18
6. ADVANCED FUNCTIONS
6.4. Ecomode (power saving mode)
The
Ecomode
serves to reduce heat and unnecessary power consumption when the unit is
switched on but not in use. After 10 minutes without receiving signal, the RE 290 Ecomode is
activated, turning down the power. In this “sleep” mode, the RE 290 draws less than 20 W Idle
current. Therefore the running unit produces no heat, because the heater voltage and the high
voltage for the power amplifier section are switched off. When the music signal is once again
sensed by the RE 290, the Ecomode circuit will turn the unit back on, with a warm-up/start-up delay
of approximately 30 seconds before the unit will operate.
The Ecomode also serves to increase the lifetime of the tubes, while having an added benefit of
improved safety
allowing the RE 290 owner a level of security against any problems when leaving
the unit powered on. The Ecomode is a safety and energy-saving feature that automatically
switches off the amplifier's tube circuitry during breaks of more than 10 minutes.
Ecomode reduces the overall power consumption of the amplifier to under 20W, compared with
180W in normal operation. When detecting a signal, the RE 290 reactivates automatically and is
ready for use again within 30 seconds.
Eco off:
The Ecomode function is off, the
Ecomode LED doesn’t burn
Eco on:
The Ecomode function is activated.
The Ecomode LED lights up in
GREEN.
After a 10-minute silence, Ecomode
turn the Unit down. The Ecomode
LED changes to RED indicating that
the Ecomode circuit is powering
down the unit.
Note:
If you switch the RE 290 on with Ecomode active, it will go through the start procedure. If it fails to
detect a music signal, it will shut down after 10 minutes.
Ecomode is not the same as standby, however, because certain sections of the amplifier remain
on.
Important!
You cannot adjust the BIAS in Ecomode once the amplifier has powered down! Powered
down during Ecomode is indicated by the Soft-Start-LED.
The signal switching level of 0.5mV results in approx. 40µW output power of the RE290. In
case of a speaker with a high efficiency an adjusted listening level can be lower than this
value. The Ecomode would drive the unit down. In such cases the Ecomode should be
switched off
