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Amplifiers and energy consumption

W

wirbeltier

pfm Member
Hi All

I know this is discussed every now and then but my green consciousness starts kicking in harder, and I am seriously starting to rule out amps that use too much energy when idling.

Of course, turning them off would solve that, but I also think that keeping an amp on stand-by at least will be beneficial for sq. As a benchmark, I think that 40 W when idle are far too much!!!

So: which amps do not only sound good but also have a real stand-by function (not only mute) and thus consume very little energy when not in use?

In addition, will there not be a European law soon that is bound to ban over-consuming electronic appliances???

Thx
 
This does not bother me despite my "green conscience". I only switch the hi-fi on when I intend listening to it - I think it unwise to leave valve amps on 24/24 7/7 to say nothing of the cost of valves and electricity. After about ten minutes things sound great.
The heat generated by my valve amp is that much less needed to keep me warm in winter and come the summer I wheel out the solid state amp to avoid having to install air conditioning. The sound is not quite the same but then I tend to spend time away from home in the summer - generally going north to the UK, Finland or Scandinavia.
 
I have no idea on your last point, but the way things are going in continental Europe we'll be moving further away from diktats from Brussels (I hope).

Regarding your main point, a valved amplifier is generally off when not in use; it may burn a bit (compared to s/s, but not class A) whilst IN use, but nothing at all when not. Depending on your listening useage, consumption may even out.
 
uncl_nigel said:
This does not bother me despite my "green conscience". I only switch the hi-fi on when I intend listening to it - I think it unwise to leave valve amps on 24/24 7/7 to say nothing of the cost of valves and electricity. After about ten minutes things sound great.
The heat generated by my valve amp is that much less needed to keep me warm in winter and come the summer I wheel out the solid state amp to avoid having to install air conditioning. The sound is not quite the same but then I tend to spend time away from home in the summer - generally going north to the UK, Finland or Scandinavia.
Click to expand...

You're the second person I've met in the last few ears who keeps different summer and winter amplification. Not sure I could gravitate away from valves in the 'off' season.:)
 
I was not referring to valve amps. There it is obvious to turn them off when not in use. As my listening habits are not compatible with tube amps, I am rather thinking of transistor amps which can consume quite a bit of energy, too. What are the exceptions?
 
If youre an eco mentalist then the only option is class d / class t type amps as frankly they use near to no electricity.

If you leave your equipment on all day then it doesnt matter, your not an ecomentalist at all, your just a mentalist with void house insurance. Good luck with that one.

My class a furnace heats my entire living room. I dont have a gas or electric fire. Now thats carbon ofsetting (and its the best sounding fire ive ever heared by far!)

Butuz
 
I have a Yamaha AS500 which they make a thing about it having low power consumption in standby mode.
 
Leave the amps on all the time if they sound better and give up TV. Mankind will benefit more quickly.
 
Good man!

Cable is being cut off here at the first of the year. I'm tired of 1000 channels of shite which I never watch but cost me almost 200 bucks a month.
 
I'm looking forward to the toastiness of my vintage Pioneer M-22 once I've finished restoring it. It consumes 280W regardless whether it is idling or at full 30W chat. It won't be left on continuously though.

James
 
I have a yamaha a-s700 which also uses something like 0.1watt in standby, and seems to be quite class B biased (less than 10mv iirc). It certainly runs cool, but it's also very well ventilated so I can't tell from that.

Seriously doubt it amplifies more efficiently than any other comparable amp though as i'd assume they use a similar way of automatically adjusting their bias/heatsink temp monitoring/etc and the power transistors are the usual suspects.
 
I'm afraid I cannot take seriously anyone professing to be interested in reducing energy consumption who is prepared to leave energy consuming equipment permanantly on, in the hope of better sound quality. Just turn it off when not in use.
 
Butuz said:
If youre an eco mentalist then the only option is class d / class t type amps as frankly they use near to no electricity.
Click to expand...
Jus as a point of interest - this is not often true.

Most analogue-switching types actually have idle disspation comparable to a small classAB amp; the efficiency saving only comes when delivering significant power into a load. So unless a given amp has, say , a low-power standby mode as the OP asked, there should be no saving expected.
 
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