Cooler for system

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karaim
karaim Posts: 23
edited May 2008 in Electronics
Does anyone use coolers to cool down their system (receiver, amp, etc.)? I am thinking of getting one. The laptop coolers are cheap ($15) - would they work or do I need like 10 to cool down my receiver?
Post edited by karaim on
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  • demaples
    demaples Posts: 266
    edited May 2008
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    I picked up two fans with a thermostatic switch for my amp on ebay relatively cheap. I'll get you the info later when I get home. They work well and are literally silent.
    Dennis

    Hitachi 50" Plasma full HD 1080--Onkyo 805 AVR
    Rotel RMB-1077 amp--Polk LSic center
    Polk LSi25 fronts--Polk LSi 15 rears
    Genesis G-2800 sides--Polk PSW 650 sub
    APC H15 power conditioner--Netgear digital media player
    Napster external hardrive--Linksys Wireless G router
    Samsung DVD--Blue Jeans wires
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  • hockeyboy
    hockeyboy Posts: 1,428
    edited May 2008
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    demaples post it here bro. I might be interested as well.
    My Main Gear
    Mitsu HC5000 (Proj.)
    Marantz SR8001 (AVR)
    Sunfire TGA7200 (AMP)
    Marantz DV7001 (SACD)
    Samsung BD-P1500 Blu-Ray
    LSi 15's (Front)
    LSiC (Center)
    LSiFx (Surrounds)
    DUAL SVS 20-39 CS Plus     (Passive Subs)
    Marantz IS201 I-Pod Dock[/SIZE]
    Panamax M5300EX
    Carada Criterion 106" Brightwhite Screen
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,546
    edited May 2008
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    http://www.activethermal.com/

    This units are excellent, but a little spendy. They run the fans at 1/2 speed, so they are very quiet. You can use the supplied thermal switches, or bypass them for constant operation.

    I used the "Cool-It II" on my power amp some time ago. It worked very well.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Source: Rotel CD14MkII CD Player - Speakers: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • demaples
    demaples Posts: 266
    edited May 2008
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    I'll post it as soon as I get to the house. Seems they were around $30.

    Hitachi 50" Plasma full HD 1080--Onkyo 805 AVR
    Rotel RMB-1077 amp--Polk LSic center
    Polk LSi25 fronts--Polk LSi 15 rears
    Genesis G-2800 sides--Polk PSW 650 sub
    APC H15 power conditioner--Netgear digital media player
    Napster external hardrive--Linksys Wireless G router
    Samsung DVD--Blue Jeans wires
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  • karaim
    karaim Posts: 23
    edited May 2008
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    Steveinaz, I looked at the site some time ago. Their coolers seem great, but they are kind of expensive. I don't feel like spending over $100 on a fan.
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,546
    edited May 2008
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    Sometimes they can be found cheaper thru other distributors. I had an "open" rack, and the Active Thermal unit was the only one I could find that was quiet enough.

    I did try a DIY project involving 2 Vantech Stealth computer fans, I chose the quietest model, but they were still too noisy; of course if your rack is closed they would work.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Source: Rotel CD14MkII CD Player - Speakers: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,630
    edited May 2008
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    If your gear is running hotter than specified by the designer/manufacturer then by all means use a method of cooling.

    Certain class A amps (for example) sound their best when the output trannys reach a certain optimal temperature. Many of the good designs that put out heat are designed that way and the parts used can handle the heat cycle for a very long time.

    It's not always best to cool everything. Certainly if you have a specific situation like an enclosed space or you are running extremely inefficient speakers or constantly running at a very high volume (ie: on the verge of overdriving your amp) then external cooling makes sense.

    Generally speaking in a computer you want your chip to run cool and in audio if it's running hot (generally speaking) it's designed that way.

    Many typical A and A/B amp designs are intended to run with a little heat and in many cases yous sound can suffer if you try and cool things down too much.

    YMMV as well as your individual situation.

    You haven't even explained your gear, how you run it, where it's placed and why you feel it needs to be cooler.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | Holo Audio Cyan 2 Dac | MIT Shotgun S1 | Puritan Audio PSM136 Pwr Condtioner & Classic PC's | Legend L600 | Roon Nucleus 1 w/LPS - Tubes add soul!
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  • demaples
    demaples Posts: 266
    edited May 2008
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    Here is the link to the ebay add. He has many different configurations if you check his other items.
    http://cgi.ebay.com/Amplifier-Receiver-Cooling-system-with-thermoswitch_W0QQitemZ360051931372QQihZ023QQcategoryZ14981QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItems

    Hitachi 50" Plasma full HD 1080--Onkyo 805 AVR
    Rotel RMB-1077 amp--Polk LSic center
    Polk LSi25 fronts--Polk LSi 15 rears
    Genesis G-2800 sides--Polk PSW 650 sub
    APC H15 power conditioner--Netgear digital media player
    Napster external hardrive--Linksys Wireless G router
    Samsung DVD--Blue Jeans wires
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  • demaples
    demaples Posts: 266
    edited May 2008
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    Wait that link didn't. I'll try again.

    Hitachi 50" Plasma full HD 1080--Onkyo 805 AVR
    Rotel RMB-1077 amp--Polk LSic center
    Polk LSi25 fronts--Polk LSi 15 rears
    Genesis G-2800 sides--Polk PSW 650 sub
    APC H15 power conditioner--Netgear digital media player
    Napster external hardrive--Linksys Wireless G router
    Samsung DVD--Blue Jeans wires
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  • demaples
    demaples Posts: 266
    edited May 2008
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    Try this-Amplifier/Receiver Cooling system with thermoswitch Item number: 360051931372

    Hitachi 50" Plasma full HD 1080--Onkyo 805 AVR
    Rotel RMB-1077 amp--Polk LSic center
    Polk LSi25 fronts--Polk LSi 15 rears
    Genesis G-2800 sides--Polk PSW 650 sub
    APC H15 power conditioner--Netgear digital media player
    Napster external hardrive--Linksys Wireless G router
    Samsung DVD--Blue Jeans wires
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  • michael_w
    michael_w Posts: 2,813
    edited May 2008
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    Looks kind of like two cheap computer fans with foam on the bottom with a fan speed switch and running off a 12v wall wart? Although I suppose the auto-shut off feature and complete kit is handy at the pricepoint. Whatever works!

    I grabbed a rack mount cooler that uses three large fans and runs off 120v and figured it'd be perfect to place on top of an amplifier. I got it home and plugged the sucker in and it cooled down the amp alright, but it also sounded like someone was vacuuming in my room. Perfect for a server in a locked room, but not for home audio.
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