BuffySlayer Posted October 16, 2017 Posted October 16, 2017 Also one to consider is the AC Infinity S2 model which blows air out back rather than up https://www.acinfinity.com/component-usb-fans/multifan-s2-quiet-usb-cooling-blower-120mm/
IMDave Posted October 16, 2017 Posted October 16, 2017 On 15/10/2017 at 11:54 PM, Kaynin said: Yep, thanks to @Pops110 as well, I'm going this option because they have the USB end as factory fit off, plus are specced for 5V. It will be either the single or double fan, I'll have a closer look tonight. @IMDave - how far is your sitting potion from the fans? Also, when you can hear them when the system is silent is that when they're running on High (considering they have 3 speeds). I'm not sure on a single 120mm or double 80mm... Expand I have them running on "Low" and they do a great job. Sitting position is 2.5-3m, but even with nothing playing, it's more like this very faint 'buzz' where you suddenly remember they're there. Less neurotic people probably wouldn't even notice it. 2
Kaynin Posted October 16, 2017 Posted October 16, 2017 On 16/10/2017 at 10:20 AM, IMDave said: I have them running on "Low" and they do a great job. Sitting position is 2.5-3m, but even with nothing playing, it's more like this very faint 'buzz' where you suddenly remember they're there. Less neurotic people probably wouldn't even notice it. Expand Awesome, sounds promising. My seating position is a little further away than that. I purchased the AC Infinity S7, which is the dual 120mm USB fans. I've been concerned about the heat factor of my set-up for a while, so it feels good to finally be doing something about it. 3
srey Posted October 18, 2017 Author Posted October 18, 2017 I hit up AC infinity for their input on my setup and their response was that the 80mm gap I've got really isn't enough clearance to run the top venting T9 box.So I just ordered the T8 rear blower, as well as the dual 120mm fans. I'll get the T8 blowing air to the rear of the cabinet and then use one or both of the seperate fans to help move the air out and up the back of the cabinet; if one's sufficient there I might use the other to help move air into the AVR vents.Hopefully they do the trick!
Kaynin Posted October 18, 2017 Posted October 18, 2017 On 18/10/2017 at 2:43 AM, srey said: if one's sufficient there I might use the other to help move air into the AVR vents. Expand Be mindful of the extra dust you'll be sending in.
betty boop Posted October 18, 2017 Posted October 18, 2017 On 18/10/2017 at 2:43 AM, srey said: I hit up AC infinity for their input on my setup and their response was that the 80mm gap I've got really isn't enough clearance to run the top venting T9 box. So I just ordered the T8 rear blower, as well as the dual 120mm fans. I'll get the T8 blowing air to the rear of the cabinet and then use one or both of the seperate fans to help move the air out and up the back of the cabinet; if one's sufficient there I might use the other to help move air into the AVR vents. Hopefully they do the trick! Expand What dont like about the boxed units is the box will actually block all top vent grills on what ever unit trying to cool. You basically move from natural convection to 100% forced cooling. Is this needed ? maybe in a sealed rack unit or something. But in entertainment racks I've used use one to two fans plonked on top to assist natural convection seems to be more than enough
Guest Sime Posted October 18, 2017 Posted October 18, 2017 On 18/10/2017 at 5:18 AM, Kaynin said: Be mindful of the extra dust you'll be sending in. Expand This is always the trade off
powerav Posted October 18, 2017 Posted October 18, 2017 There is nothing like fixing a problem that didn't exist in the first place only to create another bigger one.
