Does heat equal waste of power?
halo71
Posts: 4,629
This may, and probably is, a dumb question. But is it true that when a component gets really hot that its not using power effeciently? Now I am talking solid state. I noticed last night that my DD processor was extremely hot while my Onkyo M504 was nothing more than a little warm.
--Gary--
Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
Post edited by halo71 on
Comments
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Yes, When a component (especally amps) get warm or hot it is wasting power. That is where D class or ICE amps run cool and release most of, if not all their power through the out-puts and not their heat sinks. That is not to say that those units are better sounding or performing because there are some tube and class A units that can and do shine they just work differantly.
Dave -
Not sure about DD processors, but often times its a good thing on amps. If they run hot, many times it's because they are drawing and holding more current, to deliver better power and dynamics. But, there is many different designs out there.
There was a recent thread on this about amps, somewhere.
Some of the EE's on here can comment better......... ><////(*> -
Yes Heat = Inefficiency
However the best (from a distortion point of view) "Class A" amplifier designs are usually space heaters....not bad in the winter though.SDA SRS 1.2
Adcom GFA-5802
Adcom GFP-750
Sony DVP-NS999ES -
There's a lot of designs to get ya from point "A" to point "B" and all sound different.
Waste or inefficient? Maybe but all things considered it's just the Nature of the Beast.
I'll take heat output in some of my units over lousy sound in some of my cooler ones.
I have great sound hot running gear and great sounding cool running gear.
I don't break down my electric bill so much as to worry about the differences. I'm sure my 60 year old Baldwin organ amps are watt eaters but they also spit out some killer wattage of their own. I don't care if they're not effecient or hot.
I lived in Cali for a long time. I'm thinking Cali should be smacked on the wrist for some of the "masterminding" going out on the coast.
See, that good stuff from the '60s is taking it's toll now. It was just a matter of time. LOL -
any first year engineering student becomes immediately aware of this heat wasted energy problem, find a way to harness it and become a millionaire, good luck as I recall my first electronic's was well over 35 years ago and its still a problem. I will say the Rabbit Hole needs no furnace heat in the winter and it can dip below freezing occasionally here so I guess its a bit of solution.
class A amps run hot, they also are noted for their sweet sound.
Doro has something called the BBQ amplifier........
RT1 -
If your amp ain't hot, it ain't worth squat.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
If your amp ain't hot, it ain't worth squat.
Good thing opinions are like bung holes.
"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche -
I'm sure Ted and Jesse have some serious hand warmers.
Speakers
Carver Amazing Fronts
CS400i Center
RT800i's Rears
Sub Paradigm Servo 15
Electronics
Conrad Johnson PV-5 pre-amp
Parasound Halo A23
Pioneer 84TXSi AVR
Pioneer 79Avi DVD
Sony CX400 CD changer
Panasonic 42-PX60U Plasma
WMC Win7 32bit HD DVR -
ice is for igloos.
RT1 -
disneyjoe7 wrote: »I'm sure Ted and Jesse have some serious hand warmers.
well, there was that date I once had with the O'Reily twins.
RT1 -
Thats certainly the case with amplifiers ie.Some Class D amps have efficiency ratings in the 90%+ while Class A operation is usually in the 20-25 % range.So while a Class D amp can deliver 90% of the power it draws from the wall into the load, over 70% of the power drawn by a Class A amp is lost in heat due to the very high bias current used in their output stages.Class A/B efficencies run in the 40-50% range.But is it true that when a component gets really hot that its not using power effeciently? -
Not sure about DD processors, but often times its a good thing on amps. ....
+1
While amps are most often the biggest heat generator, due to the fact that they are creating power. Or more correctly converting power, many times in large quantities:D. As many have pointed out it has a lot to do with design, and how well the heat is dissipated versus how much it produces. Are you asking if it is normal for a processor to run hot? What type of processor are you talking about? Was it always running hot? Typically I would say no it's not normal/good. But one mans hot is another mans warm. Processors can/will generate heat as they consume electricity, that's why PC's use fans, heat sinks, and heat sink thermal paste. But if your processor had a good design to handle this and was not running hot before you may want to investigate a little more. -
Unfortunately, it's hard to impossible to beat Class A operation (power amplier devices always biased "on") for sound quality... but one pays a considerable price in efficiency (the output devices are dissipating more or less full power all the time).
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mhardy6647 wrote: »Unfortunately, it's hard to impossible to beat Class A operation (power amplier devices always biased "on") for sound quality...
Yep, IMO also
H9"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Puritan Audio PSM136 Pwr Condtioner & Classic PC's | Legend L600 | Roon Nucleus 1 w/LPS - Tubes add soul! -
... although I must admit my current daily driver is Class AB (and a rather modest little amplifier at that). It gets plenty hot, though...
