Power Consumption of Classe Gear

[kloepfr]

Hello,

I am new in this forum and also quite new as a classe and B&W owner...and very proud:-))

The only thing which wonders me is the standby (blue light status) power consumption of my gear: almost 100 Watts !! Means 900kWh/year....

Is there any power saving experience here like
- plugging of the gear the day over and bringing it scheduled to standby mode (to warm up) 2 hours before "show time" in the evening?

Thanks:-))

[joetama]

120 volts at 100 watts is .83 Amps.

That seems a bit high.

I don't think it would be too harmful to unplug it and and plug it back in before use. But, I could be wrong...

[ChrisssB]

You must not forget to turn off your preamp (after you've put it in standby, using the switch at the back) before you unplug them.

[joetama]

You must not forget to turn off your preamp (after you've put it in standby, using the switch at the back) before you unplug them.

Indeed... Forgot about the switch.

Just out of curiosity I tested my system with everything in stand by and my RSP-1098, Pioneer Pro-940 HD and Cable Box pull just under and amp in stand by. Turn off the Cable box and it goes down to just below .5 amps...

[cug]

The only thing which wonders me is the standby (blue light status) power consumption of my gear: almost 100 Watts !! Means 900kWh/year....

What does the "blue light status" actually mean? Off? Standby? Is there an "off" switch? Or is it using that all the time?

cug, curious

[RebelMan]

What does the "blue light status" actually mean? Off? Standby? Is there an "off" switch? Or is it using that all the time?

cug, curious

STANDBY mode (blue light "on") puts the amplifier modules in a powered off state, which means the input signals will not be amplified. However, the amplifier is not completely off, but the amount of power drawn in STANDBY mode is negligible. When the amplifier is taken out of STANDBY mode (blue light "off") the amplifier modules power up to a ready state condition for driving a load (speakers). This ready state, or idle mode, will consume a considerable portion of power which I believe is what you are really referring too. To avoid unnecessary consumption of power (electricity) when you are not using the amplifiers put them in STANDBY mode.

There is no physical off switch, just the power cord.

[cug]

To avoid unnecessary consumption of power (electricity) when you are not using the amplifiers put them in STANDBY mode.

There is no physical off switch, just the power cord.

Hmmm. Avoiding unnecessary power consumption and seeing 100W drawn? That's not what I call "energy saving". You can light a whole house pretty bright with that with some energy saving bulbs!

A "standby" mode should draw under 1W in modern equipment! Better even have a real power switch. That's one reason I like my Rotel equipment: you can turn it off. I never use the standby. That's REALLY ugly downside there.

Can you safely use a switching power bar and switch that off while you're not using the stuff or will it loose settings over the time?

[RebelMan]

I don't think you understand the difference between STANDBY and idle, they are NOT the samething. STANDBY does NOT consume 100W, but idle can on some (Delta Series) amplifiers. Idle occurs when the amplifier is taken OUT of STANDBY.

[ChrisssB]

Exactly! Idle means that the amp is ON, ex. idle is when your system is on and you are changing a cd..

[kloepfr]

I don't think you understand the difference between STANDBY and idle, they are NOT the samething. STANDBY does NOT consume 100W, but idle can on some (Delta Series) amplifiers. Idle occurs when the amplifier is taken OUT of STANDBY.

I do well understand the difference; that's the reason why I ask. I have installed a half hourly meter in my appartement and the meter gives me the instant power signal every 3 seconds to my PC, so I can also see very well the ramp ups of some devices...but that was not the question:

Sure: Standby is in every Classe gear the mode, where the blue light burns; so the CA 5200 is not idle but off, the CDP 502 don't want any CD/DVD, the SSP300 as well in sleep mode....

??

[kloepfr]

120 volts at 100 watts is .83 Amps.

That seems a bit high.

I don't think it would be too harmful to unplug it and and plug it back in before use. But, I could be wrong...

I now just measured every component in Standby:

CA 5200 AMP: 8 Watt
CDP 502: 32 Watt
SSP 300: 35 Watt

I forgot the Subwoofer, which is always in Idle mode and there is no standby:
ASW 825: 30 Watt

So without Subwoofer it is still 85 Watt and that's not coming from the Amps....

so must excellent sound quality need such standby power all the time??

[ChrisssB]

Nope! You can unplug everything when you finish your listening session, no harm will happen to your equip if you 1st put them on standby.
I do this, and as I've found, when I turn them on, they only need 20-30 mins to sound @ their best.

[cug]

I don't think you understand the difference between STANDBY and idle, they are NOT the samething. STANDBY does NOT consume 100W, but idle can on some (Delta Series) amplifiers. Idle occurs when the amplifier is taken OUT of STANDBY.

