I know this is a well thrashed out topic but the general view seems to be that it is better to keep Naim components powered-on 24/7. I have always assumed that this also applied to other brands. I have always left my Rega Aria phonostage and RP10 TTPSU powered-on 24/7. However, I note that Rega do not recommend doing this with their Aura phonostage. I assume this is solely for environmental reasons. Interested to hear if there are any other sound reasons for powering down components after use?
Well you really can’t leave anything class A on 24/7 or anything with vacuum tubes. They’ll wear out too fast.
It depends on design.
Things that are powered on 24/7 that consume low power may be better for the environment if their failure rate is linked to power cycle frequency (which is nearly true for most electronics). The envirnmental impact of shipping new units around for repair, manufacture of new parts or a whole new product is generally greater than the impact of constant power on. Of course there are exceptions. Not everything is guaranteed to fail with constant power cycling. Not everything has a large carbon footprint to repair/replace. But hifi generally isn’t in those exceptions.
Of course there’ll be the odd Naim user who states they turn their gear off every day for 20 years without issue as proof to the contrary but those are statistical outliers.
Since having a smart meter fitted and the remote readout handy, it has been interesting to monitor everything.
Turning off my hifi doesn’t seem to make as much difference as I thought it would. Playing at loud volumes too.
Most devices with a standby will put it at 0.5 watts an hour. If idling with volume at zero maybe 2 or 3. With a complex set up those watts will increase and over a year will add up.
Then you have all your other stuff. Fridge freezers are alway kept on. Microwaves. Cookers. Kettles when used go into the kilo watts.
Light bulbs at 60-120 watts, dimmer switches using more. Central heating and hot water. Electric showers etc.
In the grand scheme of things a good hifi should last its course without too much impact.
Generally if the power switch is round the back, the design is intended for 24/7. If there’s a front switch or means to power down, it’s left open for the user to decide.
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I am one of those who subscribe to the 24/7 power on. I do find the system sounds better and more consistent. However, for some reason I do also find that a periodic power down, after several months, also seems to benefit SQ. Difficult to describe but just seems to refresh the sound of the system.
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The advice from my Pre/Power amp manufacturer (based in Germany) is to power down the amps to stand-by each night and switch them on roughly half an hour before use. Their opinion was that doing so would prolong the life of the amps.
Prior to receiving this advice from them, I had been leaving them on 24/7. Since making the change (some 2 or 3 years ago), I can’t say that I have noticed any detrimental impact on sound quality.
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I turn off my amps - always have done - and the active XO, between sessions unless same day, just turn on where possible half an hour before settling down to listen to allow to reach operating temp. Nothing I have heard suggssts there is benefit leaving on longer, and in 50 years of hifi, including at times having amps up to 25 or more years old, used almost daily, none has ever given up the ghost as a consequence.
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I have always kept Naim kit powered up all the time. Power down every so often, 3/6 months, and if you have the disipline plug/ unplug all contacts.
Its called maintenance aparantly.
I used to leave my Naim amps on for 7 years, not anymore now. Sound reasons for switching the amps off after use? To prolong the life of the amps although I have received contradictory views on this ie. keeping the amps powered up all the time will extend the life, or vice versa.
Having said that, I don’t switch the amps off every time I’m finished with the listening session. I switch the amps off once or twice in a month on average. It is true that Naim amps sound better when they are powered up all the time so I usually power down the system when I will not be listening for few days, power up one or two days before I intend to listen. Even though I intend to listen on the same day I am powering up the amps, it’s not that the amps will sound terribly awful to the point of unlistenable.
Also, these days I tend to leave the preamp on but power amp off. In other words, the power amp is switched off more often than the preamp.
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I have always switched my series 1 Uniti off at the end of a listening session, usually every day for some 9 years.
It has just been serviced by Naim, including replacing the LED display, which was so dim as to be unreadable. I had set it to display the time, so it was illuminated for quite log periods.
Now, I tried leaving it switched on for longer periods, perhaps adopting one of the above routines, switching it off every couple of weeks or so, but have now set the display to switch off after 30 seconds, and no time display, so hopefully the display will last longer? Time will tell.
As for sound quality, that will be assessed over the coming months.
I have an Audio Note DAC 2. The recommendation in the manual is to leave it powered on all times. Even though it has a valve output stage. I think different brands have a different approach. If ultimate performance is your priority then leave the gear on unless you are away on travels for a long period of time.
Having said that I recently went on a long holiday of 3 weeks and when I returned the tubes on the Audio Note had developed a leak and were distorting in one channel.
I can only imagine it may have been related to the condensation build up with the house being vacant in the winter for a long period.
Audionote wants that you buy their tubes very often probably 
I’ve never used Audio Note tubes. I really like the sound of the Telefunken E88CC.
Like me Khan. I have also 5 nos ECc88 in my Ear 912. Tried some other, like Philipps, Amperex, …but the ECC88 are my favorite, even vs PCc88.
It’s a shame they aren’t being made anymore. I’m having to pay quite a bit for them every time they run out of juice.
You should power off your Dac after each listening. Every user of tube components do that.
After 1 hour use , the Dac is ready to perform at his best.
I am not ready to pay 1 k tubes every year personally, so I switch off my preamp when I finish listening.
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