Sometimes I want to quickly put the amp in standby modus without using the MusicLife app or searching for the remote. But as far as I know, there is no button on the amp to do this.
Pushing the power button, powers it off which means I can’t use MusicLife or the remote control to power the amp on again. I know there is an auto-standby function, but this only works when there is no source playing.
I found that turning the volume wheel awakes the amp from standby mode.
Any chance some existing button on the front could get an additional “put in standby mode” function? By using a long press or by changing its function in the settings?
It’s not something I lose sleep over but agree I’ve found that a bit odd.
I am used to devices that are effectively automatically powered on when plugged in or perhaps have a separate power switch on the back, but once on they remain in standby and the front switch then is only a standby switch not a power switch.
However, I’m a bit confused about why this present much of a problem. So if you can bring the amp out of stnadby via the volume knob great, and then a timeout to automatically go into standby surely is enough? Just lower the timeout if that bothers you, and personally I don’t see why you would put the amp in to standby without first stopping the source from playing anyway.
Actually i would find it useful.
I’m using Home Assistant integration for Arcam, and it seems for some reason it prevents amp from auto standby. To switch it off i need to dig for the remote.
I guess that’s a separate issue if home automation is somehow interfering with the stand-by timeout? Likely it’s sending unexpected messages that keeps the device “awake”.
Indeed, it’s not a major issue but for me it would be convenient to quickly put the amp in standby before leaving the house and without digging up my phone or the remote control.
The auto-standby covers this to some extend. When an album on my NAS or a CD is finished it will go in auto-standby and everything is OK. When listening to an internet radio or when my external phono-amp is selected as an input, it won’t go in standby after twenty minutes because it still detects an input. For these cases I wish there was a standby button on the amp. Which is similar to the case of Felix.
I could use the power switch, which I sometimes do. But… when I want to start some music using MusicLife it won’t find the amp, nor is there a way to wake it up because it’s powered off.
Instead of doubling the function of one of the front buttons (eg Mute) an alternative solution would be that the function of the “power switch” is changed to a “standby switch”.
@arcam_paul or colleague’s, do you think it’s feasible to add this function to the amp?
Yes, it is a separate issue.
doesn’t change the fact, that i would find it useful to have this feature. Auto standby (or lack of it caused by HA) is one thing, but often for example in the evening i would like to switch amp to standby when going to bed, and it’s easier for me to do it from front panel, than looking for a remote.
All depends on the use case really. I’m using mostly Roon. Operating amp only using app, and only time when i need a remote is for stand by. Unfortunately standby using Roon app doesn’t work in SA30 (hopefully not YET), switching between apps is possible, but why if i could just stand up and press a button?
Lack of this is not a deal breaker, but it’s something that would be just nice to have.
When Roon Ready was in development, you could turn the amplifier on and off from Roon - a dedicated ⏻ button was active. Unfortunately the official integration has removed this feature from Roon.
Maybe as a solution, if someone has e.g. Home Assistant, would be to program standby toggle as a function for some dedicated zigbee button? E.g. one from Ikea - TRÅDFRI Shortcut button, white - IKEA
Yes, button was there, but it never worked. It never switched amp off/standby, instead it was only switching Roon input “off”, reverting to previous active input.
That’s probably why Roon told Arcam to remove it to get certification. They didn’t want to have not working features.
Will it ever come back? I have no idea, but would be nice.
That’s exactly what i did as kind of a workaround. Although in my case standby is assigned to button that is switching off all lights for the night.
