It’s a good idea to shut down power amps when you’re not around. I like my speaker cones to remain in the speakers, for the reasons mentioned above. Except for small computer monitor powered speakers which can stay in as long as upstream gear that drives them remains on. Most speakers need a moderate signal for a few minutes (a song or two) to loosen up and sound right anyhow, so warming up power amps is no problem. As for damage at power up, definitely leave your console on. Also, gear like preamps, especially Telefunkens, can take up to 24 hours to warm up, so best left powered on. Older solid state processors tend to drift during warm up, so leave them on. Most newer tube lim/comps only need an hour or two to stabilize. Anything that uses a 12BH7 as an output tube (LA-2A for example) should not be left on, as those tubes often have a much shorter life than most others. Most of the newer tube reissue style gear in general has insufficient chassis ventilation and undersized power supplies and should not be left on.
My rule of thumb is, if it draws more than about 25 watts steady, shut it down when you’re not around. Consoles and computers and Fairchild 670’s, if you’ve got one or two, accepted 😉
What’s your thoughts on leaving your gear on at all times? Leave a comment below and join the conversation!