equipment switched on

Meanwhile someone at Naim might be thinking, humm, maybe part of our customer base would appreciate us considering whole of life energy consumption in our product design.

You need to consider

- sound quality and product appeal to market ( mmmmmmm, ominous black boxes)

- product designed for a long life can mean less waste

- efficient use of materials with the same performance outcome is good

- end of life recycling

- efficient energy use in operation, which may be tiny compared to manufacture, or it may not be.

Maybe some sort of storage of otherwise wasted energy during operation could power up circuits during idle times, or maybe it's not practical.  All these things should be considered because waste is just wasteful. 

I remembers years ago my TagMclaren kit employed HIS (heat induction system) and HERS (heat energy recovery system) technology.

Both systems could not be used simultaneously so to identify which was which they used a small blue dot on the HIS amps and a pink dot on the HERS amps.

HERS was of course much more expensive than HIS.

G

The number XCel used was an "energy index" that combined both electricity (kWh) and nat gas (therms) into one measurement, so your question is not easily answered. I can go dig through a year's worth of old bills, and produce average monthly numbers for both, but no time to so today.

Also, I don't agree with your premise that absolute usage is all that counts. I live in an area of extreme weather, with very hot/humid summers and very cold winters.  My main source of energy usage is keeping our detached home at a livable temperature.  Of course our numbers will look high compared to folks who lives in a more moderate climate, but as this last bill shows, at least we appear to be doing something right compared to our neighbors.

Or maybe it's because we have less square footage, or that's there only two of us living here...who knows.

I suppose the phrase 'lighten up' Is not really welcome on this thread.....G

They once proposed such a toilet for the US market -- one that played the Star Spangled Banner, our national anthem, when the seat was occupied.  The problem was that every time the song played, the user had to stand back up again!

(I'm here all week, ladies and germs . . . )

I suggest this thread is a candidate for moving to the padded cell. It seems to be more about attitudes to energy efficiency and car use than hifi as such.

And toilet etiquette.

I heard this one today and thought of this thread.

Notice in the toilets.

In order to conserve energy motion detectors have been installed.

Well, I thought it was amusing.

This thread is irrelevant in my view. Naim sounds better warmed up, end of story. You think not, then who cares. You are not happy about it, then buy something else.

I think you will find the thrust of the post is concerned with the planet warming up.

G

How about a bit of give and take. If Obama and Putin can do it surely the Switch Police could give it a try.

In the summer. Switch off at night, on next day when you want to listen to something. Comes on song very quickly IMO in warm weather.

In the winter. Leave it permanently switched on. Takes quite a while to come on song IMO in winter, plus you get a little extra background heat.

Switch it on and leave it on - except in exceptional circumstances such as electrical storms, going on a lengthy holiday etc.

Switching on and off regularly will degrade sound quality (and therefore quality of listening experience) as well as shorten the life of the electronics - more so than leaving your system powered up.

Engelbert

Exception summer storms in Brisbane can happen 3 or 4 times a week when Thor is on a binge.

Speak of the devil

Forecast for Saturday

Cloudy with some morning drizzle. A shower or two developing during the day with the chance of a gusty thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening. Moderate NE to NW winds, fresh at times during the afternoon and evening. Fire Danger: High.

UV Alert from 8:40 am to 2:50 pm, UV Index predicted to reach 8 [Very High]

Thanks Briz,

I'll bring my system back inside. Can't risk it getting sunburned. 

Engelbert

This is simple as has been said Naim equipment is designed such that it works best when left powered up. If you don't agree with that philosophy buy something else or listen to it sub-optimal. Or better still don't bother with recorded music at all but go and live in a commune with Swami and George and just strum along

No one need be in any doubt that even with regular use of the power switch my Naim pieces [DAC V1 and NAP 100] still replay well enough for me to be uninterested in alternative electronics ...

Indeed,I do wonder about people who moan so much about the tiny performance difference after turning off.

Some of the old designs were less happy to be regularly turned off than the modern designs, but they were conceived in a different time, when the importance of conserving energy was less considered and mainstream.

ATB from George

I doesn't sound bad cold, it sounds excellent, it just sounds best warmed up for a few days.

I use the F1 car analogy, leaving it plugged in is like the tyre warmers they use to keep the car at optimal performance.

I'll tell you why, George.

For many Naim listeners, the performance decrements from cold electronics are not tiny at all.

Naim systems can sound quite bad when cold.

I get no pleasure from listening to my system when it is cold.

Hence, I power down only when there is a very good reason to do so.

Engelbert

P.S. Also, I want to avoid the risk of prematurely damaging the electronics from regular switching on/off. 

P.P.S. It makes perfect sense to me to stick to the manufacturer's recommendations.

YES!

Dear Tony,

Even our esteemed friend Richard Dane has confessed to not entirely following the Naim advice to leave everything turned on always, so your answer certainly may be qualified.

ATB from George.

Dear Englebert,

the perceived differences - on occasion - of Naim kit, from being freshly turned on, from poor mains quality at different times of day,and so on, are as nothing compared to the state of the listener, tired after work, or somewhat unwell with a cold, and so on.

Once Naim kit has run in after a few weeks in any case, the difference between freshly turned on and having been powered up for days or weeks is absolutely minimal and indeed far less than for example coming in tired from work in its effect on the perceived quality. Indeed I do wonder at people who find this difficult.

All about the sound, which can all but be discounted if you simply want to listen to music.

ATB from George

Dear George,

Actually, I just can't be bothered to turn them off. The only time I turn my system(s) off is when I go on holidays which is not very often.

KR

Tony