expect the weakest part of the drive to fail.

If a part in an amp is rated at 10,000 hrs MTBF, well you go figure.

Glenn

 

[Vishwa Somayaji]

I think people should be a little more considerate to the environment. Most of the amplifiers do consume substantial power when they are on even if there is no load. For a few hours of enjoyment per day it is a waste to run it all day. Electricity doesn't just come through the wires without being produced somewhere. Most places still burn coal to do that. It is ironic that even after last summer's brown out in California people still advocate keeping these equipment on all the time. Please, turn them off when not in use. Let us enjoy these things and let our children also enjoy them in the decades to come.

 

[Keith N]

I don't know much about HT (that's why I'm here ), but I do know a lot about computers. Most people agree that computers should be left on because heating up and cooling down components often puts a lot of stress on them because they expand and contract. I would think that this would apply to HT equipment too.

 

[TomH]

Also,

Keep in mind that equipment that is on all of the time is continually exposed to all of the sags and spikes that occur over time. This may be even worse on the equipment than the occasional power up and down. We have found that it is only beneficial to leave PC's and network equipment on if they are powered by a UPS or line conditioner.

 

[KevinGS]

I too, work in the computer industry, the only time I leave my computer on all the time is turning it on/off once a day. (my wife used to turn it on/off through out the day)

I wouldn't leave my amps on all the time since I don't use them every day. If you do turn them on, just don't turn them on and off all day.

Plus there's the environmental factor as noted above.

Kev

 

[KeithH]

Keith (good name ) made a good point, and in first post, no less. It is often said that turning on a component can put a strain on it, so having to turn on a component frequently can shorten its life. However, Vishwa and Tom make good cases for turning components off when they are not in use. I turn my components off when I am done using them because I am concerned about power surges as well as wasting electricity.

 

[Geo]

If your amp feels very warm when left on without a signal going to it, then you should turn it off. I had an Aragon that ran hot all the time. If it is only slightly warm or even cool, then I would leave it on.

Another factor could be your speakers. Some amps when left on even without a signal will cause your speakers to emit a slight hissing sound. I wouldn't think this is good for your speakers to be hissing 24/7......

Regards,

geo

 

[Mike_Ped]

Wow, I didn't know this was so debated.
Ironically, Vishwa, I live in California
So, if I hear you guys right, would this solution the best alternative? .... How bout I leave the amp on all day, just turning it off at night rather than turning it on and off with the rest of my set-up? It runs really cool so I shouldn't have a problem.
The only reasons I brought this whole thing up is because I thought it was bad that I was turning this thing on/off 3-5 times a day.
Thanx for all the replies,
Mike