Mcintosh 2301 tube amplifier, how much power used from the wall?


Curious if anyone has measured actual watts coming from the outlet to power the the 2301 mono amplifier?

Basically I'm interested to know what the power use is for purposes of calculating how much heat this amplifier gives off, ie btu.

It uses 8 kt88 tubes, which indicate a spec of around 40 W per tube, hoping this is right. Not sure how much these watts are used when amplifier is at moderate volume. The remaining six tubes on the amplifier power are smaller and have minimal power use

emergingsoul

If the amp draws 5.5 amps at 120 volts then 660 watts is the most that can be converted to heat (energy is always conserved). That can mean, for example, you will need an additional 2,250 btu/hr for a room air conditioner just to remove the heat from the amplifier.

To get an exact number is tougher to calculate. The amp at idle will draw the bias current only, and that can be a value which is a fraction of the 40W plate dissipation. When the signal is going through the amp, the current is fluctuating and rarely goes to max plate current, so the overall heat dissipation can only be determined by monitoring the current draw over a given period of time (say, an hour). Then you can get a more precise number. If all you want to do is size an air conditioner then just use the rated amp draw, or use the nominal amperage of the mains fuse.

 

@gs5556

The info you have provided on energy use and heat generation is alarming. A human body generates about 300 BTUs just sitting on the couch. Generating 2400 BTUs per hour is close to eight people in a room and that generates a lot of heat.

Would be nice to get the actual usage measurements if anyone can do it from eight from a tube amplifier