Thoughts on using a smart plug on intergrated amp.


I listen to music mostly at night before bed. My intergrated amp doesn't have a signal sense and doesn't turn off after music stops playing so when I wake up in the middle of the night I shut it off. What are your thoughts of using a smart plug on the amp so I can set a sleep timer? What effect if any will it have on the audio? Will it cause any issues to the amp by turning power on/off this way?

rbull11

Amps can draw lots of current so proceed with caution.  Try it and see. 

Here is one thing you can try. 

(This is assuming two things.  1) that the integrated amp has a normal power switch and not a soft start switch and 2) does not have a 12v trigger in/on)

  • Start with a good power strip or power conditioner that has a 12v on/off trigger built in.
  • Plug the integrated amp into the strip/conditioner above
  • Plug a 12v wall wart/power supply into the smart plug and the leads to the 12v trigger in.  It can be a cheap one as you only need voltage to engage the trigger.
  • Plug the smart plug into the wall.
  • Then you can use the smart plug to trigger the integrated on/off 

You can also do this with with some power conditioners that allow some of the outlets to be controlled independly and plug the smart plug into one outlet on the conditioner, which is always on, and run a cord from there to the trigger for another outlet.  I have used an older Monster Power home theater conditioner this way for non-critical equipment to turn equipment on and off with voice commands.  You can find the Monster Power's on eBay for >$100.

-Jeff

 

 

 

Is your system a high end audio system or a good sounding audio system. If the later... using a switched plug is probably OK. But I feel very comfortable in going out on a limb and saying it is definitely going to compromise the sound quality of a high end audio system. 

 

Provided it is not a tube amp, there probably isn't any downside to leaving it on unless it is a monster Class A amp. 

I think they are small and cheap and if you can’t hear it you can’t hear it.

This is the brand I use. You can even schedule it to turn itself off at specific times or events like sunrise/sunset.

I don't have one on my listening gear per se, but I have about 14 switches and smart plugs around the house and I definitely can't hear them degrade the sound.  If anything, compared to the old school dimmer switches I think they are a lot quieter physically and electrically.

I don’t know what amp/system you have but if your music stops playing and your amp goes into standby mode, what’s to fix? worry about it the next day. Some leave their amps on 24/7.  OTOH, if you have a class A amp, it won't go into any standby mode.

if you still want to try it, the question will be does it change the sound? i certainly would’t do it as i am a bit of a fanatic about good power. but if it has good contacts and conductors, it may not make a difference. If your amp has a power supply that does’t need bursts of high current to handle bass and dynamics, it may be fine.

The problem is, it won’t be easy to do A/B testing.

Jerry

I have a Micromega M-100 with AE 509 speakers. The reason I like the amp turnned off is so the display / lights turn off. My previous Rotel intergrated amp and my Arcam both had signal sense so when my music stopped they’d shut off 10 to 15 minutes later. I use an Alexa device to control my streamer and I have a Geeni  smart plug that is also Alexa controlled and can be used as a sleep timer..

It takes a while for my integrated to warm up properly, so I leave it on 24/7 and have for years...and its doing fine!  So, I have max performance immediately.  I mostly listen to CD's, so I leave the CD player and tuner on as well.  

  1. There are three points to consider.  
  2. Many integrated, pre, and power amps have electronic power supply protection circuits and/or software system checks on startup. Depending on the circuit or software design, leaving the power switch on and using a smart plug my bypass these failsafe designs.  I would contact the manufacturer in this regard to assure long term reliability will  affected, or if there is potential for surge damage.  
  3. +1 @ghdprentice Electromagnetic interferes, which includes radio frequency interference will enter at the weakest point causing distortion.  Assuming the smart plug has chips (timer, blue tooth, IR, or WIFi) it mat be an RF generator.  This may cause distortion called digital glare in the press.  An OTS smart plug may also affect AC power transmission limiting dynamics  Therefore, SQ may be affected.  
  4. +1 @jeffbij The best solution is to use another component with a remote like a DAC or disc player with a trigger connection, assuming your integrated amp has a trigger.  The trigger technology is old, so I would assume it has one.  The trigger circuit in your integrated amp should be designed to not bypass the power supply protection circuits or software system checks.  Check with the manufacturer. 

In conclusion, check with the manufacturer on ​​​​​​​1+ 3.   Test SQ on any solution.   Use good quality audiophile electrical connections, interconnects and cords in any solution you use.   Good luck  


​​​​​​​