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Ventilating Tube Amps in Closed Cabinets: HELP!


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Good point ... "Shark" has been REALLY helpful with a lot technical points, and has displayed endless patience when answering all my idiotic questions. And to your point, perhaps one way of doing it is to put a muffin fan (with filter) in the bottom of the cabinet pushing air in at a higher cfm rating than the one exhausting air out of the top. As you say, this will create a positive air pressure inside pushing hot air out of the crevices while keeping the interior free of dust. I know what you mean; I've opened older computers and it's pretty disgusting the amount of dirt that's accumulated there.

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Klipsch 1968 ALK Cornwall "II"s (LF/RF)

ALK Belle Klipsch (Center)

Klipsch Heresy (RR/LR)

Klipsch KSW-12 sub

Sonic Frontiers Anthem AMP1 (driving Cornwalls)

Sonic Frontiers Anthem AMP1 (driving Heresy's)

McIntosh MC-30 (driving Belle)

Denon AVR-4800

Toshiba SD-3109 DVD

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  • 2 months later...

Figured it was time to close this thread ... we had lots of discussions during the summer about managing heat build up, and many were particularly helpful (like Shark, a.o.).

Well the room is nearly complete, except the Corian counter/sink on the wet bar ... but the cabinets are in, and there's a little hardwood floor repair to do. Here's how the heat issue was finally resolved:

(1) Ripped out old cabinets and positioned new ones, esp. front left cabinet where the components would be racked.

(2) In the garage side of the wall common with the front left cabinet, we measured and cut sheetrock for muffin fans to be inserted ... and ran smack-dab into a major wiring run and double-studded wall bracing. There was no way to put the fans in the precise place they needed to be. Fortunately we hadn't cut into the cabinets yet. Went to Plan B which was to top-vent the fans for pull through air flow, and realized that we'd be blowing air right up into the sheetrock above that cabinet. After long discussion with the electrician and carpenter, we went to Plan C ... which was to reduce the quantity of tube amps in the rack and front ventilate by keeping the cabinet doors open during operation. Definitely low tech and not nearly as sexy, but simple. The MC-30 went out on Ebay, and the Anthems have a foot of ventilation room above both. The muffins went back to the store, and my wife is happy.

Attaching a couple photos off the current state of affairs (Tonka toys included Smile.gif )

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If you don't like what is coming out, you wouldn't like what is going in." -PWK-

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Klipsch 1968 ALK Cornwall "II"s (LF/RF)

ALK Belle Klipsch (Center)

Klipsch Heresy (RR/LR)

Klipsch KSW-12 sub

Sonic Frontiers Anthem AMP1 (driving Cornwalls)

Sonic Frontiers Anthem AMP1 (driving Heresy's)

Denon AVR-4800

Toshiba SD-3109 DVD

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Mike, thanks! Yeah, you're right, the right CW is angled in at 45 deg, and the left one faces straight out. Just didn't have the clearance between the window and the wall to toe it in ... the CW is just too wide. With the old Cornwalls, however, the vertical horns seem to have a much wider dispersion than the newer ones, and there is very little loss of soundstage. I was worried about it, and tried toeing it in as much as would be permitted in that cabinet (about 18 deg), but it made little difference so I just leave it as it is ...

The Belle under the TV worked out much better than I thought ... If anybody's thinking about using a Belle as a center channel, I would HIGHLY recommend it if you can find one and have the room.

------------------

If you don't like what is coming out, you wouldn't like what is going in." -PWK-

---------------------

Klipsch 1968 ALK Cornwall "II"s (LF/RF)

ALK Belle Klipsch (Center)

Klipsch Heresy (RR/LR)

Klipsch KSW-12 sub

Sonic Frontiers Anthem AMP1 (driving Cornwalls)

Sonic Frontiers Anthem AMP1 (driving Heresy's)

Denon AVR-4800

Toshiba SD-3109 DVD

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Hey, Tom, you're observant ... that's what I was thinking .... the original design was for a 16:9 RPTV, but I wasn't thrilled with what I saw and the programming (cable) wasn't quite there yet ... so I basically came to the conclusion that I'd go with a active matrix flat screen at some point ... and hopefully the price point and programming content would intersect at the same time ... like 2003-2004? Anyway, the 34" was fine for now.

The ceiling lighting is just rope lighting ... simple but nice ... no dimmer required Smile.gif

------------------

If you don't like what is coming out, you wouldn't like what is going in." -PWK-

---------------------

Klipsch 1968 ALK Cornwall "II"s (LF/RF)

ALK Belle Klipsch (Center)

Klipsch Heresy (RR/LR)

Klipsch KSW-12 sub

Sonic Frontiers Anthem AMP1 (driving Cornwalls)

Sonic Frontiers Anthem AMP1 (driving Heresy's)

Denon AVR-4800

Toshiba SD-3109 DVD

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Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Lynn, thanks. Sorry for the late reply ... been traveling.

No problem at all with the overheating ... it DOES get hot in there, even with the doors open, but it's managable. Had wanted a "closed doors" solution, but it just wasnt' meant to be.

What are you planning to do, if anything, in your neck of the woods ?

------------------

If you don't like what is coming out, you wouldn't like what is going in." -PWK-

---------------------

Klipsch 1968 ALK Cornwall "II"s (LF/RF)

ALK Belle Klipsch (Center)

Klipsch Heresy (RR/LR)

Klipsch KSW-12 sub

Sonic Frontiers Anthem AMP1 (driving Cornwalls)

Sonic Frontiers Anthem AMP1 (driving Heresy's)

Denon AVR-4800

Toshiba SD-3109 DVD

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