should you leave your equipment on when you're not listening?

randyr · « **on:** 20 Mar 2007, 06:19 am »

i currently listen to a ava t-8 preamp with a fetvalve 350 amp. i'm curious about 'warm up time' for this equipment.
the ava site says "our amplifiers sound great from turn-on to turn-off and at all times in between".
i just recently read in a hifi news letter "extended warm up times for solid state components are quite common. .... solid state gear may take several days to reach the optimal range. .... suggest at least 24 hours for solid state circuits to stabilize." what's up with this?
any recommendations on leave it on or turn it on and go?
just curious. thanks for the insight.

Toka · « **Reply #1 on:** 20 Mar 2007, 02:47 pm »

I'm sure Frank has more to offer on the subject, but since the gear you have uses tubes, I would say NOT to leave it on all the time...it would 'warm up' in about 10-20 minutes anyway. And SS gear taking 'several days' to reach potential? Umm...

BobRex · « **Reply #2 on:** 20 Mar 2007, 03:16 pm »

Quote from: BrianM on 20 Mar 2007, 03:11 pm

Oh, and needless to say, leaving your equipment on all the time shortens the usage life of the equipment.

Not necessarily. Leaving equipment on "CAN" extend tube libe. It's the possible turn on surges that shorten tube lives.

But.... measured against everything else and the possibility of fires and such, I'd say turn it off. Besides, that way you save energy.

Brett Buck · « **Reply #3 on:** 20 Mar 2007, 03:57 pm »

Quote from: randyr on 20 Mar 2007, 06:19 am

i currently listen to a ava t-8 preamp with a fetvalve 350 amp. i'm curious about 'warm up time' for this equipment.
the ava site says "our amplifiers sound great from turn-on to turn-off and at all times in between".

So you have the first part of the answer already.

Quote

i just recently read in a hifi news letter "extended warm up times for solid state components are quite common. .... solid state gear may take several days to reach the optimal range. .... suggest at least 24 hours for solid state circuits to stabilize." what's up with this?

That's what's called, in the world of science and engineering, a steaming load. If any piece of hi-fi equipment really needs 24 hours of on-time to stabilize (presumably in a thermal sense) then it's designed improperly.

Brett

avahifi · « **Reply #4 on:** 20 Mar 2007, 04:25 pm »

The answer, once more, is absolutely not! Not unless you are a friend of OPEC and energy waste. Not unless you don't mind that a small issue, unnoticed, cooks away for hours and hours and turns in to a BIG ISSUE surprise, turn off the smoke alarm and save the cat. Not unless you don't care that every engineering data sheet shows predicted service life of a component and you like to use yours up doing nothing. Not unless you really need it left on to keep your polarized $5000 speaker cables from going dead on you because their platinum johnson rods quit spinning.

Nuf said

Frank Van Alstine

nathanm · « **Reply #5 on:** 20 Mar 2007, 04:43 pm »

My mom always yelled at me if I left lights on when I wasn't using them. I'd suspect the same advice applies for electronics you aren't using. However, I do idle my car overnight and while at work in order to keep the gas broken in.

weirdo · « **Reply #6 on:** 20 Mar 2007, 05:23 pm »

platinum johnson rods

Nuf said

Frank Van Alstine
[/quote]

lets keep it clean, shall we?

gooberdude · « **Reply #7 on:** 20 Mar 2007, 06:16 pm »

I don't have an AVA amp yet, but the SS Belles amp I am using only takes about 20 minutes to sound right from a cold start. Which is most unlike the previous SS amp I owned which did seem to take hours or even a day to sound right. by sound right, i mean wide imaging and no congestion, plus deep bass extension.

with the electricity rate hikes here in Illinois, i gotta keep everything shut off.

Listens2tubes · « **Reply #8 on:** 21 Mar 2007, 12:08 am »

I know many tube guys like myself like to have the system up and running for the better part of a day before sitting down for any critical listening. Just seams everything gets settled in ie: some audio friends are coming over at 2pm, system should be cooking as early as possible. I know my dynaco MkIV's need some time to get flowing.

Ed Schilling · « **Reply #9 on:** 23 Mar 2007, 02:14 am »

"Not unless you really need it left on to keep your polarized $5000 speaker cables from going dead on you because their platinum johnson rods quit spinning.

That is the funniest thing I have read in a long time.....I "LOL....out loud" loudly. But Frank, seriously....any 5K speaker wire will have Palladium Johnson Rods......and you know damn well they oscillate, they don't spin. Let's get our facts straight or else the masses might become confused.

Ed

Brett Buck · « **Reply #10 on:** 23 Mar 2007, 03:34 am »

Quote from: Ed Schilling on 23 Mar 2007, 02:14 am

"Not unless you really need it left on to keep your polarized $5000 speaker cables from going dead on you because their platinum johnson rods quit spinning.

But Frank, seriously....any 5K speaker wire will have Palladium Johnson Rods......and you know damn well they oscillate, they don't spin.

Still using *oscillating* Johnson rods? Those are so "last month". What, are you not serious about music?

Brett

randyr · « **Reply #11 on:** 23 Mar 2007, 04:07 am »

thanks for the insight. not only did i learn something, i got to laff my ass off. i think i'll turn on my rig and tune into terrapin station. cheers.

G E · « **Reply #12 on:** 23 Mar 2007, 02:53 pm »

"Re: should you leave your equipment on when you're not listening? "

We just got our new Ultra 350 yesterday. The vintage Omega3 and Feltvavle preamp had been playing all day. When we put the new amp online the difference was immediately noticeable and not subtle. More resolution, 3D-holographic imaging, smooooth sound yet with impact when called for. All from a cold start.

I looked through the ventilation slots to see if the platinum Johnson rods were spinning, but I didn't see them. Frank, maybe you could lend a hand....

Did it improve over time? The answer is, 'I'm not sure.' It was a short listening session and we did not have time for a good survey of music. The weekend is at hand so plenty of time to investigate. Next week or shortly thereafter the new preamp shows up.

G E