To turn off or not to turn off


That is the question. I have always left my components on, because I heard that they would pay me back with greater reliability. The theory goes that electric/electronic hardware takes a big hit every time it is turned on.

However, I don't listen to the equipment through the night. And the equipment is using electricity and converting it to heat while idling. Besides the waste, would it be better for the equimpent to be turned off when not in use?

What do you think?

Dan C.
dancarne
Thanks for the responses.

FYI, my equipment is:
B&K 202 plus amp - silky and clear, but runs hot
Adcom 535 amp for subwoofer- not bad, until you compare it to better equipment.
Adcom GTP-400 preamp - reliable, but would replace it if I could find a better tuner/preamp for $300.
Denon DCM-30 CD changer - includes Avanced multilevel noise shaping
Dahlquist M905 - suprisingly good still. Thought they imaged poorly ... until I got the B&K. Now, it's a different story.
A general rule of thumb about SS amps is that the hotter that they run in normal use, the greater the sound variance when going from off to normal operating temperature. In other words, don't expect the same sound out of a high bias amp when it is stone cold or warming up. It may take several hours of consecutive operaton to come up to operating temperature and fully stabilize.

Amps that run cool i.e. Sunfire, Bel Canto or other "digital" or "switching amps" will not be as noticeable when going from cold to hot. Since they stay relatively cool even when "throttling" them, they don't need as much "warm up" or "operating time" to stabilize. Then again, these amps are so efficient that you can leave them on and they pull less power than a normal light bulb. For the record, the Sunfire 2 ch amps idle at about 40 watts of consumption. The B & K will idle at QUITE a bit more power than that and runs WAY hotter, even at idle.

Like anything else, it all boils down to personal choice. As for me, my house looks like an audio showroom due to all of the lights and displays being lit up all the time. Sean
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What worries me about leaving my equipment on all the time is the possibility of surge damage, as sdcampbell has experienced. I am thinking to buy a PS Audio Ultimate Outlet primarily for surge protection purpose. Could it offer enough protection ? Please comment.
What about digital? I've just started leaving the cd player on all the time, except when I'm away. I do prefer leaving it on as I think I hear a difference from stone cold. More relaxed.....am I fooling myself here? Just my 2cents...cheers, Bluenose