How to think about and measure the energy use of your home sound system.
As energy costs continue to spiral, cost-conscious consumers need to manage their energy consumption. While electricity requirements vary, a typical home sound system will use 20 to 50 watts in standby mode, increasing to 200 watts at maximum volume. But many setups aren't typical, so how do you assess your own?
Basic audio components such as turntables and CD players draw minimal power, but there's a direct connection between playback volume and energy consumption; the louder you go, the more energy it requires. Audiophiles using esoteric combinations of state-of-the-art equipment and vintage analog tech (particularly amplifiers) may find their system costs more to run. Similarly, independently powered speakers inherently use more energy than those drawing power directly from the amp, and large home theatre systems tend to consume even more energy.
It's also true that leaving any battery-powered components of your system plugged in can degrade the power cells over time, though most modern streaming speakers are designed for this. USB chargers also draw power when plugged in even in standby mode, which adds up across your home.
To measure your own setup, first list its components and identify the wattage and average daily use for each item.
