Naim and energy conservation

Posted by: Jim Ashton on 24 July 2003

The other day I heard some pundit on the BBC World Service assert that if everyone in the UK could be persuaded to turn their TVs and music systems off overnight, rather than having them on standby, two or three power stations could be closed down (something like that anyway).

When it's put like that, IMHO it makes you think. I'd like to know what, if any, research Naim are doing into electronics that don't need to be powered up continuously for 3 weeks to perform optimally.

I presume it's not just a matter of keeping components within a certain temperature range - rather that there must actually be current flow through resistors, PDs across capacitors etc. to produce the familiar warm-up effect. Anybody out there understand the physics of this stuff well enough to explain it in simple terms?

Are we stuck with this and in an increasingly energy-scarce world can we forsee a future in which audiophiles are going to be guilt-tripped into switching off by hordes of finger-wavers?

Opinions please.

Yowza
Jim
Posted on: 25 July 2003 by JohanR
Some notes on this:

- Here in Sweden everyone has central heating. For 2/3 of the year one needs to heat the house for it to be liveable (yes, I know some of you English gents disaprove of this). There is no difference if this heat comes from the radiator or some HiFi amps!

- TV sets often have the power switch (the big one in the front of the telly) AFTER the power supply. This is to supply power to the station memory and the like (and probably also saves 50 p / 50 cents for the manufacturer on the switch as such). Just turning the power switch of does not have the effect intended when it comes to save power. One needs to unplug it from the wall!

- Because of heavy thunderstorms the last week or so I kept my system of and unplugged from the mains socket. When I powered it up the last night it sounded marvelous! Maybe this cold sound s**te talk is a bit exagerated.

- Keeping the electronics on increases the life of the electrolytic capacitors. This has been seconded to me by engineers at the Rifa capacitor factory here in Sweden.

I have voted for the environmental party the last couple of elections!

JohanR
Posted on: 25 July 2003 by Dev B
quote:
Originally posted by JohanR:

I have voted for the environmental party the last couple of elections!

JohanR


So have I (but more as a protest vote)
Posted on: 25 July 2003 by JohanR
quote:
So have I (but more as a protest vote)


In the last campain the environmentalists had the following slogan:

"Left? Right? Why not forward?"

I think the traditional parties with their Left/Right thinking lives in a 19:th century world long gone. The environmentalist party, far from perfect or sharing all my views, at least is for our century.

Starting to get of topic here / JohanR