i have the BAT REX and yes it puts out some heat. The upside is that the sound is glorious, euphonious and I am able to listen at all volume levels both low volume and high volume. It has lots of features, the remote is easy to use.
The downside is that your electric bill will go up (I leave it on most of the time, and only turn it off if I am away for the weekend or gone for 24 hours). And I do not have the heat on very much in my listening room in the winter. I like a cool room so the preamp is just about right. I know it's a warm preamp but never too hot to touch. But all the heat come from the REX as my Krell EVO 402 is never more than barely warm. |
According to the owner's manual, the 120v version is protected by a 2a fuse, which means realistically it couldn't draw more than about 150w continuously without frequently blowing fuses.
So something's not quite right with the specs. I'm guessing the power numbers are max instantaneous values, which have nothing to do with electric bills and btu's. If you are still concerned, I would contact the manufacturer directly. |
I leave mine in standby, or off between listening. I listen pretty much daily and have not noticed any increase in my bill. |
Auxetophone,
Is the 2a fuse in both the power supply and main chassis? Is the power consumption thus limited to 300 watts in total? |
Lula, good point. I didn't realize that the Rex power supply is actually split between the units. Both units have power cords and fuses. Pretty unusual design. I sent an email to BAT expressing concern about the heat and asking for clarification about normal power consumption. Don't know how long it might be for a reply though,especially with CES happening right now . . . |
Lula, I'm really not sure what your post is asking. If you are concerned that the heat would cause excessive wear and tear on the components, I would not be overly concerned as long as the recommendations for spacing are followed.
In terms of power consumption and how this power reserve sounds, I do believe it makes a sonic difference and you can search the archives for descriptors.
I turn mine fully off at night, standby or off during the day. |
Rtn1,
My concerns are twofold...first in regards to simply the usage of electricity and secondly adding up the wattage consumption, which includes a biamped system, of all the components as it approaches the limits of my 15 amp line. I am not concerned about the "wear and tear on the components"....I'm quite sure theyr'e built to withstand the heat under proper spacing conditions. Also, since most Rex owners seem to leave the unit in standby when not playing their system, is the power consumption reduced? |
OK, that's more helpful. How much do you have running on a 15 amp line, and can you get another line to your stereo? It sounds like a single circuit may get overloaded.
My stereo runs on 2 dedicated lines of 10 gauge wire and 20 amp breakers.
Standby uses less, but I'm not sure exactly how much less. That's probably a Victor question. |
My understanding is that a 15 amp line can accept between 1650 and 1800 watts, based upon 110-120 volts. I should be safe if the Rex actually consumes 300 watts even with all my sources on at once, although not every component lists power consumption. It's not a dedicated line, but only a few light bulbs rated at 13 to 20 watts are ever on, aside from the audio equipment. |
Cut to the chase. Call the designer builder. Victor will answer any question you have. No one here built the pre. Take your questions to the source. Simple right. |
Auxetophone,
Did you get a reply from Victor regarding the power consumption? |
Yes, he says 470 watts is correct. |
His words:
"That number is indeed correct - any tube unit with 18 tubes will dissipate a fair amount of heat, that is just tubes' nature."
Still, I have to wonder how the power module could draw a constant 250 watts without blowing a lot of 2A fuses @ 120V . . . |
Well, to begin with, the specs are stating the VA ratings, not Watts. In typical case the VA number will be higher. You can easily google the difference between the two. I just stuck the power meter on one REX power module and got 155W and 180VA.
In addition, the specs have to be conservative, worst case. There will always be variations due to a particular tube set parameters (there are tolerances to everything including the heater power) and line voltage value - it is supposed to be 120V, but can be higher.
Normally the 2A fuse has sufficient margin, but in rare case can blow for no good reason, simply due to variations in turn-on conditions. If that happens replacing it with a 2.5A or even 3A fuse might make sense. As I mentioned, cases of a 2A fuse going for no good reason have been extremely rare.
Regards,
Victor Khomenko |
Hi Victor,
If the REX power module is putting out typically 155 watts, what is the main chassis' output at the same time? |
|
Thanks for the clarification, Victor. My question to you must have been unclear, since I was looking for average power consumption.
300 watts or so is still a fair bit of heat from a Preamp, but right now that would be welcome.
My mono blocks draw a constant 820 watts/pair & I still need a sweater (it's 3 degrees here). |
