Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater On or Off

Should I turn my receiver off, or like my computer just leave it on all the time? Does it draw lots of power on startup causing undue strain over time? If I do leave it on, should I turn the volume to zero or is mute ok? Thanks

I leave mine on all the time. If there's a sound (ba-dum-dah! Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week...) reason to turn it off, I'd be interested in hearing it. Environmental/ecological factors aside, of course.

I turn mine off. My reason is mostly roommates. They don't really know how to work the thing properly, which is because I set it up and "forgot" to explain it to them fully. So I've found that if it's off, they are less likely to listen to music at incredibly loud volumes...

i turn mine off.. no particular reason. maybe cause thats what i have done since i was a kid. parents always told me, if you aint using it, turn it off...

plus, i could be totally wrong here, but isnt it just easier on the equip? i mean, wouldnt it be less wear and tear on the equip? i would love some more opinions on this.

bigjohn

Hi izub,

This debate has been on-going for years. It grew out of the vacuum-tube era of recording studios and even early vacuum-tube computers, where there was good reason to leave equipment running. Tube gear takes some time for the circuits to stabilize, whereas solid-state circuitry settles down in a matter of seconds. The surge of power to the tube heater elements was also considered to shorten the life of tubes each time tube gear was switched on. But that just isn't true of solid-state gear used on an occasional basis--even every day-- in domestic applications like home theater and music reproduction.

In reality, unless you are running a studio 24 hours a day, it makes no sense to leave your receiver on all the time. Heat is the enemy of all circuitry over many years, and all components generate heat. This is especially true of A/V receivers, which jam seven amplifiers plus control circuitry onto one chassis.

Look up the idling power consumption in the specs section of of your receiver's owner's manual. It will likely be at least 120 watts if it's a 5.1-channel (or more) surround-sound model. That's like leaving a 120-watt light bulb running all the time. Besides, it offends my sense of energy conservation.

Regards,

The good news is that most equipment these days has a "standby" setting where the power isn't really on, but it wants to be and will be quickly when you ask for it.

good point Ray3...