Sony STR-DN1050 - Heat Issue when off

[dunamor]

Hi,

I have owned the DN1050 amp for about 4 months but recently I have noticed that it gets quite warm even when not in use.

I started looking at the services that might be running when idle like Zone 2 being on, pass through and Bluetooth standby.  I have turned all these services off and the amp is still warm when off.

When I power the amp off it flashes STANDBY for about 5 seconds then goes off, but even in standby it shouldn’t be consuming enough energy to get warm should it?

Has anyone else seen this issue?

Also I have experienced an issue with leaving the Bluetooth on with the amp in that it stops the video out to the TV and the projector altogether.  The only way to recover this is to hard reset with the power been taken out of the amp.  I have turned off the Bluetooth and the amp never fails to output a video signal? Not great as it’s a useful feature with Songpal.

I am not sure if the two are linked but with all services off the amp still stays warm.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Kind regards

Duncan

[MK_Slinky]

Hi Duncan,

Yes it's quite normal for your receiver to stay warm even in 'Standby Mode', the internal circuitry has to be kept alive in order to allow 'HDMI Pass-Through' and Network connectivity. Even with all settings off it will still retain some heat build-up because the internal transformer is still active ready to receive commands from your remote control. My STR-DN1040 also stays warm though if I run my hand across the top it's warmer on the left hand side just above where the transformer is situated inside. Typically I suppose the temperature remains at around 70 degrees Fahrenheit in standby but I've never checked this with a thermometer. If it's really hot then it might be a sign of something more serious but otherwise you shouldn't worry unduly.

In some situations and with some constructive wiring it is possible to bypass all of these features and turn your receiver off completely. Mine is cold when I do this. Some people might not like this option because the receiver and other devices have to be turned on manually due to HDMI control being deactivated. In this situation I can no longer use AirPlay unless the receiver is already on and ready to detect my network. Likewise turning on other devices such as my blu-ray player will not turn the receiver on automatically, like I say these features have to be operated manually using this method. Like you I wasn't happy about the receiver staying warm, not only will it shorten it's lifespan it's a waste of electricity. So much for Sony's 'green approach' to saving the environment!

As for the Blutooth issues, sorry I can't help with that, my receiver doesn't have that feature.

[dunamor]

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

Its not hot as much as warm constantly and like you said this seems strange as it must be drawing a fare amount of energy to run this warm and it is located to the rear left and spreads from there.

Sony have asked me to follow some reset instructions and if the problem persists they have asked me to located a local repair shop.  I find this strange if they expect the amp to run warm why not say this?

I will follow the Sony stages and call the local centre and explain the situation to see if they think this is normal and get back to you with my finds if necassary.

Again thanks for the input.

Duncan

[MK_Slinky]

@dunamor

Based on what you've said I would say it's normal operation. Mine stays warm too or at least it used too until I deactivated all the features which prevent the unit powering down completely. The only time I would worry is if if stayed hot enough to burn your fingers.

Technical Support are just being cautious though if it really worries you follow their advice. Incidentally I've spoken to others with this concern on the US forum, your situation is not unique to your device.

Please do come back and let us know if they do find a fault.

Chris

[glennallen]

I have a STR-DN1070 that is also warm when it is not in use.

I recently upgraded the firmware to version M35.R.2137, then sometime later realized that the receiver was making a humming noise when not in use. When I put my hand on the top of the receiver it felt warm.

One of the benefits of this new version is changes the default settings to allow you to start Chromecast built-in playback from Standby mode. I wonder if the receiver's circuitry needs to be energized in order to  start Chromecast built-inplayback from Standby mode. So, it hums and is warm.

Regards,

Glenn

[MK_Slinky]

@glennallen 

Hi Glen, as per my previous post you need to go through the settings menu and turn off all features which keep your device from fully powering down.  On my particular model if the below settings are set to 'ON' an orange light will remain on showing that the device can be woken up by other devices. With those settings set to 'OFF' my unit will power down completely and no light will be displayed on the front.

You're correct in saying that your receiver's circuitry needs to be energized, without that things like Chromecast will not function from Standby mode.

If you look at the screenshot below of my STR-DN1040 you will see that I disabled several features on my device. Like you the heat build-up concerned me. Although these features might be handy I dislike tech equipment wasting electricity needlessly, it's no big issue to bend down and turn on the receiver before using those features.

[grolschie]

This problem remains with newer models such as the STR-DN1080, except that Network Standby has been disabled on EU models. It can be enabled though. 😜 But mine uses 31w on Network Standby. You might wish to measure the power consumption on your 1050 as it might be unacceptably high on Network Standby.

HDMI Passthrough is the other culprit.

[MK_Slinky]

@grolschie 

I think your reference to the power consumption on the 1050 might be a little late, that user asked their question in April 2015. I already suggested HDMI Passthrough in my first reply.

Perhaps you were responding to @glennallen ? This member has noticed the same issue with his 1070 model hence my latest response. 😉