A Green Issue

[donuk]

Hi Guys.
A drab Sunday afternoon in York. But music to cheer us.
Forgive me if this has been discussed before, but I could not find it.
Perhaps I have missed something, but IMHO, Linn are missing an advertising advantage these days with their use of Switched Mode Power Supplies.
No need to debate the sonic advantages here now, but what about their benefit on the environment? They are smaller and lighter than convention amplifier power supplied. No need for hundreds of kilometres of copper wire and large steel E and I plates. Smoothing electrolytics are much smaller. (How I used to love pulling transformers to pieces when I was a lad! I have even handwound a couple of my own for various projects in the past.)
The fact that Linn's power supplies can deliver a few hundred watts from a couple of printed circuit boards full of semiconductors through a transformer no bigger than a cotton real is a fantastic breakthrough.
Of course computer designers have been doing it for a couple of decades, but not at toe-curling hifi quality as the Dynamik does.

Also Linn amplifiers are now lighter, easier to carry about, and cheaper to ship.

Also I have not seen much Linn equipment in landfill sites, because it maintains its value.

So mother earth has to give up fewer of her treasures that we might listen to hifi.

I won't get onto the Green argument about whether we should keep our equipment on all the time.....

But it is not about time that every black or silver box that leaves Glasgow should have a proud green sticker in it??

Don

[lejonklou]

Hi Don!

The mother earth issues have become increasingly important to me these last years, thanks for bringing them up!

You raise a valid point regarding switch mode power supplies, but they have some facts against them as well. The main one being that, like most of today's electronics, their operating life is limited. When they break, they are usually thrown away and replaced. A conventional transformer lasts virtually forever.

[Tony Tune-age]

You raise a valid point regarding switch mode power supplies, but they have some facts against them as well. The main one being that, like most of today's electronics, their operating life is limited. When they break, they are usually thrown away and replaced. A conventional transformer lasts virtually forever.

Is the new Linn Dynamik power supply a longer lasting unit than their previous switch mode power supply :?:

[lejonklou]

Normally durability is something we learn with time.

[Tony Tune-age]

Normally durability is something we learn with time.

Valid point... 8)

[donuk]

The original switch mode power supplies did not last as long as they might have because they were replaced with the Dynamiks! Probably more were thrown out than ever burned out.
Regular upgrades are not Green....

don

[rock&roll]

Regular upgrades are not Green....

They are... because retailers could send previous versions of SMPS to Glasgow for recycling.

[lejonklou]

"Recycling" means very little in the world of electronics. At best, it means the boards are not thrown in the sea or in the woods.

Sometimes it means shipping the boards to Africa, where they are thrown on a large pile and people burn it to collect the copper.

[Tony Tune-age]

"Recycling" means very little in the world of electronics. At best, it means the boards are not thrown in the sea or in the woods.

Sometimes it means shipping the boards to Africa, where they are thrown on a large pile and people burn it to collect the copper.

I watched a program that included China as a country that receives old electronic components for recycling. Large piles of old components with people taking parts off of circuit boards and burning remaining parts. Not very green...by any definition.

[anthony]

I think more concerning is the high wattage drawn in standby mode.
The Artikulat 350A is quoted at 49, not sure if thats each!
I think this is being addressed in newer models.

[Tony Tune-age]

I think more concerning is the high wattage drawn in standby mode. The Artikulat 350A is quoted at 49, not sure if thats each! I think this is being addressed in newer models.

Do you have any ideas of how it's being addressed :?:

[anthony]

I think more concerning is the high wattage drawn in standby mode. The Artikulat 350A is quoted at 49, not sure if thats each! I think this is being addressed in newer models.

Do you have any ideas of how it's being addressed :?:

All I know is the new Akurate range has much lower standby consumption than previous models.

[lejonklou]

That's a good thing!

These last six months, I've worked on ultra low power circuitry and made some interesting discoveries. By lowering the power consumption of the circuits, the power supply and regulation can run cooler. This increases sound quality! The techniques are applicable to most low power electronics, not just standby power (where you obviously don't hear any sound benefits). With power amps, it can be used for the input and servo circuits, but naturally the output stage delivering current to speakers still demand lots of power.

[rock&roll]

Are we going to see this solutions future in Lejonklou products? Preamplifiler maybe, with more than one input, and power amp? :?:

[lejonklou]

I hope so, but nothing on the horizon yet. :)