Switched power supply on receiver

mldennison
mldennison Posts: 307
edited August 2005 in Electronics
I recently purchased an Adcom GFA-555 off of ebay and got everything hooked up. i am using my denon 3802 as a pre and to drive everything but the fronts and the adcom to power the fronts. now the adcom does not have a standby state so everytime i want to turn it off, i have to go and flip the switch on the unit, very annoying!

what i am wondering is if anyone can see big problems with plugging the power cord into the switched outlet on the receiver, this way the amp goes on and off as the receiver does? i was doing this with an older cd player i had and had no problems. does anyone think this would adversly affect the amount of power coming to the amp? i confess i dont know much about the power supplies on these things. if i were not to plug into the receiver, i would be plugging into a normal surge protector (no line conditioner or anything).

thanks,
mike
Post edited by mldennison on
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Comments

  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited August 2005
    Probably not a good idea, power amps require alot of wattage.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • ninerbj
    ninerbj Posts: 870
    edited August 2005
    DO NOT plug that amp into your Denon!!!
    That amp draws way too much to be doing that.
    "she had the body of Venus, with arms."
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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited August 2005
    i used to do that too. i had my Adcom plugged into the rear of my receiver for a few years. It didn't kill or hurt the receiver. had it done something bad.. it would have been a good excuse to replace my aging receiver. ha ha ha.

    That's just my experience with doing this. I know everyone else on here will recommend you not do it. It's up to you.. but if it frys your Denon that would certainly suck big time.

    Now i just leave my Adcom amp on. and it's no longer plugged into the receiver. it's plugged into a power strip. but i just leave the darn thing powered up 24/7, unless there is the possibility of a storm moving thru.. or i'm gone for a few days.
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
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  • mldennison
    mldennison Posts: 307
    edited August 2005
    yeah, i guess the chance that it could overload the denon is too much of a risk to justify the annoyance of turning off the amp.

    probably will end up just leaving it on, i spend too much money on electricity anyway, whats a few more bucks :-)
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  • Mike682
    Mike682 Posts: 2,074
    edited August 2005
    Check the ratings on the switched outlet(s), should be printed right above or below the outlet(s) on the back of the receiver. Most of these outlets are not designed to pass the amount of wattage and current the amp will need to operate.
    Receiver: harmankardon AVR235
    Mains: polk R30
    Center: polk CSi3
    Rear Surrounds: polk R20
    Subwoofer: polk PSW404
    DVD: Panasonic DVD-S29
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  • WilliamM2
    WilliamM2 Posts: 4,782
    edited August 2005
    You can build a relay box with about $15 worth of parts from Radio Shack. One end will plug into the switched outlet on the denon, the other end will plug directly into the wall.
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  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited August 2005
    I think you are better off to leave it on than switching on and off. Obviously if you are not going to listen to it this week then switch it off. Make sure it is in a safe place for leaving an electrical appliance on, obviously.
    madmax
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,217
    edited August 2005
    Like the rest here had said, It's not ever a good idea to plug an amp into an outlet on another component. I doubt you'd hurt anything unless you play at extremely high levels or are driving very low impedence loads. In order to the get the most/best out of the amp plug it into the wall outlet. It won't hurt to leave the amp on for extened periods of time.

