Power Consumption To Determine Power Supply Capability

 

New member
Username: Geekboy

Post Number: 16
Registered: 12-2003
I was junk sitting here thinking. All of the receivers which clearly overestimate their "watts per channel"... seem to be easily "discovered" by looking at their power consumption with all channels driven.

Consumption (all channels driven)
Sony STRDE995... 265W
Sony STRDA1000ES... 290W
Sony STRDA5000ES... 300W
H/K 525... 1,040W
H/K 630... 1,000W (940W)
Pioneer Elite 43TX... 600W
Pioneer Elite 49TX... 710W
NAD 762... (can't find it)
NAD 752... (can't find it)
NAD 742... (can't find it)
Marantz SR7300... 480W (6ch mode 1/8 rated)
Marantz SR6300... 380W (stereo mode rated)
Yamaha RXV-1400... (can't find any info)

The NADs are probably up there with H/K, but, the real question... are there any receivers... truly in the same power supply range as H/K? The high-end Elites seem to be... Maybe even the high end Yamahas.
 

New member
Username: Billdashill

Post Number: 5
Registered: 12-2003
Power in dosen't equal power out. But, on the same page as I think you are, HK does seem to be a power consumption pig.
 

TJ
Unregistered guest
e-mail NAD.
 

New member
Username: Paul_t

Post Number: 19
Registered: 12-2003
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Hollow/3401/ratevsac.htm
 

New member
Username: Geekboy

Post Number: 17
Registered: 12-2003
Paul, I've seen that running list. It doesn't show "power consumption" with all channels driven, just power per channel (before the receiver clipped or went >1.0%THD)... you could summize it by multiplying the channels by the "result" power and adding some overhead for internals... but that's not 100% accurate.

I was trying to find a correlation only. If you looked at the manufacturer's info on "power consumption" in watts... not their "110W x 7" surround sound receiver claims... could you find the "real" good power supplies with little work.

Example, I owned the STRDE995B -- for about a day -- and it claimed 110W x 7. If I looked at the "power consumption" rate, which is 265watts, I should have easily seen that it couldn't do that 110watts with all channels driven at rated power.

For example, the B&K 507 is 150W x 7 into 8ohms. Its power consumption is rated at 1200W max (10A x 120V... P=V*A). That baby draws 10A by itself! (Remind me to get it on its own circuit breaker!) That 150W x 7 for all channels driven, it's easy to see that 1,050W is below the power consumption of the power supply. That's what I was trying to get at.

Another example... but an amplifier, not reciever. The Parasound HCA-1000A (stereo amplifer with 200W into 8ohms)... power consumption: 500W.

My question is really, can't you just look at the "power consumption" rating -- if the manufacturer cares to show it -- and do a "quick" see if the receiver can REALLY deliver at rated power across all channels?

Are the better receivers/amplifiers going to have a higher power consumption (in watts or amps x voltage) than their weeker cousins? I mean, they have to draw power, right? The whimpy amps don't need the power, so they won't draw it in.

Sure the HIGH CURRENT power supply has to be able to do peak demands (with 45ampere and 60ampere spikes, but that's just transformer design). I'm talking about what its sucking out the wall. If it's drawing only 2amps... hmmm... sound like the Sony STRDE995.

I agree that power in doesn't equal power output, but... if you're drawing 1200watts (like the B&K 507 -- 150W per channel) at rated power... man... it's certainly using most of that. Whereas the Sony STRDE995 (110W per channel) allegedly at rated power... it's only drawing 265watts and it's clipping and not really at 110W, but more like 36watts per channel -- all channels driven. That's only 2.2amperes out the wall.

Now I want to buy a B&K 507. Wow, what a monster! NOW, I know what I want for a present.
 

New member
Username: Heff

Post Number: 20
Registered: 12-2003
Nice posts Gboy! maybe Santa will have a B&K for you? :-)
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