SS Amps - leave em on 24/7 or turn em off when not in use?

So right now I am running a Carver 705x amp. I leave it on 24/7. I have the ability to use the 12v triggers on my H15 and Integra 5.9 to turn it off when all my equipment is turned off, but I currently dont. Should I be? Am I cutting down on the amount of time before the amp needs a re-cap or am I good to keep doing what I am doing. Also are there some SS amp series you can leave on all the time and others you shouldn't?

I am also aware some of you suggest plugging the amp directly into the wall. I tried that and using my APC H15 and noticed no difference at my regular listening levels.

I turn everything off when not in use.

I turn everything off and unplug.
Surges and lightning scare the heck out of me.....I live rural so its not the best.

I turn everything off and unplug.
Surges and lightning scare the heck out of me.....I live rural so its not the best.

Yup, thats why everything is plugged into the APC H15, it should help for surges. Lightning, well thats just a mess regardless....

I might look into the 12v trigger then for my amp

I just read where the Bobfather said you can leave it plugged in all the time or unplug. It doesnt matter either way. He said he grew up with his mother telling him to turn off a light if not using it so he himself would unplug for that reason only.

My main concern is that eventually the caps in these amps need to be replaced due to age. I wanted to make sure that me leaving the amp on 24/7 wasnt hastening the arrival of that date lol....

I've always heard that the heating and cooling of turning equipment on and off will cause failure faster then just leaving stuff on. That being said, I always turn everything off when not in use, let the auto-on/off feature on the Sunfire amp do its thing. If I leave the house for more then a full day I unplug everything. The A-705x is at most 12-15 years old? should be good another 10 years or more I would suspect before needing to be re-capped.

I turn everything off when not in use.

Yeah!!! What HE said!!! Why take a chance you don't have to?

Mine are never shut off (except for power outages!)
Several have been powered up 24/7 for over 20 years*...


*Your milage may vary!

It depends on the piece of gear. I've had an amplifier [Odyssey Stratos] that would sound like ass for three days if it ever was powered down and allowed a chance to cool off significantly. The current amplifier I have sounds great as soon as you hit the power button, so I don't have to keep it on 24/7. As for shortening the life of the caps? I would imagine much of that has to do with the design/topology of any particular amplifier but I haven't seen or read any conclusive theories as to which one is worse [turning it on and off constantly -vs- just keeping it on 24/7].

When you get into tube amplifiers, or if you do, turn them off when you are done listening. Always unplug the entire system when a lightning storm is threatening and make sure the PC's are as far away from the actual outlet as possible. Lightening is so frequent down here in Charlotte that I always unplug the rig when I am away from the house. I have already lost a couple of amplifiers due to lightening, so I speak from experience on that one.