Leaving a solid state power amp on.

tophatjohnny

Is there any drawbacks to leaving my power amp on 24/7?? Meaning will it reduce the life of the unit?? I'm sure it burns a little juice while on without being used, but it's the life of the amp I am concerned about. I own a "like brand new" HK PA5800 and hope to have it for a long time. Thanks

PolkieMan

What's the idle power draw it should be in your manual. As long as it stays cool it should be fine but if the idle draw is like 50 watts you will be paying for it.

chumlie

My Parasounnd stays on 24/7. Parasound tech told me its better to leave it on, as apposed to on/off on/off.

72RR

My Carver has been on since I bought it in '96.
Only off during power outages.

stretchl

Wow!

That is so counterintuitive to my layman's brain.

I owe my wife an apology for that day she left it on after she went to work.

tonyb

Should make little to no difference unless it runs hot at idle. Heat isn't a friend to electronics.

tophatjohnny

PolkieMan wrote: »

What's the idle power draw it should be in your manual. As long as it stays cool it should be fine but if the idle draw is like 50 watts you will be paying for it.

I looked through the manual and didn't see idle power mentioned?? Maybe they call it something else? Anyway, I have the HK PA5800 and as new as this one is, I'd sure like to keep it like that!!

BlueFox

I leave both my stereo and HT on over the weekend (Friday night on, Sunday night off). I swear the 2 channel sounds better on Saturday, and the HT looks better on Saturday. However, during the week I turn the gear on when I get home, and off at bedtime.

PolkieMan

You could always get a Kill-A-Watt they are kinda neat.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/360480241465?hlp=false

tophatjohnny wrote: »

I looked through the manual and didn't see idle power mentioned?? Maybe they call it something else? Anyway, I have the HK PA5800 and as new as this one is, I'd sure like to keep it like that!!

breystonfan

I leave my amp on 24/7. Mostly cause I'm too lazy to turn it off

stretchl

What about a tube DAC?

tophatjohnny

after the responses I finally got a hold of a pro tech at HK who stated.."don't be lazy...turn it off when you are not using it!!

nhhiep

what about put it in StandBy using the trigger from your AVR/Pre? I've multiple amps connecting to my AVR to drive different speakers depending on if it's HT or music. Depend on the source I am selecting. This setup will turn On 1 amp and Standby others, etc....

most pre/avrs have more than 1 triggers. plus many AMPs(like mine) don't have a ON/Off button on the front.

pdxfj

I leave my amp on 24/7 unless I'm going to be out of town for more than a few days.

Personally I would not leave anything "tube" based powered up 24/7.

When I worked for my local science museum Bryston (IMAX theater) said to leave the amps on 24/7 as did BGW (Planetarium).

EndersShadow

I leave mine on 24/7 since its connected to the APC H15.

With that said if I am gone for a couple days I unplug everything worth cash, computer upstairs, Uverse gear in the bedroom, APH H15, etc.

mister pig

I have always left my solid state gear on 24/7. In the past it was believed that the current rush of AC cycling on and off was bad for internal components and switches. It was also felt that SS gear sounded better after being on for 24 or 48 hours, which is an opinion that is open to some debate.

Regards
Mister Pig

tophatjohnny

mister pig wrote: »

I have always left my solid state gear on 24/7. In the past it was believed that the current rush of AC cycling on and off was bad for internal components and switches. It was also felt that SS gear sounded better after being on for 24 or 48 hours, which is an opinion that is open to some debate.

Regards
Mister Pig

I was hearing that too, but after talking to a tech at HK he stated that the PA5800 has a rather high idle rate and this thing sounds good straight out the gate, so taking the advice from the pros at Harmon Kardon on this one. Maybe a different deal with B&K or Parasound, but this is the amp I went with and am loving it big time!! What a huge difference!!

hochpt21

I leave my B&K on 24/7, except during bad weather. That bad boy stays cool as a cucumber. The HK 3490 runs a little warm and even stays warm during idle, so I try to turn it off when not in use.

Syndil

IMO it's a balancing act between current inrush and heat, and I don't think there is a one-size-fits-all solution for every amp.

In my case my amps are never off long enough for the filter caps to fully discharge, so current inrush is minimal. However if I leave them off for a few days or a week or so, the current inrush can be so great as to become audible. It will sound like a faint 60Hz tone that gradually fades away.

That said, heat is indeed the enemy of electronics, and my amps idle warm. So which does more damage over the lifespan of an amp, current inrush or heat? I'm not sure it can accurately be measured. But I do know that leaving them on all the time wastes electricity, so I keep mine off when not in use, controlling it via the trigger output on my pre/pro.

Also, I suspect that current inrush is only capable of really damaging the power transformer, as it is briefly overloaded. Whereas heat has the potential to damage all the components in the amp, not just the transformer.

tophatjohnny

Syndil wrote: »

IMO it's a balancing act between current inrush and heat, and I don't think there is a one-size-fits-all solution for every amp.

In my case my amps are never off long enough for the filter caps to fully discharge, so current inrush is minimal. However if I leave them off for a few days or a week or so, the current inrush can be so great as to become audible. It will sound like a faint 60Hz tone that gradually fades away.

That said, heat is indeed the enemy of electronics, and my amps idle warm. So which does more damage over the lifespan of an amp, current inrush or heat? I'm not sure it can accurately be measured. But I do know that leaving them on all the time wastes electricity, so I keep mine off when not in use, controlling it via the trigger output on my pre/pro.

Also, I suspect that current inrush is only capable of really damaging the power transformer, as it is briefly overloaded. Whereas heat has the potential to damage all the components in the amp, not just the transformer.

