[G E]

I don’t often leave on gear for more than 30 hours. Usually turn on Friday evening... off midnight-ish the next day.

But I have a 4 day weekend and have had my 28-2’s on since Thursday evening.

Tonight I fired up my phono preamp - tube based Hagerman Trumpet, and put on some records.

I wasn’t prepared for the sonic richness!  With cold tubes I was hearing a warmth I don’t recall hearing before.

There is something to leaving on gear.

I’ll start turning on gear Thursday nights in preparation for standard weekends... weather permitting

Anyone else experience this?

[James Tanner]

Hi GE

I agree - the engineers will scoff at us but one fact that constantly reinforces the "turn on early before critical listening" position is when I do shows by the 2 or 3rd day everything just sounds better. 

james

[Elizabeth]

Agree it takes at minimum 24 hours to sound great. I have left my Bryston gear on 24/7/365 for ten years.. It just sounds better if left on.
Hard to do that with tube gear...
Back when I was still working, I left it all on playing... for my pets.
Now I listen every day all day myself.

[gberger]

Agree with Elizabeth.

Since going all digital (no tubes), I've left mine on 24/7/365.  Friends who work with solid state devices have said turning off and on repeatedly decreases component reliability and performance.

I listen to the guys who work with digital components for a living.

[veloceleste]

Since going all digital (no tubes), I've left mine on 24/7/365.  Friends who work with solid state devices have said turning off and on repeatedly decreases component reliability and performance.

I listen to the guys who work with digital components for a living.

Does the stand-by mode of the BDA dacs do the same thing as keeping them on 24/7?

[Grant Hill]

Hi GE

I agree - the engineers will scoff at us but one fact that constantly reinforces the "turn on early before critical listening" position is when I do shows by the 2 or 3rd day everything just sounds better. 

james

Hello James,
In your experience does that apply only to amplifiers or to digital sources like bda bcd and bdp as well?

[James Tanner]

That's a good question - I have always assumed Amplifiers were the likely suspects first and foremost because I have never really tried swapping out an identical unit at home or at a show.

Something to try.

james

[gberger]

If I may jump in, please. I have three audio systems, and I keep them all going.
Primary: BCD-3, BP17c, Mag Dyna FM tuner,  4Bc, Thiel 2.7 speakers with ss2.2 sub
Secondary (building it for my son): Cambridge CD transport, BDA-2,  BP-26, Mag Dyna FM tuner, 4Bsst2, AR3a speakers.
Bedroom: Cambridge integrated, Mag Dyna FM tuner, ADS monitor speakers.

I keep all of them running. Since the home is all electric, the monthly electric bill isn't appreciable.

Like Elizabeth, I believe having a truly warmed-up system is preferable to a turn-on and waiting for some time to achieve  the best performance.

BTW: Back in my Ham Operator days, I kept both the transmitter power supply and the receiver on "standby" for days at a time so I could immediately answer the CQs.

[drummermitchell]

My trusty Arcam AV-8 has been on 24/7 since 2006
All Bryston components at least 5 yrs
Amps I turn on hour before as I use to keep them on 24/7
About 40.00 a month more with 28s+7s running continuously.
My new BDA-3 about one week 24/7

[Elizabeth]

I do turn off a few items. An Audio Research SP-15 I use just for the three tube phono section. (It goes into the Bryston BP-26 input) Since I do not use taht turntable a lot, I only turn on the SP-15 when I am going to use it.
Then I also have a Conrad Johnson ACT2. This ACT2 CJ is the hottest furnace I have ever encountered in a preamp. (And yes CJ says yeah it is a hot running item) Not only do I turn it on and off. It STAYS OFF all Summer. (Why pay double, to heat up the room and then again pay to cool it down.)
Then oddly my Threshold FET TEN line and phono boxes are cool. so is the power supply for them. You would never know they are on from touching the boxes, even the power supply!
The Bryston BP-26 power and preamp get very lightly warm when playing. when idling, they are almost cool as when off.

[Grant Hill]

If I may jump in, please. I have three audio systems, and I keep them all going.
Primary: BCD-3, BP17c, Mag Dyna FM tuner,  4Bc, Thiel 2.7 speakers with ss2.2 sub
Secondary (building it for my son): Cambridge CD transport, BDA-2,  BP-26, Mag Dyna FM tuner, 4Bsst2, AR3a speakers.
Bedroom: Cambridge integrated, Mag Dyna FM tuner, ADS monitor speakers.

I keep all of them running. Since the home is all electric, the monthly electric bill isn't appreciable.

Like Elizabeth, I believe having a truly warmed-up system is preferable to a turn-on and waiting for some time to achieve  the best performance.

BTW: Back in my Ham Operator days, I kept both the transmitter power supply and the receiver on "standby" for days at a time so I could immediately answer the CQs.

A very lucky son indeed 

[Blueshound]

That's a good question - I have always assumed Amplifiers were the likely suspects first and foremost because I have never really tried swapping out an identical unit at home or at a show.

Something to try.

james

This makes the most sense to me - audio designers I've known or worked with in the past have generally said that the capacitors in audio components need not only to fully charge but "form" after a period of being on (presumably this is particularly true for the large caps that are part of the output stages of power amplifiers).  How long that process really takes, I have no idea.

However, my habit has been to leave the amps (& now BAX-1) on all the time, with the head-end components in standby.  I do still notice that the sound improves after being on for a while, and even more so if it's playing music. It would be nice if the standby status would take care of the "fully warmed up & optimal sounding" thing, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Brian

[James Tanner]

Hi Folks

Standby mode can not be more than .(point)5 Volts due to international power consumption rules. So its impossible to have enough 'trickle charge' to full charge the complete circuitry and still meet these standards.  The .5 volt is just to allow for remote turn-on.

james
 

[Grit]

What about an extra power mode that isn't standby but isnt fully on?

[James Tanner]

What about an extra power mode that isn't standby but isnt fully on?

Would not be allowed due to regulations.  All around the world now there are more and more regulations to limit power use when not fully operating.

james

[Speedskater]

Hi GE
I agree - the engineers will scoff at us but one fact that constantly reinforces the "turn on early before critical listening" position is when I do shows by the 2 or 3rd day everything just sounds better. 
james

Any measurements?
If the difference is so large that you can notice it 2 days later, it should be easy to measure the reason for this large difference.
* * * * * * * *
And with differences large enough to have a preference, it should be even easier to measure.

[CanadianMaestro]

My amp benefits the most from being left on. Makes sense with all that capacitance. Sub-woofer as well.

[gbaby]

There may be some truth to leaving your equipment on 24/7. I left my unit on this week for 24 hours for Chris to do work on my BDP3 while it was in service mode. When I finally played music on my system, it was immediately warmer, smoother, sweeter and relaxed sounding. I am not going to turn it off again.

[G E]

I planned to turn on all my solid state gear tonight in preparation for Friday night, but they are forecasting thunderstorms some possibly severe tonight and through the weekend. Everything is unplugged now which is what I do in spring and summer when not listening.  Don’t want to get zapped!

[Calypte]

We had a direct lightning strike on our house (Anza, CA) in 2014.  The lightning struck our anemometer mast, which is attached to the peak of the roof adjacent to the room with our gear.  The lightning took out anything connected with an HDMI cable and also the amp in the subwoofer.  Other gear was OK.  Emotiva and Hsu Research were very helpful about repairs, Samsung (TV) not at all.    I've been urged to get a surge protector.  A surge protector may prevent ordinary line surges, but it's my understanding that no surge protector will protect against lightning.