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switching between two amplifiers; issues of power

Hello and thanks for your insight.

I am ordering a second amp, an inexpensive class D amp, fueled by two Icepower modules, the 300AS1, I believe, which outputs 150 watts into 8ohms and 300 into 4 ohms. It can handle a load as low as 2.7 ohms.

This is a Swiss-assembled amp that I've ordered because my almost utterly amazing Nuforce STA200, also a $500 amp, runs hot when I play it a little into the loud.

My question: when the new amp arrives and I want to swap the speakers to the new XTZ amp, can I leave the Nuforce plugged in and "on," while there are no speaker cables affixed, and visa-versa with the other amp. I would like to compare the two amps and I don't want to damage an amp for lack of speaker load.

Thank you and best regards,
listening99

Showing 2 responses by erik_squires

erik_squires
16,460 posts
 
1 watt into an 80% efficient amp would seem to yield 1/5 watt in heat?

@listening99

Yes, but they have a fixed idle power you are not accounting for, on the order of 5-10 watts. So take the efficiency and add the idle power, more or less. :)

In your example, it’s’ probably something like th 5W idle + 1/5 W = 5.2 W.
erik_squires
16,460 posts
 
Hey.  I still own some IcePower 250 modules.

1 - Do not change anything on the input while the amp is on. This includes powering up/down the preamp.

2 - Yes, you may disconnect speaker cables and reconnect them while the amp is on, but suggest muting the audio since you could feel a tingle, or accidentally short the connections.

3 - IcePowers take a very long time to warm up, like 48-72 hours, but they don't cool down in a minute.  You can leave them on except for the short period of time you are disconnecting any inputs OR turning a preamp back on.
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