That is pretty much how the tech at HK put it!! That and said not to be LAZY!!

lanchile

Syndil wrote: »

IMO it's a balancing act between current inrush and heat, and I don't think there is a one-size-fits-all solution for every amp.

In my case my amps are never off long enough for the filter caps to fully discharge, so current inrush is minimal. However if I leave them off for a few days or a week or so, the current inrush can be so great as to become audible. It will sound like a faint 60Hz tone that gradually fades away.

That said, heat is indeed the enemy of electronics, and my amps idle warm. So which does more damage over the lifespan of an amp, current inrush or heat? I'm not sure it can accurately be measured. But I do know that leaving them on all the time wastes electricity, so I keep mine off when not in use, controlling it via the trigger output on my pre/pro.

Also, I suspect that current inrush is only capable of really damaging the power transformer, as it is briefly overloaded. Whereas heat has the potential to damage all the components in the amp, not just the transformer.

Well, not really. if amp is well build, your amp will be safe to turn it off after used. if amp has a strong power supply the inrush is huge, but as long as it has some kind of Thermistors or a soft start circuit the amp should be ok to turn it off and give it a rest for a while. and also as you mentioned heat is bad for some components.

lanchile

lanchile wrote: »

Well, not really. if amp is well build, your amp will be safe to turn it off after used. if amp has a strong power supply the inrush is huge, but as long as it has some kind of Thermistors or a soft start circuit the amp should be ok to turn it off and give it a rest for a while. and also as you mentioned heat is bad for some components.

I am quoting myself since I could not edit it. if an amplifier has a hefty power supply the thermistors and soft start circuit will prevent the high inrush at turn on. that is to make clear since in my post looks like I am saying it is for the turn off lol.

BlueFox

Lasareath wrote: »

In the winter time I leave my gear on because it keeps the room nice and toasty. In the summertime it's off.

LOL. I have two amps that run in class A at first, and they get hotter than Hades. Last year I broke down and got my AC fixed because of them.

heiney9

lanchile wrote: »

I am quoting myself since I could not edit it. if an amplifier has a hefty power supply the thermistors and soft start circuit will prevent the high inrush at turn on. that is to make clear since in my post looks like I am saying it is for the turn off lol.

My amp has a hefty power supply, no current limiting, no soft start, no speaker protection and can be run into a direct short without damage. It can also raise the room temp by 3*, what now?

FTGV

heiney9 wrote: »

My amp... what now?

How's about the thermistor it has to reduce inrush current and thermal switches to sense when the heat sink temp. has risen beyond 75 degrees C?

heiney9

Any amp worth it's salt will have thermal cut offs in case of catastrophic failure. I was more or less being a little flippant at the specific generalizations Lanchile always posts. My point was you can't generalize and every situation, including the op's, has to be looked at in and of itself. One person even asked if they could leave tubes on. I would never leave tube gear unattended nor is it a good idea to let it run 24/7 (unless you are actually listening to music) because it shortens tube life.

H9

FTGV

heiney9 wrote: »

I was more or less being a little flippant at the specific generalizations Lanchile always posts.

Well I can't say I have read enough of his other posts to form such an opinion but the info in post #22 was factual and your Aleph indeed includes one of the thermistor devices he refers to.

heiney9

I guess you missed my point. I thought he was saying that if you have these things then your amp could be left on 24/7 (which is what this thread is all about), if you don't you can't. Which is just silliness. And yes, it appears you've missed a lot of his posts

H9

P.s. I have been known to leave my amp on for several days (3 to 4) despite the heat and the electric bill it can create. To the OP, as has been discussed in about 15-20 other threads about the exact same issue, it's OK to leave it on 24/7, unless the manufacturer specifically advises against it.

tophatjohnny

heiney9 wrote: »

I guess you missed my point. I thought he was saying that if you have these things then your amp could be left on 24/7 (which is what this thread is all about), if you don't you can't. Which is just silliness. And yes, it appears you've missed a lot of his posts

H9

P.s. I have been known to leave my amp on for several days (3 to 4) despite the heat and the electric bill it can create. To the OP, as has been discussed in about 15-20 other threads about the exact same issue, it's OK to leave it on 24/7, unless the manufacturer specifically advises against it.

Thanks H9 and talking to a Tech of many years at HK did advise..off when not using will allow this amp to probably out live me, so that's where I am!! Cool to see so many opinions and enjoyed the funny ones. What's even funnier is that no other HK PA5800 owners have chimed in as to how they treat their unit. ?? I drew my own conclusion as to the one I was thinking about buying here on the forum and decided that this amp is the perfect one for me, and again..finding a almost brand new one was a lucky and now believed "meant to be" day... by me anyway!!

leftwinger57

We did have this thread before and I find it really interesting because clearly there are 2 thought processes going on here. The ones who think leaving an amp on would burn out faster and the ones who leave them on all the except maybe when a lightening storm in on the way.Me I was part of the first group then looked over to my Klipsch powerd sub which has never been turned off except on vacation or again in a severe storm .My conclusion is that it probably doesnt matter except w/ tubes and the heat generated but I myself still shut everything down except my sub. Am I now a hypocrit for this one device left on.

pdxfj

My Sony amp (TA-N9000ES) has a "warm up" mode. I don't generally use the warm up mode, but may once it's moved into HT.

Here's what the manual says about it.

"Warm Up: Set Operation to this position (instead of turning the power off) to keep the circuitry warm when the power amplifier is not being used. This enables you to enjoy excellent sound quality immediately the next time you use the power amplifier."