2. amps-preamps
  3. 190605-193284

Power consuption of an amplifier

Hi, friends!

Maybe you can help me to figure out the peak power consumption of my amp.

I have bought Micromega M-150 from USA, but I live in Europe now. The amp's voltage is 120v, but I have 230v in socket here. So, I'm going to buy a step-down coverter 230v to 120v. Each step-down converter is designed for some maximum load, 150W, 450W, 600W, 1500W etc. So I need to know how much power my amplifier consumes from a socket to choose a coverter.

The problem is that I found three different points of view:

1) The Micromega's manual says: 

Power consumption: Standby : 1W

2 channels -1/8 Pmax under 8 Ohms : 185W

The seller says this is the maximum and I should take converter with double reserve, let it be 450W

2) Hi-Fi News Lab Report says:

Power consumption (idle/rated o/p): 40W / 480W (3W, standby)

I was told in another audiophile forum that 480W is maximum. So we can take with reserve 600W converter.

3) On same forum another guy counted this way:

You should take the dynamic power for two channels and multiply it by two. It means like 300W*2*2=1200W. And as the dynamic power of this amp on 1Ohm is 690W you showd take at least a 1500W conerter.

So I'm confused... The converter I want (Krieger) is 1150W maximum available and costs too much with shipping.

Amp specs:

Power by channel: 150W for 8Ohms, 300W for 4Ohms (I have 4Ohms speakers)

Efficiency 95%

Two power supplies - one for each channel

I wrote to Micromega, but they were bought by another company three years ago and stopped support.

I hope someone here could help me with this problem.

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cleeds
5,957 posts
 

iad

Hi-Fi News Lab Report says:

Power consumption (idle/rated o/p): 40W / 480W (3W, standby)

This says to me the maximum draw is 480W at the rated output power. I agree with the advice you’re getting that the stepdown transformer should be rated for more than that, probably 2X minimum.

iad's avatar
iad OP
53 posts
 

Ok, but what 1/8 Pmax under 8 Ohms : 185W means then?

artoly
8 posts
 

I'm not the expert you were looking for, but went bigger with an isolating trasformer myself (just to step down 20V myself). I read somewhere that loading up a transformer will cause voltage to lower  and too much current draw could reduce sound quality. My unscientific choice was therefore to go much higher than the fuse rating on the box.

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