AVR power consumption

felipe
felipe Posts: 423
edited March 2014 in Electronics
Just curious. My AVR states that it uses 360 watts during use. However, I'm not using all the channels..so is it using less power? Does it ever use the 360 watts of power??
My Setup: Denon AVR X3600h, Polk Signature S50 Fronts w/ S30 Center and S15 Rears, LG UBK90 4K Player, TCL 6-Series 65”4k TV

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  • Glen B
    Glen B Posts: 269
    edited March 2014
    The AVR will consume less power at normal listening levels. It will probably approach the stated power consumption only when pushed to its limits in multichannel use.
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,967
    edited March 2014
    felipe wrote: »
    Just curious. My AVR states that it uses 360 watts during use. However, I'm not using all the channels..so is it using less power? Does it ever use the 360 watts of power??

    Hope your not equating power consumption to power output....if that's the purpose of the question.
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  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited March 2014
    tonyb wrote: »
    ....if that's the purpose of the question.

    What is the purpose of your question? And no, the rating on the back is usually the maximum sustained power consumption.
    Jake
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  • cnh
    cnh Posts: 13,284
    edited March 2014
    Tony is right, there is no simple conversion from power input to power output. Many factors intervene. Let me give a simple example from my deep past. One of my first AVRs was a Panasonic class D unit that pulled in 135 watts according to its back panel. Yet, this unit was tested at about 70 watts x 5 in the surround mode or 350 watts at RMS top output. The same is true if you look at Pioneer's ICE amps, their surround rating exceeds the input wattage on the back.
    Among other things there is the question of what kind of storage capacitance the AVR has, it's power supply, and high current capability. Plus what class it is: A, A/B, D, etc. with A being the least efficient, dissipating most of its current in heat.

    In the golden age of receivers, the stereo receivers of the 60s and 70s you could "sometimes" take the input wattage and divide by 4 to give you a rough estimate of what a single channel's max might be. But that didn't always work either.

    The short answer to "does my AVR ever run at maximum wattage" is you better hope it doesn't because it will clip!

    cnh
    Currently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!

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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,967
    edited March 2014
    zingo wrote: »
    What is the purpose of your question?

    Don't believe I asked one...simply a statement.

    Power consumption numbers posted on the back of receivers...or other audio gear means little unless your worried about a few bucks in your monthly electric bill. My statement was more directed at the misguided beliefs some have with power consumption as related to power output....which really have nothing to do with each other.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,447
    edited March 2014
    tonyb wrote: »
    My statement was more directed at the misguided beliefs some have with power consumption as related to power output....which really have nothing to do with each other.

    isn't that the truth...I do not know how many time I've had this argument with people. Some swear that the ???watts on the back is how many watts per channel it has...
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,967
    edited March 2014
    Exactly pal....which is why I made the statement and was hoping the OP wasn't eluding to that. No harm no foul anyway.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,500
    edited March 2014
    If you really want to know, Kill A Watt EZ can be had for ~$25. Claimed accuracy is .2% (point 2, or two tenths percent). It will display watts, amps, you can even code in what you pay for power and get a cost to run display. It has 15A capacity.

    ksa250_amps8hr.jpg
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  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited March 2014
    tonyb wrote: »
    Don't believe I asked one...simply a statement.

    :redface: Sorry, my question was supposed to be directed towards the OP...
    Jake
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  • felipe
    felipe Posts: 423
    edited March 2014
    tonyb wrote: »
    Hope your not equating power consumption to power output....if that's the purpose of the question.

    That wasn't the purpose of the question at all lol. I was just curious about whether or not if it actually used the all rated wattage to operate.
    My Setup: Denon AVR X3600h, Polk Signature S50 Fronts w/ S30 Center and S15 Rears, LG UBK90 4K Player, TCL 6-Series 65”4k TV

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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,447
    edited March 2014
    felipe wrote: »
    That wasn't the purpose of the question at all lol. I was just curious about whether or not if it actually used the all rated wattage to operate.

    See post #9 that is the only why to truly tell.
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  • DracoAmericanus
    DracoAmericanus Posts: 112
    edited March 2014
    yeah the wattage on the back of the amp should be worst case draw from the outlet and as others have stated that happens under very heavy load, generally the avr will have a short life if it's pushed that far for a long amount of time
    There is no cure....
    Luxman M117, SDA SRS 2.3, rear monitor 10, back rear bose 4.2, valodyne sub and 2 Onkyo m-504 amps Onkyo TX-NR709
    8mm, 7.62x39mm
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