    ****Always power the amp off FIRST and let the caps drain for about 20-30 seconds before turning other components off**** Adcoms don't have current limiting circuitry to mute the outputs so it's best to follow this procedure. It will get rid of that "whisteling" sound if you power other components down first.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • louthewiz
    louthewiz Posts: 581
    edited August 2005
    http://bitsltd.net/SmartStrip/buy.htm Go here and get one of these gadgets ,all you do is plug this device into the wall plug your avr/preamp into the control plug (on the strip) and you power amps into the other plugs on the strip and when the avr turns on it will trigger a signal to turn the amps on and off when you turn it off and it works great!!
    My gear,
    Acer PH530 720P PJ
    100 inch Da-Lite Video Spectra screen
    Yamaha HTR 5790
    Toshiba HD-A3
    Denon 1600 dvd player with sdi out,
    DVDO iSCAN HD+
    Panasonic Dmr E-80H
    Dishnetwork HD pvr
    1 Audiosource amp300 150 wpc Fronts
    1 Audiosource ampone bridged 200 watts powering center
    1 Onkyo M-282 105 wpc amplifier sides
    polk cs400 center
    polk RT400 mains
    Polk mkII back surrounds,
    Polk FX300fxi dipole surrounds
    Velodyne DPS-10 sub
    Klipsch KSW-10 sub.:cool:
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  • Polkersince85
    Polkersince85 Posts: 2,883
    edited August 2005
    Plugging anything into the outlets on the back of equipment is ;IMO, a bad idea. You will eventually cook the on/off switch or the switching circuit.
    >
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    >This message has been scanned by the NSA and found to be free of harmful intent.<
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  • bknauss
    bknauss Posts: 1,441
    edited August 2005
    Why not use the 12V trigger if the receiver and amp have one? That's what I use in my setup. Sure beats getting up and turning the amp on and off.
    Brian Knauss
    ex-Electrical Engineer for Polk
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,217
    edited August 2005
    bknauss wrote:
    Why not use the 12V trigger if the receiver and amp have one? That's what I use in my setup. Sure beats getting up and turning the amp on and off.

    The GFA-555 doesn't have a 12v trigger. Too old to have that feature.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    edited August 2005
    heiney9 wrote:
    The GFA-555 doesn't have a 12v trigger. Too old to have that feature.

    H9

    That particular Denon doesn't have one either. I know I have one!
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
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  • louthewiz
    louthewiz Posts: 581
    edited August 2005
    Polkersince85 wrote:
    Plugging anything into the outlets on the back of equipment is ;IMO, a bad idea. You will eventually cook the on/off switch or the switching circuit.
    The power strip is not plugged into the avr it, it gets plugged into THE WALL out let and when the strip senses a signal it activates the other power out lets ON THE STRIP and not from the avr. Lou :cool: :cool:
    My gear,
    Acer PH530 720P PJ
    100 inch Da-Lite Video Spectra screen
    Yamaha HTR 5790
    Toshiba HD-A3
    Denon 1600 dvd player with sdi out,
    DVDO iSCAN HD+
    Panasonic Dmr E-80H
    Dishnetwork HD pvr
    1 Audiosource amp300 150 wpc Fronts
    1 Audiosource ampone bridged 200 watts powering center
    1 Onkyo M-282 105 wpc amplifier sides
    polk cs400 center
    polk RT400 mains
    Polk mkII back surrounds,
    Polk FX300fxi dipole surrounds
    Velodyne DPS-10 sub
    Klipsch KSW-10 sub.:cool:
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  • aaharvel
    aaharvel Posts: 4,489
    edited August 2005
    i love the fact that i have to get up from my chair and turn my Adcoms on manually.

    Don't know why. Empowerment maybe?
    H/K Signature 2.1+235
    Jungson MagicBoat II
    Revel Performa M-20
    Velodyne cht-10 sub
    Rega P1 Turntable

    "People working at Polk Audio must sit around the office and just laugh their balls off reading many of these comments." -Lush
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  • Ricardo
    Ricardo Posts: 10,636
    edited August 2005
    I've got the 3803, and the power outlet is rated to 120 W; not sure the 3802 has the same/more/less, but this will allow you to run an amp at low levels only; once you turn it up most probably the consumption of the amp will go over 120 W......
    _________________________________________________
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    Thank God for different opinions. Imagine the world if we all wanted the same woman
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  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,728
    edited August 2005
    I'll he the thousandth person to say it - plugging an amp into the back of your receiver is NOT a good idea.

    I use a relay device and it works fine for me, that's what I'd reccomend...
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  • mldennison
    mldennison Posts: 307
    edited August 2005
    well i am gonig to listen to most all of you and be conservative. guess i will just have to get up and get some exercise walking to the unit to turn it on...

