I have followed advice on here regarding leaving the SN3 amplifier on standby when not in use to “keep it warm” and ready for use.
However, with pending energy price rises, I have to now look at the accumulation of items around the house that remain on standby. Previously, the cost may have been marginal, it may not be over the next year or two.
So, the big question is - should I now power off my amp after use? I only use it twice a week so if I do explore the power off option, how far in advance should I turn it on to allow it to warm up?
Finally, will this power on/off have any effect on the amplifier internals?
Hello, there are already several comprehensive threads on here about this issue. Maybe worth a search and read up.
ATEOTD its going to be your decision in light if your own views and circumstances.
I measured my SN3 in standby and it uses 12c per 24hrs - thats obviously at my current electricity prices - its not much but does add up. Re issues - I was powering mine down regularly enough for the same reason but it blew an output relay which had to be repaired by Naim under warranty, was it a coincidence or related to powering down or just a dodgy relay I dont know but it is a concern all the same. I currently leave mine on 24/7 but will be under constant review, I’m not convinced there’s an appreciable difference in sq either.
It would be caring these days if Naim could make it easier for people to understand the consumption of their products having them on in standby per hour. They have the data of course and it could be posted in the FAQ section. @Richard.Dane
That’s exactly what I’d like to know, and it’s not simply a question of cost. Power consumption when on standby is probably in the region of 40-45 wh (CDX2 and Supernait + power supplies), and it’s about 4-5% of my total consumption, which is not insignificant in the present context.
(Mind you, the question is purely academic at the moment, as my CDX2 has been without its platter for almost three months now - I’m waiting for news…).
The SN3 does not have a standby mode, in the way that your TV might, or indeed how the Uniti products work. It’s either on or off.
If you want to turn it off, turn it off. You’ll have to see how long it takes to reach full performance, some say minutes, some say hours, some say days.
The switch is on the back for a reason; it’s designed to be left on.
It’s worth seeing what else you can do to save power. There are many things that will save an awful lot more: LED lights, turning down the thermostat, wearing warm clothes, only running the dishwasher when full, only boiling as much as you need in the kettle, washing clothes at 30° or 40°, the list is endless, and turning off your Supernait is very much at the margins.
Amazingly - or not - it’s all their on the website. I’m sure people don’t need spoon feeding and are perfectly capable of looking up their product and doing the sums, though judging by the comments perhaps spoon feeding is needed after all.
I’ve done all that… and if you add all those things “at the margin”, the result is not insignificant.
And I’m not talking about cost - I can easily afford that.
The question didn’t actually ask that. All it asked is whether turning it in or off would affect the amplifier’s internals. I suppose the answer is that it shouldn’t, but it might. We all know that electronic equipment is more likely to fail when switched on, and in the case of Naim they are designed to be left on for long periods, as it says clearly in the manual.
HungryHalibut, in all the posts I’ve seen about power consumption, has been consistent. All things considered, energy saving light bulbs, driving less etc etc, but leaving Naim kit on, is the set on compromises/ethical position that suits them.
Anyone with a Naim integrated has two choices.
Leave it on, do a bit of googling, work out the cost per year of leaving it on - £50 odd quid for HH. I run a XS3, with half the quiescent usage of a SN3, but “The NAIT XS 3 offers much of the performance of our reference quality SUPERNAIT 3 in a simpler, slimmer package combining a 70W power amplifier with five analogue inputs plus a phono stage.” So there Though my kWh costs are greater, for me the cost is acceptable too, and the CO2 burden ok given other lifestyle choices.
Switch it off, save the energy costs, risk a shortened switch life, the £400 cost of a repair occurring sooner, plus the hassle of being without your kit whilst away being repaired.
Noone outside Naim knows the switch duty cycle rating, unless Naim tell us (which I think unlikely), we’d all be guessing.
As for advising the OP, HH gave a quick calculation, and personal opinion on the wisdom of turning off vs leaving on. I’m not sure why people are calling him out for omitting power factor, or not knowing the switch life of a SN3 power switch, without trying to help in other ways.
I know this post is a bit snarky, I’m sorry to those I imply aren’t helping.
Interestingly, I’ve just tried to look up the consumption of my newly acquired XPS, but it’s not on the website as far as I can see, nor can I find it in the manual. So perhaps there is some mileage in the call for greater transparency from Naim.
Let’s say that it’s the same as the SN3. That would make the total £112 per year. We are on a very low tariff because we fixed in it June 2021 until June 2023, and pay £110 per month for all our energy. When that goes up to £350 a month or whatever, the Naim will cost £392 per year on standby. Bloody hell! And think of people with the massive active systems, who will presumably be looking at over £1,000 a year. It’s going to take an awful lot of alternative savings to cover that much, though to those able to afford the massive systems it’s probably just a drop in the ocean.
It’s got little to do with the physical switch, more the stress on components. I wasn’t calling him out re power factor, it’s just that 37va will go over many peoples heads and although close is not technically accurate in terms of actual consumption
Ok, and I’m genuine about saying sorry. From what I saw PF usually meant a lower power value than a higher one (i.e a value less than 1), so the calculated costs should be less than those quoted, is that reasonable do you know?
I suspect this is something that Naim is concerned about: lots of people won’t buy electrical equipment if they’re told to leave it on all the time. if I were to buy a new amp now, this would be a dealbreaker. Do new generation Unitis have to be left on all the time?
I leave my Supernait 2/CDX2 on 24/24, but it does disturb me a bit - I wouldn’t leave a 50w bulb on all the time.
Though my kWh costs are greater, for me the cost is acceptable too, and the CO2 burden ok given other lifestyle choices.