I absolutely know the difference between standby and idle - but some manufacturers use them quite liberally.

And the original poster here wrote about "standby power consumption".

[cug]

I now just measured every component in Standby:

CA 5200 AMP: 8 Watt
CDP 502: 32 Watt
SSP 300: 35 Watt

I forgot the Subwoofer, which is always in Idle mode and there is no standby:
ASW 825: 30 Watt

So without Subwoofer it is still 85 Watt and that's not coming from the Amps....

so must excellent sound quality need such standby power all the time??

Wow. That's crap. How can a company these times bring something to market that does such incredible waste of energy in standby (if that standby is what I understand from a standby - mainly off, waiting for a "wake up" signal, not doing ANYTHING else but waiting).

I'm a bit reluctant of buying things like that and supporting a company that just doesn't care about the environment at all. Sound aside - this is a different matter and I don't want to support that. Therefore my question about the switchable power bar

[RebelMan]

I now just measured every component in Standby:

CA 5200 AMP: 8 Watt
CDP 502: 32 Watt
SSP 300: 35 Watt

I forgot the Subwoofer, which is always in Idle mode and there is no standby:
ASW 825: 30 Watt

So without Subwoofer it is still 85 Watt and that's not coming from the Amps....

so must excellent sound quality need such standby power all the time??

You do not have the CDP and SSP in STANDBY if you are seeing a 32-35 watt draw each. (Your figures sum up to 75 watts, no?) Still I think you should re-measure the power coming from the front-end equipment, after you put them into STANDBY.

[RebelMan]

cug, I think you are reading WAY too much into this.

[cug]

cug, I think you are reading WAY too much into this.

Maybe, maybe not. I'd really like to see actual standby measurements. I like the Classe stuff but I'd never buy anything of it if that is really the standby consumption.

As I said: *if* this is true, I cannot support it. No way. Same as I cannot support any idiot buying monster trucks to bring their kids to school. And I live in Alberta where that is not only common but seems to become a "community requirement" ... :-(

[RebelMan]

Something is amiss in those readings, it's not true.

[cug]

Something is amiss in those readings, it's not true.

Any official numbers on that? I tried to find something on the net, but there is no information about it.

[RebelMan]

Any official numbers on that?

Kill A Watt

[Ian D]

These figures are rather worrying Especially out here in South Africa where we are all expected to economise our usage due to under capacity in Generating capacity
Perhaps you could ask your contacts at Classe Rebel man for their comments my particular interest is in the SSP 300

Cheers Ian

[cug]

Kill A Watt

Doesn't really help me - if somebody has that, it would be nice if they could measure their equipment. I'm still evaluating what to get on the long run. After the price raise, if that affects Canada too - forget about my question, than the stuff is just out of my budget. It is very much just beyond the edge at the moment, but I might be able to handle that - but after the raise, sorry the gain I get is not enough to justify even more money.

[RebelMan]

Perhaps you could ask your contacts at Classe Rebel man for their comments my particular interest is in the SSP 300

I'll see what I can procure for the entire range.

[cug]

I'll see what I can procure for the entire range.

Many thanks.

[RebelMan]

I just put in the call. I was advised some information gathering needs to be performed. Should hear something soon thereafter. Speaking on behalf of Classe' thanks for your interest cug, and others. If it's important to you then it's importat to Classe'! ( Me too of course. )

[joetama]

Kill A Watt

I have used those before to measure power consumption on various testing equipment...

But, this is the thing that really caught my eye...

Power Strip!

[kloepfr]

You do not have the CDP and SSP in STANDBY if you are seeing a 32-35 watt draw each. (Your figures sum up to 75 watts, no?) Still I think you should re-measure the power coming from the front-end equipment, after you put them into STANDBY.

Yes, sorry. I couldn't sum up. It must be 75 Watts.

But as I sad: I am working for a utility and have a online load shape meter installed where I can see every ramp in the consumption.

When I plug off the whole gear and reconnect them after a minute or so back to standby the consumption is just 20 Watts at the beginning and then raising within 5-8 minutes to the 75 Watts and staying there.
Also after "show time" like five minutes ago the consumption goes down from a few hundred watts to the mentioned 75 watts. After roughly 50 meter cycles stable values.

But it was important for me that I can unplug the gear after "show time" and reconnect it when needed:-))

[joetama]

Yes, sorry. I couldn't sum up. It must be 75 Watts.

But as I sad: I am working for a utility and have a online load shape meter installed where I can see every ramp in the consumption.

