I believe it is commonly recommended to leave hifi gear powered on at all times to keep it warm and ready to play at its optimum.
Today a few circuit breakers in my house were accidentally switched down, including the dedicated circuit to my hifi.
Power was down for several hours till I noticed it.
I switched the power back on and then about 5 hours later I started a usual evening listening session.
I immediately noticed the system was much more dynamic. It was so dynamic/louder that I turned the volume down by 5-7db from the usual volume setting I use (measured).
The main setup consists of:
Naim Supernait 2 with TeddyPardo power supply upgrade
Chord Quest powered by a TeddyPardo power supply
2 REL t7/x subwoofers
Buchardt s400 mkii speakers
All components connected to isol-8 power conditioner
Could it be that something in my system gets “saturated” over time due to being powered on 24/7 and the power cycle performed a “reset” that enabled the increased dynamics?
Could it be DC on the mains?
In my system, Naim and my dealer held that the very obviously improved dynamics post power up were evidence of something being wrong and most likely the need for a recap. They were absolutely right.
It’s the toroidal transformer. This is one of the few routine things I do with my system these days. Power down once a month and clean all contacts. I feel I get the benefit but then again, my car always feels better after a service too
FWIW I had an email chat with Naim about servicing recently. I think the current servicing recommendation is every 10-15 years across the board. For my Olive kit, I will use my ears to determine whether 10 years is a hard and fast rule.
How often should I service my Naim product? This is a question often asked, and the Service Department recommendations are as follows: for the Chrome Bumper (circa 1975 - 1989) and Olive (circa 1989 - 2000) range products, we recommend every 8 - 10 years and for the newer Black products (2000 - present), every 12 - 15 years.