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
unclejeff
1,313 posts
 
My wife was not too sure about my pair of McIntosh 2102 amps, either. Then she noticed this is where the guys all gather as they just stare into the blue lights while I explain my system.

I waited a while before pointing out that this is where the guys can finally go while she and her friends hang out in the kitchen.

Amps can be really beautiful. How about getting her that piece of furniture she has been wanting...?
tbg
5,263 posts
 
Can you leave the doors open while playing? Since you have efficient speakers, you could use low wattage SETs and the heat should not be a problem.

I spend a lot of money on isolation of my amps on special racks between the speakers. Even putting them on the floor behind the speakers is unthinkable to me, much less putting them on the speakers If you are going to put the amps within the entertainment center, you also need to consider isolating everything in the cabinet. Certainly, no entertainment center provides much isolation for anything including the television.

Much depends on your goal here. If you are only concerned that the amps might fail, I would just leave the door open while playing. If you want good sound, put them on good stands behind the speakers, isolate the speakers from the floor, and isolate everything within you entertainment center.
audioquest4life
401 posts
 
UncleJeff,

I have to agree with you, with all of the polished shiny aluminum on the turntable and rack and the lights on the mono amps people just ask does that really play music? In regards to the wife, yes, buy her furniture, in my case a new kitchen, now I have a kitchen pass, no pun intended, to get my next big thing if I want it, hmmm, 2 more mono amps, or 2 more tonearms, or whatever, hmmm.... but I think I might be done, really.
Ciao,
Audioquest4life
unclejeff
1,313 posts
 
Hereabouts WAF--stands for Wife Acceptance Factor

I use more the WAF--Wife Assimilation Factor
audioquest4life
401 posts
 
you are funny....my wife gets assimilated when i tell her I will play whatever she wants and she brings down the wine...then the assimilation begins shortly after.
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