Jventer Posted October 18, 2017 Posted October 18, 2017 Re dust and other stuff. Isn't it amazing what get stuck on fans. Does not matter if it is ceiling fans, aircons, computers, TV's etc. Does not matter if it is high, low in a cabinet or not either. Where possible I have filters or screens and I taught myself to regularly clean everything with a fan. Just one of those things that we need airflow with its side effects. 1
srey Posted October 18, 2017 Author Posted October 18, 2017 On 18/10/2017 at 5:41 AM, :) al said: What dont like about the boxed units is the box will actually block all top vent grills on what ever unit trying to cool. You basically move from natural convection to 100% forced cooling. Is this needed ? maybe in a sealed rack unit or something. But in entertainment racks I've used use one to two fans plonked on top to assist natural convection seems to be more than enough [emoji4] It's a fair point for sure, but on the flipside there's also less chance of the fans pulling hot exhaust air back into the unit through the open vents, rather than drawing in from the lower vents and moving air past the system. Worst case I'll just use the USB fans on top and sell the box unit to someone with a setup suited to it.As for the dust issue , I think exhaust fans will cause just as much dust ingress as a positive pressure fan. At least the big box on top will stop dust from falling down from the top. [emoji14]
Kaynin Posted October 18, 2017 Posted October 18, 2017 On 18/10/2017 at 7:29 AM, Jventer said: Re dust and other stuff. Isn't it amazing what get stuck on fans. Does not matter if it is ceiling fans, aircons, computers, TV's etc. Does not matter if it is high, low in a cabinet or not either. Where possible I have filters or screens and I taught myself to regularly clean everything with a fan. Just one of those things that we need airflow with its side effects. Expand Yep, I had a NAD T787 fail because I never cleaned the four fans inside the unit. When the tech opened the unit he took a photo of the dust because he didn't think I'd appreciate how bad it was. Filters are an excellent idea...
betty boop Posted October 18, 2017 Posted October 18, 2017 On 18/10/2017 at 9:21 AM, Kaynin said: Yep, I had a NAD T787 fail because I never cleaned the four fans inside the unit. When the tech opened the unit he took a photo of the dust because he didn't think I'd appreciate how bad it was. Filters are an excellent idea... Expand I remember this story cav posted of a cat that liked sleeping on amps... this can be worse than dust ! http://www.carltonaudiovisual.com.au/news/amp_cat/ I made sure my elektra is 12V triggers... so when not using its stone cold and cat doesnt seek it out
Kaynin Posted October 18, 2017 Posted October 18, 2017 On 18/10/2017 at 10:08 AM, :) al said: I remember this story cav posted of a cat that liked sleeping on amps... this can be worse than dust ! http://www.carltonaudiovisual.com.au/news/amp_cat/ I made sure my elektra is 12V triggers... so when not using its stone cold and cat doesnt seek it out Expand Lol, that's crazy.
maccdaddy Posted October 22, 2017 Posted October 22, 2017 I don't have any pics for you since I'm on site at the moment, but I also used the Noctua fans (obviously you don't require the PWM ones). What I did differently was pull the lid off the amp, measure up the biggest fan(s) that you could fit inside the amp on the top of the case and mounted them there. I used a cabinet mounted DC socket to make keep the amp as a self contained unit, though this is completely unnecessary if you want to limit the amount of DIY. The fan can then be powered by a wallwart 12v supply from Jaycar or another you likely have laying around the house unused. A smaller supply can be used, or the inline resistor that is supplied with the Noctua fans can be used to ensure the fans are quiet enough. I used the 12v since once tested and found the amp was now stone cold during all operations, it meant I could install the resistor and reduce the fan noise further. Now that the fan is installed and the power is sussed it needs to turn on when the amp does. This can be done easily by anyone that can take their time. By throwing together a small Jaycar enclosure, a low power relay and a jack plugged into the 12v trigger on the back of your amp the fans will be off when the amp is off and will fire up a couple of seconds after the amp turns on. This is a neat reusable system that can be made for less than the cost of any of the pre-made options while moving more air with less noise. FYI, Noctua fans now come in black 3
Guest Sime Posted October 22, 2017 Posted October 22, 2017 On 18/10/2017 at 10:20 AM, Kaynin said: Lol, that's crazy. Expand Yes, crazy, cats, just need the word lady……………
Kaynin Posted October 22, 2017 Posted October 22, 2017 On 22/10/2017 at 2:58 AM, maccdaddy said: I don't have any pics for you since I'm on site at the moment, but I also used the Noctua fans (obviously you don't require the PWM ones). What I did differently was pull the lid off the amp, measure up the biggest fan(s) that you could fit inside the amp on the top of the case and mounted them there. I used a cabinet mounted DC socket to make keep the amp as a self contained unit, though this is completely unnecessary if you want to limit the amount of DIY. The fan can then be powered by a wallwart 12v supply from Jaycar or another you likely have laying around the house unused. A smaller supply can be used, or the inline resistor that is supplied with the Noctua fans can be used to ensure the fans are quiet enough. I used the 12v since once tested and found the amp was now stone cold during all operations, it meant I could install the resistor and reduce the fan noise further. Now that the fan is installed and the power is sussed it needs to turn on when the amp does. This can be done easily by anyone that can take their time. By throwing together a small Jaycar enclosure, a low power relay and a jack plugged into the 12v trigger on the back of your amp the fans will be off when the amp is off and will fire up a couple of seconds after the amp turns on. This is a neat reusable system that can be made for less than the cost of any of the pre-made options while moving more air with less noise. FYI, Noctua fans now come in black Expand An an awesome option if you're handy, good work!
