2. amps-preamps
  3. 1196698410

Tube amp location

I've got a question for you tube guys. I'd like to add a couple of mono tube amps to my combo HT/audio rig. Problem is I have my equipment in an entertainment center which has glass doors on the front, so heat would probably be a problem.

The glass doors are not sealed and have about a 1/4" opening aroung the edge. The back of the entertainment center is fiber board which I cut out around all my equipmet for ventilation and access to wiring. I can easily get 6-8" clearance on top of the components, but only have 20" side to side.

I'm thinking this is not enough ventilation for tubes and I don't have space to put them on floor. Not to mention my wife would throw a fit. So my only other option is on top the of the speakers.

I have Klipsch Cornwall III's so I have a fairly large area to set the amps on, but I'm worried the vibration from the speakers would adversly effect the amplifiers/sound.

What do you guys think? Stick with solid state?

Thanks.
jack_dotson
schipo
1,267 posts
 
I would make a suggestion with the use of a small cooling fan inside the cabinet,one or even two would be fine.
mrjstark
1,112 posts
 
BOTH BAD IDEAS.
tobias
1,534 posts
 
Putting the amps on top of the speakers is absolutely not a good idea for hi-fi, although guitar amps are more or less made like that. You might manage to operate tubes OK in your entertainment center if you had a good fan system--perhaps extraction would work better than impulsion--and as many openings as possible.
elevick
2,439 posts
 
Bet you have room behind the speakers? I'd still try to keep them off the floor though, maybe on amp stands or modified speaker stands?
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