    my girlfriend is going to kill me though, she has just gotten the hang of turning evertthing on without this, dont think she is going to be able to handle this. i really dont understand why she has so many problems, i even created a system call button!?!?!?
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  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,728
    edited August 2005
    If it's really that big od a deal then you should definitely check out one of those relays...
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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited August 2005
    or just leave your amp on all the time. i do. and many other people do too.
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
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  • louthewiz
    louthewiz Posts: 581
    edited August 2005
    http://bitsltd.net/SmartStrip/buy.htm I keep saying it over and over again ,if you get one of these gadgets you will not need to turn on the amps manually,all you do is plug the gadget into the wall plug your avr into the control outlet on the strip and plug in your amp on the accessory oulet on the strip and when you turn on your avr or preamp it triggers the other ones and it all turns on at the same time and off when you turn it off easy!!!
    My gear,
    Acer PH530 720P PJ
    100 inch Da-Lite Video Spectra screen
    Yamaha HTR 5790
    Toshiba HD-A3
    Denon 1600 dvd player with sdi out,
    DVDO iSCAN HD+
    Panasonic Dmr E-80H
    Dishnetwork HD pvr
    1 Audiosource amp300 150 wpc Fronts
    1 Audiosource ampone bridged 200 watts powering center
    1 Onkyo M-282 105 wpc amplifier sides
    polk cs400 center
    polk RT400 mains
    Polk mkII back surrounds,
    Polk FX300fxi dipole surrounds
    Velodyne DPS-10 sub
    Klipsch KSW-10 sub.:cool:
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • BrentMcGhee
    BrentMcGhee Posts: 548
    edited August 2005
    I would have oto agree..... an amp is going to fraw way to much poier wto plug into a switched aout let on a receiver.. I woud def plugh that dir3ectly into an outlet... sorryy about az;ll the types i am really drunk right now but my advice sril ltsandes strrong,.... god da,nm tjhat ios messaed up
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  • aaharvel
    aaharvel Posts: 4,489
    edited August 2005
    will leaving my amps on 24/7 risk a chance of 'burnout', a noticeable increase in the electric bill or a fuse problem? If not, I may just follow suit. God knows how much Adcom charges for a fuse replacement on these things.
    H/K Signature 2.1+235
    Jungson MagicBoat II
    Revel Performa M-20
    Velodyne cht-10 sub
    Rega P1 Turntable

    "People working at Polk Audio must sit around the office and just laugh their balls off reading many of these comments." -Lush
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  • bknauss
    bknauss Posts: 1,441
    edited August 2005
    You won't likely see a big difference in your phone bill depending on the idle power draw. I'd worry more about your fridge or AC :)
    Fuses should only burn up when there is too much current sent through them. So as long as you're not abusing the thing and have a surge suppresor on it, don't worry. And taking the chassis off and replacing a $1 fuse (if that expensive) is much easier and cheaper than sending it back to Adcom.
    Brian Knauss
    ex-Electrical Engineer for Polk
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,217
    edited August 2005
    aaharvel wrote:
    will leaving my amps on 24/7 risk a chance of 'burnout', a noticeable increase in the electric bill or a fuse problem? If not, I may just follow suit. God knows how much Adcom charges for a fuse replacement on these things.

    We've had this discussion around here before.....search for the thread. There will not be any adverse affect on your amps by leaving them powered on all the time. However if you know you won't be using them for a few days or are away for awhile it's adviseable to turn them off. Other than that you can't hurt them and I feel there is less wear and tear on the equipment if it's powered on all the time. I don't leave my stuff on 24/7 becasue I may go days in between listening. On the weekends my stuff is powered up and left on because that's when I have the most free time to listen.

    FWIW

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,217
    edited August 2005
    BrentMcGhee wrote:
    I would have oto agree..... an amp is going to fraw way to much poier wto plug into a switched aout let on a receiver.. I woud def plugh that dir3ectly into an outlet... sorryy about az;ll the types i am really drunk right now but my advice sril ltsandes strrong,.... god da,nm tjhat ios messaed up

    Brent, how's your head feeling this morning? Pretty damn funny!! :D:p

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • BrentMcGhee
    BrentMcGhee Posts: 548
    edited August 2005
    ahhh man.... i am feeling alright, i am just enjoying reading all the crap i wrote last night. :)
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,217
    edited August 2005
    BrentMcGhee wrote:
    ahhh man.... i am feeling alright, i am just enjoying reading all the crap i wrote last night. :)

    Thank god they don't make us type for a field sobriety test. Some of us would never pass (myself included) sometimes. Most of us have problems when sober :D

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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