Leaving amps on - how much does it cost? (1 Viewer)

[Ernest Yee]

Hey - while we're still on this topic, what about the pre/pro? That gets turned on and off in just the same fashion but there's a main power switch on the unit to make it even inaccessible to the remote. I take it that it would be operating in the same fashion?

 

[Kevin. W]

If you look at the answers in this thread you can see the degree of difference in peoples minds. Some its about $$$, some pollution, some both, some just don't think it matters. Here's a little bigger prespective on the situation:

Using Chi Gai calculations your looking at $8.81/mth or $105.72/yr

Pollution from a idleing amp

The quotes below were taken from the link dealing with a 100watt light bulb 24/7.


So for 100watt light bulb(24/7) we need 714 pounds of coal for the year(1428 pounds for 200watts of idling amp(24/7)). From that 1428 pounds of coal needed to idle the amp we would produce 10 pounds Sulfur dioxide, 10.2 pounds Nitrogen Oxides, and 3704 pounds CO2. Now thats just from one person leaving their amp on. Sorry to put a damper on this thread

Kevin

 

[Robert Barker]

Take a look at this switch from Sears. I used it because my Acurus Amps do not have a 12v trigger. You can find it
here

Cheap solution that works great.

Robert Barker

 

[Philip Hamm]

Robert, how does that device work? I don't understand it. I would like a 12v triggered power strip to hook to the back of my 950, that could switch on a couple devices. I'm not sure if the Sherwood amp turns "on" by default when it is switched on. I think it comes into "standby" mode and you have to push the "on" button.

THe old circa 1983 reciever is only 30WPC RMS so I don't think it's a problem, but I'm concerned about the Sherwood 5 channel amp and the Crown (Chu - it's a mystery how well it works - we'll see, it may get replaced).

 

[Marty Neudel]

>The stand by mode in an amp is just another on/off switch. Its just a clever term they use. There is no current in or out when an amp is in stand by.<

Gosh! To think that my Mac MC-206 is able to keep the standby light on, while the unit is actually off. Maybe next year's model will be upgraded to power the speakers without drawing any current.

- Marty

 

[EdNichols]

You could always get a "Clapper"!! Clap on.... clap off!!

 

[alan halvorson]

My old Krell KSA-200 stereo amp drew 15 amps continuous - I'm afraid to use Chu's calculation to find out how much I was paying to run it. There would have been some savings in the winter, though, as most of that current was converted to heat, and it's damn cold out right now.

 

[Michael R Price]

"My old Krell KSA-200 stereo amp drew 15 amps continuous..."

Maybe from its power rails but, I sincerely hope, not from the wall socket.

 

[Greg*go]

Philip, I think that Craftsman thing is like a powered switch. If there isn't a current to the top outlet, then it shuts off the power to the other 2 outlets. Yes it's cheap, but most amps have that built into them.

 

[alan halvorson]

From the wall socket! Ain't Class A grand!

 

[Michael R Price]

Wow, Alan, do you have any information about that amplifier? (In addition to being quite doubtful about its power consumption, I'm curious to learn more about it. )

 

[Mike_Skeway]

Tubes are not a big deal to change but depending on the tubes they can be expensive.

 

[TimMc]

15 amps? Gulp!!!

(just the sound of me swallowing the electic bill ;-)

Here's where my ignorance/naivete kicks in. With that many electrons running to and fro, did your speakers ever complain much and/or are the ears still functioning? I'm sure that whatever the speaker/amp combo it was a wunderful match, but in our home I'd have a tough time explaining to my much better half why the lights kept dimming during the crescendos...

 

[alan halvorson]

I have the specs, if I could just find them in my disorganized state. I'm not even certain of the model number. It was the first heat-sink cooled 200 watt/channel stereo amp Krell made after their original fan-cooled models. Weighed 120 lbs.! The heat sinks stuck way out the sides - it was pretty disconcerting hearing the noises they made as they warmed/cooled after turn-on and -off. No room heating was needed when this thing was on. I do recall the 15 amp constant draw spec. Kinda scary, especially since the old house I lived in at the time only had a 60-amp service.

Tim: No such problems! Turn-on was very mild - no thumps, no light dimming. Krell was the best I've ever owned in this regard. I previously owned a Mark Levinson ML-3, another 120 lb. behemoth, which did cause light dimming on turn-on. As far as cresendos go, you must understand the nature of class A. Class A amplifiers run at maximum draw all the time. At idle, all that current goes straight to the heat sinks. On load, however, part of that current is directed to the load and correspondingly less to the heat sinks. Meaning, the harder a class A amp is driven, the cooler it runs! Just the opposite of all other amplifier types.

This amp could be factory configured as a mono amp. In this configuration, it was sold as the KMA 400. I was aware of people that ran them this way - hope their electrical system was up to snuff.

I believe current Krell models are not quite so current-hungry, but they are also less class A.

 

[Eric Eash]

i'm just glad that you guys pay for my power bill. honey, let's turn on all the lights! J/K, i pay taxes too.

eric

 

[TimMc]

Thanks, Alan. Right from Day-1 I'd been told that I "really didn't want to ever look at class-A amps due the the massive inefficiency". I don't know if I'd ever say that description matches reality but I do understand where that sentiment came from.

And I know I misspoke on the crescendos part (yeah, I eventually did peek a tiny bit into what class-A meant) but I'm glad to hear that the power-on was not a light-dimming event.

What I was really wondering about on the crescendos is when all that power gets routed down the wires to the speakers - I'd imagine that is still more electrons than most drivers ever expect. And I had this silly mental image of speaker wires strung along miniature power transmission towers like high-tension wires...

 

[Philip Hamm]

Hey does anyone have any experience with the Russound ACT-1 product? It's a 12v triggered outlet.

User manual here

I think I may try it if my Crown DC300A works for my IB sub. I can switch that and my external DD decoder.

Unfortunately it won't power up my Sherwood Newcastle AM9080, that will only work with the proprietary on/off system. If you unplug it and plug it in it comes up in standby mode. That really pisses me off by the way, why use a proprietary on/off trigger when the industry standard had been a 12v trigger for years? What's the point of reinventing the wheel? I really don't want to leave my amp on all the time, it is so wasteful. But I'm not going to tell my wife that she has to walk into the storage room in the basement every time she wants to watch a movie in our movie room. And I don't want to change out amps either. Oh, well. That's the price I pay I guess. I did ge this amp for an incredibly low price as a closeout item and Sherwood's customer service has been exemplary.

 

[Phil A]

Another possibility?? - http://www.audioweb.com/Ad/AdInfo.asp?adid=141818

Link manual - http://www.adcom.com/ownersmanuals.htm

 

[Marc H]

When I started leaving the power amp in my two channel system on all the time it bumped my monthly bill up by $18.00CAD. It's 300 watts per and supposed run in class A to 45 watts (heats the room nicely too).

 

[Philip Hamm]

Phil,

The problem with the 9080 is when you turn it on it automatically comes up in standby mode. A switched outlet will only bring it up in standby. You have to manually hit the "Standby" button to get it to power up.