When I plug off the whole gear and reconnect them after a minute or so back to standby the consumption is just 20 Watts at the beginning and then raising within 5-8 minutes to the 75 Watts and staying there.
Also after "show time" like five minutes ago the consumption goes down from a few hundred watts to the mentioned 75 watts. After roughly 50 meter cycles stable values.

But it was important for me that I can unplug the gear after "show time" and reconnect it when needed:-))

DO you run a power conditioner?

Since reading this thread and realizing that my stupid cable box pulls more than 1 Amp (because it never shuts off, boo Scientific Atlanta & TWC), I have been using the power switch on my APC Power Conditioner.

The only down side is I can't record my favorite shows... :cry:

[kloepfr]

DO you run a power conditioner?

Since reading this thread and realizing that my stupid cable box pulls more than 1 Amp (because it never shuts off, boo Scientific Atlanta & TWC), I have been using the power switch on my APC Power Conditioner.

The only down side is I can't record my favorite shows... :cry:

No, I don't run a power conditioner. Just for the PC equipment in my office yes but not in the home cinema.-)

I just printed a pdf of the quarter hourly meter loadshape of my home cinema. You can see the power consumption in show time mode which was today quite low because no real work for sourround and subwoofer...because we watched an old german Edgar Wallace Thriller:-)) But nevertheless a few hundred watts....

The positive side is: The room gets never really cold:-)) And the gear doesn't get dust into it because the warm air from inside is pushing outside:-))

[Birdy]

Guys,

When everything is in standby I have temperature readings about 33°C for 202, 34 for 700 and 26 for 2200; which is not my average living temperature.... :roll: :roll: .

When I pull the plug for several days everything is at room temperature.

In working conditions the same temperatures are around 38,40,36.

So, definitively, in standby "something" is warming up.... :E . and not only the blue led.... :lol:
Does this something justify the 75W I dunno.... 8O 8O 8O

Anyway, unless I know I will not use the system for several days I decided to leave the CP700 always on.
Might be psychological but I have the impression that if I start from standby it takes several hours before I reach what I believe is my optimum sound.

Birdy

[RebelMan]

Guys,

When everything is in standby I have temperature readings about 33°C for 202, 34 for 700 and 26 for 2200; which is not my average living temperature.... :roll: :roll: .

When I pull the plug for several days everything is at room temperature.

In working conditions the same temperatures are around 38,40,36.

So, definitively, in standby "something" is warming up.... :E . and not only the blue led.... :lol:
Does this something justify the 75W I dunno.... 8O 8O 8O

Anyway, unless I know I will not use the system for several days I decided to leave the CP700 always on.
Might be psychological but I have the impression that if I start from standby it takes several hours before I reach what I believe is my optimum sound.

Birdy

How are you getting those numbers when the components are in STANDBY?

[Glen B]

So, definitively, in standby "something" is warming up.... :E . and not only the blue led.... :lol:
Does this something justify the 75W I dunno.... 8O 8O 8O

The heat is likely coming from voltage regulators and other heatsinked internal devices that are energized all the time. Of the various brand and model components I have owned over the years that remain powered all the time and are only muted at the output or put into standby when not being used, I haven't come across any that draw anything like the figures mentioned here. The wattages quoted in this thread are akin to what you would find being drawn by amplifiers fully powered up and sitting at idle. All very strange......:huh:

[Birdy]

How are you getting those numbers when the components are in STANDBY?

2 units in standby, 1 not, reading via canbus.... :T :T

[RebelMan]

2 units in standby, 1 not, reading via canbus.... :T :T

Thermal conditions can not be correlated to power consumption in a domestic environment.

[RebelMan]

I haven't come across any that draw anything like the figures mentioned here. The wattages quoted in this thread are akin to what you would find being drawn by amplifiers fully powered up and sitting at idle. All very strange......:huh:

My thoughts exactly. That's why I have asked Classe' to help us get to the bottom of this.

[kloepfr]

My thoughts exactly. That's why I have asked Classe' to help us get to the bottom of this.

Have you metered your classe gear recently? And checked the temperature?

[kloepfr]

Guys,

When everything is in standby I have temperature readings about 33°C for 202, 34 for 700 and 26 for 2200; which is not my average living temperature.... :roll: :roll: .

When I pull the plug for several days everything is at room temperature.

In working conditions the same temperatures are around 38,40,36.

So, definitively, in standby "something" is warming up.... :E . and not only the blue led.... :lol:
Does this something justify the 75W I dunno.... 8O 8O 8O

Anyway, unless I know I will not use the system for several days I decided to leave the CP700 always on.
Might be psychological but I have the impression that if I start from standby it takes several hours before I reach what I believe is my optimum sound.

