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
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