Kaynin Posted October 22, 2017 Posted October 22, 2017 On 22/10/2017 at 3:21 AM, Sime said: Yes, crazy, cats, just need the word lady…………… Expand Yep, and you'll be describing my mother-in-law!!!
Kaynin Posted October 31, 2017 Posted October 31, 2017 On 15/10/2017 at 9:50 PM, IMDave said: Just another vote for the AC Infinity option: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IJ2J2K0/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I have this pair of 80mm USB powered fans( plug into one of the rear Oppo 203's USB inputs) on top of my HK990 integrated amp. Without them, when cranking the amp, it would run at ~50C, with them extracting from over the vents the temp drops to low 20C. They supposedly run at around 20dB, so they can only barely be heard from the sitting position when the system is not actually playing anything. Best $30 I've spent all year. Expand Well, my results are similar to yours. I picked up the AC Infinity dual 120mm fans, $60 delievered. Sitting on top of the Consonance, which has a tube output stage so runs warm, the temps have gone from 50 degrees to 29. Having said that I had to remove the rubber feet on both sides of the fan because it's such a tight fit between the Consonance and the cabinet - so with a little more room I think the temp would drop a bit further. Anyway, it's now cool to the touch, so I'm stoked! 3 1
J5000 Posted October 31, 2017 Posted October 31, 2017 I'm not trying to take this too off topic. But how long were the delivery time getting these fans from Amazon? Just bought a exhaust blower and a fan plus a mesh dust filter from ebay from a store in Australia and cost me close to $140. Surely it's cheaper through Amazon
Kaynin Posted October 31, 2017 Posted October 31, 2017 I bought mine through ebay, fatcatmarket was the seller. It took 15 days from payment to my door.
srey Posted October 31, 2017 Author Posted October 31, 2017 On 31/10/2017 at 11:37 AM, J5000 said: I'm not trying to take this too off topic. But how long were the delivery time getting these fans from Amazon? Just bought a exhaust blower and a fan plus a mesh dust filter from ebay from a store in Australia and cost me close to $140. Surely it's cheaper through Amazon I ordered mine from Amazon. The smaller fan pair shipped separately to the big box cooler I got, but they arrived within 1 working day of each other.Ordered on a Wednesday, first package arrived the Friday of the following week, and the second on the subsequent Monday. So 9 and 12 days respectively.Cost me $195 shipped, whereas the cheapest I could find the same things locally would have been ~$460 plus shipping.I set the gear up last night, will post up my thoughts once I've used it a bit more. 2
alittlewino Posted October 31, 2017 Posted October 31, 2017 (edited) Fractal Design SILENT SERIES R2 Case Fan 92mm - I use 2 of these to cool my Conrad Johnson valve power amp and other gear - one in each cabinet segment. Didn't go for anything fancy re temp switching or USB - used a left over wall power pack, wired in parallel and simply switch on/off at the wall very very quiet and very very effective - the outside of our cabinet beside the CJ is cool to the touch now so quiet that sometimes I forget to turn them off at the end of a session edit - 12.5 dB i.e less than half the sound level of options being favoured here, if noise is important Edited November 5, 2017 by alittlewino added sound spec
jamiebosco Posted November 5, 2017 Posted November 5, 2017 On 31/10/2017 at 12:00 PM, srey said: I ordered mine from Amazon. The smaller fan pair shipped separately to the big box cooler I got, but they arrived within 1 working day of each other. Ordered on a Wednesday, first package arrived the Friday of the following week, and the second on the subsequent Monday. So 9 and 12 days respectively. Cost me $195 shipped, whereas the cheapest I could find the same things locally would have been ~$460 plus shipping. I set the gear up last night, will post up my thoughts once I've used it a bit more. Expand Any updates on this? Ive got some AC Infinity S7 USB fans coming this week. Hopefully they are as quiet as the reviews claim