Birdy

The SSP 300 and the CDP 502 have even more than that; almost over 40 degrees (read by CAN-Bus)...but they stand in a closed cupboard if not in use...

[Ian D]

Thermal conditions can not be correlated to power consumption in a domestic environment.

Just this morning, after more than 24hrs in Stand by mode, blue light on, my SSP 300 was warm to Hot to the touch. Very suprised indeed, I dont normally get touchy feely with my Hi Fi :roll:
Incidently my Lexicon LX5 power amp was at ambient room temperature in stand by, red light on
So I'll be glad if this heat from the SSP 300 is not related to power consumption, but I'm getting worried..........
Thanks for asking Classe for the info RebelMan and while I'm at it, and completely off topic Thanks for all the great info on the SSP800 in the other threads RebelMan you are really appreciated this side of the world Great work :lol:

Cheers Ian

[RebelMan]

My SSP-300 is located on a well ventilated shelf and has been in STANDBY mode for at least a day. I examined the top and sides and do detect some slight variations in surface temperature mostly originating from the left side and through the top breath holes. I detect nothing anywhere close to what I would consider warm to the touch and certainly nothing hot. I would be concerned too if my SSP was still hot to the touch after 24hours of cool down time. Is your SSP in a well ventilated location?

It may be a few days before I get word on this topic from Classe' but rest assured they are working on it.

By the way, thanks for the nice remarks. I am eager to learn as much information about the SSP-800 that I can and am happy to share it with others that may appreciate it. Classe's passion for the pursuit and enjoyment of audio excellence is infectious.

[Ian D]

My SSP 300 is on an open shelf stand with plenty of room around it.
I put a thermometer over the top breath vents on top of the SSP and it measured 34c/ 93f ambient room was 26c/ 78f.
SSP had been in stand by mode for at least 6 hrs so it should have cooled down.
I concur that the heat is area specific and maybe my "warm to Hot" was a bit OTT.
But I still feel that an increase of 8c over ambient is cause for concern when in STANDBY.
I will be very interested in any figures Classe come up withand will be watching this thread with interest next week.....

Cheers Ian

[Ian D]

Hi RebelMan,
I updated my Avatar you should now be able to see where my SSP 300 sits

Cheers Ian

[RebelMan]

Hey Ian,

I looked at your Avatar before but didn't see the SSP so the update does help. What Class amplifier are you using A/AB/D? Do you keep it on? Is it sitting underneath the SSP? I wonder if maybe some of the heat is comming from below. My CA-M400's through off some heat even at idle but the shelf my SSP-300 is sitting on is about 5 feet above and insulated.

[Ian D]

Hi RebelMan,
My power amp is a Lexicon LX5 (couldn't afford the Classe )and is trigered by the SSP so when the SSP is in standby so is the LX5.
As stated previously the power amp is cold to the touch when in standby and sits on the bottom shelf
The next shelf up has a PVR Sat box this does get warm but not warm enough to pass through 32mm of wood to the SSP on the shelf above and feeling around the SSP shelf indicates no warm air rising around the SSP.
I'm convinced the heat is coming from the SSP itself.

Cheers Ian

[RebelMan]

The official STANDBY power consumption rates of the Delta Series, rounded to the nearest watt, are as follows:

• CA-2100, CA-5100, CA-2200, CA-3200, CA-5200 and CAM-400: 4w
• CP-500 and CAP-2100: 13w
• CDP-102 and CDP-202: 16w
• CDP-300, CDP-502, CP-700 and SSP-300: 26w
• SSP-600: 29w
• SSP-800: tbd

The STANDBY mode was a deliberate design to facilitate the rapid operation of the unit. The amount of power consumed in this mode is determined by the complexity of control circuitry needed to support the performance feature. The amplifiers only need their front panel and auxiliary power supply to be engaged whereas the touchscreen units need more circuitry to ensure an acceptable start up time.

Classe' is keenly aware of the need to reduce power consumption. Historically Classe' has chosen to remain silent on the subject as it relates to audio performance. The great debate whether to leave equipment continuously powered still rages on but Classe's position now is that you should not simply because it wastes energy. Classe’ is heavily investing its resources into the research of more efficient alternatives. Until the fruits of their labors fully materialize Classe’ suggests in cases where the current level of STANDBY power consumption is unacceptable, that the units be powered up and down using the mains power switch or by disconnecting the AC line cord.

[Ian D]

WOW!
I'm going to have to re organise the supply side of my system, to leave the SSP 300 powered up for 24/7 is just not acceptable. Now I know where the heats coming from.
Thanks for the info RebelMan
Cheers Ian