Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Electricity Usage

Has anyone ever done the maths to convert the amount of power used by, e.g., DSPs over, say, a month or a quarter, into actual electric units used in KW/h?

Out of curiosity, I'm trying to gauge how significant it is energy/cost-wise moving to a 5.1 setup, compared to just a stereo setup (in my case 3x DSP5000, 2x DSP3100, 1xSW1600).

If anyone has done this, and can give me the way to work it out, I'd be grateful!

In case anyone is interested, I found some figures for power consumption on the Wiki and used an online W to KW/h cost calculator, came up with the following -

Approx cost (assuming electricity is £0.15 per kw/h, for 20 hrs/day idle, 4 hrs/day playing at reasonable but nowhere near max volume. I did have to guesstimate 'playing' rather than idle wattage in some cases as figures weren't available).

1 x DSP5000 = £1.53/month

Pair = £3.06/month
Trio = £4.59/month

1 x DSP3100 = £1.08/month

Pair = £2.16/month

1 x SW1600 = £0.76/month

861v4 = £3.33/month

Oppo BDP-105 = £1.04/month

HD621 = £0.50/month

Stereo + Processor + Sub = £8.69/month

Full 5.1 = £12.38/month

= £3.69/month difference

Not bad at all. Much less than I was expecting in fact. Only thought is that the 861v4 is a beast in terms of idle power consumption vs a DSP, given that a DSP houses 3x power amps, dacs, etc. each!

If it helps, my DSP7200SEs in standby use around 10W each (compared to 20W in the specs). The 818v3 around 18W. From memory the DSP's doubled in power consumption when idling, I don't recall any difference with the 818.

I think our electricity costs 20p a unit - must get around to changing supplier!

Nice, I wonder what my DSP33's will use.
Since they cannot/wont go into standby mode since their last firmware.

Have you thought about using a standby saver product and eliminate all that idle usage? Saves money, saves CO2 and saves those resistors from burning out in the 5Ks.

I would be interested in hearing if you (or anyone else) have any recommendations for standby savers.

Yes it seems they don’t use as much as the specs in actual use, which is good!

It’s also interesting that a user measured their Hypex NC400 amp and it was using 23W idle. That was with the single, not dual mono PSU. So much for the “super efficiency” of Class D/switching power supplies compared to the figures for DSPs above with 3 or 4 amps/DACs, and other circuitry each.

If you mean one of those timer things which acts as a switch for the whole mains supply to the system then no.

I’m a big advocate of removing as many switches as possible from the mains and anywhere else possible and also an advocate of preserving equipment lifespan by not constantly switching on and off.

Out of curiosity, though, if there were a sufficiently beefy switch (I guess like a high amo breaker - MCB or the like) which had ‘soft start/shutdown’ maybe I’d consider it. Bit dubious though if I’m honest.

Interesting. I've seen many reports of 5Ks burning through their resistors by being on all the time (although the real problem is of course the resistors weren't rated correctly at the point of design).
My system must have power cycled thousands of times and it hasn't failed. I'd argue damage due to on/off cycling is a myth.

Standby Savers - I've been through a few models. Most seem to suffer from stuck relays going from on to off but the one that suffers from this the least is the single socket infrared version:

SINGLE - ECOTEK STANDBY TV ETC ENERGY ELECTRIC MONEY POWER SAVER COMPACT SOCKET

Integrates well with any existing remote control, will learn any code you fire at it, a doddle to add to any macro remote / harmony etc.

They are an absolute bargain on eBay. I have two and they do occasionally get stuck on (the living room one seems better than my AV room one) but a gentle whack with a fist usually fixes it. Interestingly, the 6 socket multi-way version is terrible for stuck-on relays. I tried three and they all suffered the same. I don't recall how bad it was but something like 1 in 4 cycles would be stuck on versus 1 in 50 maybe for the single socket version (I think the living room is maybe 1 in 1000 - it's really rare I find equipment left on and it cycles way more in there than the AV room).

I'm not sure it is a myth. If you claim for a faulty Philips Hue bulb under warranty, about the first two questions they ask are: 1) how many hours usage has it had?; b) how many times has it switched on and off?

Lord knows how they expect you to know the answers the those questions, unless it was a only week old!

I've never had a lightbulb fail other than at switch-on, happens every time. I recall my physics teacher mentioning this was due to input surge current.

Regarding the load resistors in 5Ks - yes, absolutely it is the resistor which is the issue here - mine have already been replaced so hopefully no longer a problem.

If the timer devices are that flakey, are they really any good? I'd be interested to see how meaty the relays and associated circuitry are inside one of those. Have you removed it from circuit recently and had a fresh listen? I went right through the mains years ago from the circuit board to the power-block and removed all switches from the power-path. Made a noticeable difference in dynamics and bass response. Years ago, I had a CD player and amp modded and one of the major things was just to remove all the switches, etc. Fuses were replaced with appropriately rated MCBs. This also sounded fuller and more dynamic.

YMMV, but it might be worthwhile experimenting - these kinds of things (replacing switched with non-switched sockets, etc.) are a tiny fraction of the price of a gear upgrade but the results can be surprising.

The topic of using standby vs shutting DSP speakers off via the power switch has come up over the years a few times and I’m still not sure what is the safest alternative to leaving speakers in standby.

Is it safe to use a wall switch like a Belkin Wemo or something similar- (of course it depends on the wattage of the speaker and the wattage rating of the device- I’m more asking about the quick electric jolt to the speaker when turning on the device- is it the equivalent of pulling the plug and replugging it in while the power switch on the speaker is in the on position?)
If these devices are safe - any recommendations for a high quality one?

I use my system only on weekends so I shut off the speakers at the rear for 4-5 days then put them on and leave them in standby for a few days.
It has worked for 4-5 years but—
Again not sure which route is best for longevity.

Any electric knowledgeable people want to chime in or a dealer that has asked M what they recommend?