Do you leave your McCormack amps powered on 24/7?

Bjue
Short answer no, long answer Yes. I have two DNA-1 Dlx Gold’s that I use in a vertical bi-amp configuration. The reason I don’t leave them on all the time has more to do with heat, you would not believe how much those two radiators will heat up a room during the summer. Oh how I long for the cool winds of September to come rolling in, then those puppies stay on 24/7 with the exception of thunder storms. Yes the sound does change it becomes smoother, sweeter and more relaxed, its something you don’t realize until they've been turned off for awhile and then turned back on again, then there’s something just not right and as time goes by that sweet inviting sound starts to return. As you can tell I really love the winter time, if its too cold outside then thats a good reason to stay in and listen. If it’s not a problem with the electric bill try it some time. I found they perform their best after about a month or more. The best description I have seen in writing is over at Odyssey Audio look under setup and tweek tips and read thru the warm up and break in section. Try it sometime, what have you got to lose better sounding music. Just be forewarned about the danger of such sweet music it can be addicting. Happy listening

P.S. During the summer I turn mine on on Thursday and off on Sunday on my way to bed.

No. If Iknow I will be doing some listening that evening or night I will turn them on early afternoon and let a cd play at low volume. I have a pair of DNA-1 Patinum level, mono blocked with the plitron transformers. After about 4 hours I cannot detect any improvement. They are great.

Your not going to leave your McCormacks powered up all the time unless the rest of your associated is gear is left on standby as well, that would be a bit self defeating. You can get a good sense of how much time it takes for the McCormacks to sound their best including your other gear. So I would try and power them up for that period of time prior to a listening session.

Hi Bjue -

I hear this question from time to time, but the answer is true for all audio gear. There is no question that leaving your equipment powered-up will keep it sounding its best and ready for critical listening at any moment. The downside is that the equipment consumes some power just sitting there, so it is up to you to decide how "green" you care to be. In general, amplifiers consume far more than most front-end gear, so you are pretty safe leaving your front-end equipment on 24/7 (tube equipment owners must balance this option against the life expectancy of their tubes). Amplifiers vary all over the place in terms of how much power they dissipate at idle, but checking the specifications should tell you the story. The DNA-1 dissipates about 180 Watts at idle - roughly equivalent to leaving a couple of incandescent lights on.

So, the answer to your question is yes, it is "better" for the amps (at least in terms of performance), and yes, it is wasting electricity (depending on your definition of waste). It's up to you to decide which approach to take, but a good compromise is turning them on an hour or so before you want to listen, and then off as you head for bed.

Enjoy your music!

Best regards,

Steve McCormack
SMc Audio