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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
 

Resistance is futile
veroman's avatar
veroman
291 posts
 
the obvious: old school meets new. entertainment centers of today are not designed for tubes generally. if you really want tubes that badly then take the plunge and work with the reality of using heavy heat producing amps, show those puppies off! you ask.. stick w ss? why are you considering tubes in the first place? mono blocks are a big jump from a ss amp in an ent. center with glass doors. don't mean to offend but, tubes are not little black and silver boxes that offer convenienc and mobility. fwiw, i think tubes are a great match with those spkrs. peace
jack_dotson OP
210 posts
 
Thanks to everyone for your responses and sorry for the delayed follow-up. Step mom died so I was out of town for awhile.

You guys reinforced what I thought, but just wanted to hear from some tube guys.

Some asked why tubes? I like the sound of tubes with Klipsch CW's. I've heard these speakers with many amps and have yet to hear a solid state unit that sounds as good as tubes.

Many recommended placing the amps behind the speakers, but I just don't have enough room and most recommend against putting them on the speakers.

At this point I've decided I have to do something with the entertainment center or stick with solid state.

Anyhow, thanks to all for your responses and suggestions. I appreciate your time.
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
I have a similar problem, though slightly different. I have an open architecture rack, open on front, sides and rear. However, there is only about 3 inches of clearance from the shelf above it. No room for seperate amp stands, and this tube amp runs in Class A and throws off a lot of heat.
My wife and I both like the way it sounds, but I need to do something to cool the amp down. I've tried a few 120V fans, and found one that is fairly quiet. It can still be heard from 10 feet away when there is no music or quiet passages though. However, it does a great job of cooling.

I find the idea that the 12V fans may be even quieter to sound reasonable, but how would I run this on a 120V line? Would I need a step down transformer? Would I be better off just finding a variac to slow the fan I currently have a little more?

Also, do these 'tube cooler' items that I've seen selling really work? They seem kind of pricey, but if they drop the temperature significantly they may be worth it. Which are the best?

TIA,
John
newbee
4,093 posts
 
John I have some small (5" ?) 120v fans made for electronic cases I got at an electronics store. Run full speed they were quite noisy from air flow. They also vibrated a tad as well. I got a 'varible fan speed control' at Home Depot which works very well, and I mounted the fans with glue and some soft rubber to prevent the vibrations. Very quiet results with reduced flow. I've never used 12v but the little (3"?) computer ones might be a bit noisy due to the amount of air they would have to move (if my conputer is any guide).

FWIW.
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