J5000 Posted November 5, 2017 Posted November 5, 2017 I've got the smaller S2 single fan and it's quiet. Very impressed with it. 1
srey Posted November 5, 2017 Author Posted November 5, 2017 As I mentioned above, my AC Infinity gear arrived from Amazon, so I thought I should post my thoughts here in case somene else is looking for some info sometime. I should preface all this by saying that I sit pretty close to my receiver (like 7ft from ear to AVR). Due to the limited headroom above my AVR, the guys at AC Infinity suggested that their top venting cooler box wouldn't be a good choice, and I should go with a rear vent option. Bit of a bummer as blowers are always going to be louder for the same airflow than a fan, but I heeded the advice and ordered the T8 cooler box, plus the S7 USB dual 120mm fans to piggyback off the box and help move the hot air up from the back of the AV cabinet. The twin 120mm USB fans arrived first, so over I set them up to replace the DIY antec fans I had been running in the interim. Plugged them into the USB port on the back of my Denon and fired the thing up. They've got three speed settings and for me were inaudible on low, almost inaudible on medium, and could be heard over quiet content on high. Cooling wise they did a similar job on medium setting to my hacked DIY setup: seemed to be able to keep the AVR running within about 10-12° of ambient in the room. At first it had me thinking "****, maybe I should have just saved the money and just got these, they'll probably do the job fine". That was until I turned my setup off and found the fans still running afterwards, apparently my receiver supplied power to the USB port even in standby! So a couple of days later the T8 box showed up and I could give it a run. It's a nice enough looking bit of kit and easy enough to understand the setup instructions. The real reason I went with the T8 was because I needed something competely automatic. Even if I could train myself to turn the cooling on/off with the AVR, the other half is another story: if it doesn't come on when she presses "watch stuff" on the remote, it's not getting turned on. Unfortunately the T8 isn't what you could call "silent". I figured the noise claims in the spec sheet (24db) were probably a bit optimistic, but in the end I'd only call the unit "silent" in my setup when it's running on level 1 (out of 6). Out of the box level 2 was audible in silent/super quiet scenes, and level 3 was starting to become a constant hum over quiet content. On the upside though, the thing cools very well. It pretty much keeps pace with the other fan setups on it's lowest setting, and has been able to comfortably keep things within 8° of ambient when I let it switch to level 2 as required. I tried cranking it to full power for a bit whilst playing some tunes and although it starts to sounds like a tornado, it brought the temps down to 3° above ambient, which is pretty damn impressive given that I don't think the heat sinks inside the AVR will be anything to write home about. Big advantage of this design is that there's no heat on top of the cooler and it can support a bunch of weight. So if your setup requires you to stack components, this is a viable solution for cooling one and ensuring that the heat isn't just pumped into the unit on top. Yesterday I pulled the thing apart to see if some added soundproofing sheet inside mightn't help things. A bit of an improvement was had, so from the seating position I can now use levels 1 and 2 without being distracted, even in quiet scenes. Overall I'm happy enough with the product. I'd certainly like it if it was quieter, but with the setup I have at the moment I guess I'm going to have to accept some limitations for the convenience I'm after. The unboxed fans on top of the unit are definitely going to be quieter, event the T9 box with fans rather than blowers would probably be noticably quieter, but I don't think any of those would do a good enough job of cooling the receiver when things get warm through summer. Hope that helps anyone who's looking for some feedback, any other questions you have, feel free to ask away! 3
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