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Title: What convection cooled amplifier do you like?
Post by: Duane Rodakowski on January 28, 2015, 09:55:08 PM
Our amp racks are right behind the mix position in our Performing Arts Center auditorium. It's time to replace the 25 year old amps. We need units that are dead silent when working. If they have a fan they need to be super quiet.
I'm hoping for something like the old Crown K2's, but with more power.
Any suggestions?
Likes, dislikes?

Thanks, Duane.

Title: Re: What convection cooled amplifier do you like?
Post by: Mike Pyle on January 28, 2015, 10:13:40 PM
I think when you replace them you should also move them.
Title: Re: What convection cooled amplifier do you like?
Post by: Lee Buckalew on January 28, 2015, 10:36:28 PM
Our amp racks are right behind the mix position in our Performing Arts Center auditorium. It's time to replace the 25 year old amps. We need units that are dead silent when working. If they have a fan they need to be super quiet.
I'm hoping for something like the old Crown K2's, but with more power.
Any suggestions?
Likes, dislikes?

Thanks, Duane.

Bryston amps fit your need for quiet and are available with good power output.

However, I have to agree with Mike and make the suggestion that part of replacing all of your amps would be moving them.

Lee
Title: Re: What convection cooled amplifier do you like?
Post by: Chris Hindle on January 30, 2015, 08:39:53 AM
Bryston amps fit your need for quiet and are available with good power output.

However, I have to agree with Mike and make the suggestion that part of replacing all of your amps would be moving them.

Lee
+ 100
Get them near the load. With modern networkable amps, there is no need to "keep an eye" on them anymore.
Chris.
Title: Re: What convection cooled amplifier do you like?
Post by: Richard Turner on January 30, 2015, 03:49:29 PM
Had they went with bryston the first time they possibly would still have been under warranty lol

McIntosh makes some nice pieces.....

Or was cost an issue?
Title: Re: What convection cooled amplifier do you like?
Post by: John Roberts {JR} on January 30, 2015, 04:05:57 PM
How much power do you need?

Convection cooled amps generally do not make much power. Modern class D with a decent sized passive cooling heat sink could make OK power but most modern class D amps are going for small footprint. 

JR
Title: Re: What convection cooled amplifier do you like?
Post by: Cailen Waddell on January 30, 2015, 08:01:43 PM

Our amp racks are right behind the mix position in our Performing Arts Center auditorium. It's time to replace the 25 year old amps. We need units that are dead silent when working. If they have a fan they need to be super quiet.
I'm hoping for something like the old Crown K2's, but with more power.
Any suggestions?
Likes, dislikes?

Thanks, Duane.

Do your speakers have the capacity for more power? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: What convection cooled amplifier do you like?
Post by: Weogo Reed on March 20, 2017, 02:15:09 PM
Hi Duane,

I too have been looking at convection cooled amps.

In one concert hall I have amps on stage and 4 ohm boxes, so
wanting to keep speaker cable runs fairly short, and
not move amps way back.

For power, a bridged K1 will do about 1000W @ 8 ohms, and over 1200W @ 4 ohms,
K2 will do more.
For quite a few years now I've had a bridged K1 pushing a Danley TH115 in a very dusty venue because it is pretty well sealed and keeps the dust out.  Just keeps on working.
The little Stewart World1.2 amps are fairly potent when bridged.
For long life, leave an open space between convection cooled amps.

JR probably nailed it  -  manufacturers being told compact is more important than quiet.

Would be nice to see a fan-cooled amplifier db comparison with
measurements at idle, and 1/10 power.
My QSC CX404 is nearly silent...

Thanks and good health,  Weogo
 

Our amp racks are right behind the mix position in our Performing Arts Center auditorium. It's time to replace the 25 year old amps. We need units that are dead silent when working. If they have a fan they need to be super quiet.
I'm hoping for something like the old Crown K2's, but with more power.
Any suggestions?
Likes, dislikes?

Thanks, Duane.
Title: Re: What convection cooled amplifier do you like?
Post by: Helge A Bentsen on March 20, 2017, 04:03:57 PM
Powersoft M-series are actually rather quiet despite being fan cooled.
You could try to get hold of one and have a listen :)
Title: Re: What convection cooled amplifier do you like?
Post by: richard_cooper on March 20, 2017, 04:06:31 PM
When I had a similar requirement I ended up using Yamaha P5000s and P7000s which were basically silent (although they do have fans).
Title: Re: What convection cooled amplifier do you like?
Post by: eytan gidron on March 21, 2017, 12:35:48 AM
I have just installed two Powersoft M series M50Q (with DSP) in a theater. They are located about 1 meter from the console operator and you can't hear them even though they have fans. I was surprised at how quiet thet are.
Title: Re: What convection cooled amplifier do you like?
Post by: MikeHarris on March 21, 2017, 04:15:05 AM
I have just installed two Powersoft M series M50Q (with DSP) in a theater. They are located about 1 meter from the console operator and you can't hear them even though they have fans. I was surprised at how quiet thet are.

Thanks...good to know as we recently specified a theater refit using 3x M50Q with similar distance to rack.
Title: Re: What convection cooled amplifier do you like?
Post by: John Roberts {JR} on March 21, 2017, 11:37:58 AM
I have just installed two Powersoft M series M50Q (with DSP) in a theater. They are located about 1 meter from the console operator and you can't hear them even though they have fans. I was surprised at how quiet thet are.
With forced air cooling, most of the benefit is from swapping out hot air with cooler air. Beyond that there is only modest incremental benefit from higher pressure/volume of forced air. 

Smart fan speed control can keep it pretty quiet unless it really needs to push more air.

JR
Title: Re: What convection cooled amplifier do you like?
Post by: Ivan Beaver on March 21, 2017, 12:04:45 PM
With forced air cooling, most of the benefit is from swapping out hot air with cooler air. Beyond that there is only modest incremental benefit from higher pressure/volume of forced air. 

Smart fan speed control can keep it pretty quiet unless it really needs to push more air.

JR
Yeah-even just a little bit of air movement across the right heatsink can make a lot of difference.
Title: Re: What convection cooled amplifier do you like?
Post by: Brian Jojade on March 21, 2017, 12:13:04 PM
Getting an amplifier with variable speed fans should be sufficient.  If the fans are working hard enough to be at full tilt, that generally means you are pushing enough SPL that the noise of a fan shouldn't be noticeable.

My Crown iTech HDs are nearly silent at idle. When pushed the fans kick it up a notch, but still not bad.

My QSC QLD amps, however, have much noisier fans that are ALWAYS on, even when the amp is off!  Not a huge fan of the design.
Title: Re: What convection cooled amplifier do you like?
Post by: Weogo Reed on March 21, 2017, 12:56:56 PM
Hi Folks,

Thanks for the additional data points!

Good health,  Weogo