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Car Audio Equipment
Amplifiers
Passive vs. Active Cooling
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<blockquote data-quote="BnGRacing" data-source="post: 7460719" data-attributes="member: 557400"><p>Fan cooling, external at least, is probably the best of both worlds. I'll explain that later.</p><p></p><p>Fan cooled amps are cheaper to manufacture &amp; distribute. The most expensive part of an amp is the heatsink and using a fan (convection cooling) allows the surface area and weight of the aluminum to be much smaller &amp; lighter than non-fan cooled units. This means the case is cheaper...and since it's lighter, also cheaper to ship. Furthermore, fans can induce noise into an amplifier and they're also very prone to premature failure. Since you don't check every day to see if the fan is still working, you run into the risk of your amp frying when it does.</p><p></p><p>Passive cooling, when done right, is preferred by me. These amps tend to be more expensive as they have to have more heat sink surface area &amp; mass to soak up all the heat. It eventually passes to the surrounding air and these amps normally get hot to the touch (AB). The downside to this setup is that some amps will freak out if they're covered or mounted upside down. Usually not a problem unless you're doing a stealthy install. But if you're doing a stealthy install or plan on competing; you'll need a small fan (preferably 2) of some sort.</p><p></p><p>Now here's where passive cooling and an outboard fan is the best of both worlds. The amp was not designed to have a fan on it but since you're constantly blowing air across the fins, it runs much cooler and lasts longer. Think of it as putting a racing radiator on your car. Engine temps stay manageable when you beat on it - same goes with amps. Also, you can mount these amps any which way you like if there's some air flowing. And if you're worried about the noise issue; use a relay and mount it on the output side. No noise. And if a fan breaks, you still have all those cooling fins taking care of the amp until you notice the problem.</p><p></p><p>I should also say that many fan-cooled amps are designed poorly as they do not flow air around the hot bits and just kinda put it in the middle. The Zapcos and Adcoms and Xtants all do it right as air is directed to the hottest points on the amp. Cheaper amps? It's like they cut a hole in the amp case and glued a fan there.</p><p></p><p>Putting a fan on a massively heat sinked amp is always a good thing.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="BnGRacing, post: 7460719, member: 557400"] Fan cooling, external at least, is probably the best of both worlds. I'll explain that later. Fan cooled amps are cheaper to manufacture & distribute. The most expensive part of an amp is the heatsink and using a fan (convection cooling) allows the surface area and weight of the aluminum to be much smaller & lighter than non-fan cooled units. This means the case is cheaper...and since it's lighter, also cheaper to ship. Furthermore, fans can induce noise into an amplifier and they're also very prone to premature failure. Since you don't check every day to see if the fan is still working, you run into the risk of your amp frying when it does. Passive cooling, when done right, is preferred by me. These amps tend to be more expensive as they have to have more heat sink surface area & mass to soak up all the heat. It eventually passes to the surrounding air and these amps normally get hot to the touch (AB). The downside to this setup is that some amps will freak out if they're covered or mounted upside down. Usually not a problem unless you're doing a stealthy install. But if you're doing a stealthy install or plan on competing; you'll need a small fan (preferably 2) of some sort. Now here's where passive cooling and an outboard fan is the best of both worlds. The amp was not designed to have a fan on it but since you're constantly blowing air across the fins, it runs much cooler and lasts longer. Think of it as putting a racing radiator on your car. Engine temps stay manageable when you beat on it - same goes with amps. Also, you can mount these amps any which way you like if there's some air flowing. And if you're worried about the noise issue; use a relay and mount it on the output side. No noise. And if a fan breaks, you still have all those cooling fins taking care of the amp until you notice the problem. I should also say that many fan-cooled amps are designed poorly as they do not flow air around the hot bits and just kinda put it in the middle. The Zapcos and Adcoms and Xtants all do it right as air is directed to the hottest points on the amp. Cheaper amps? It's like they cut a hole in the amp case and glued a fan there. Putting a fan on a massively heat sinked amp is always a good thing. [/QUOTE]
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Passive vs. Active Cooling
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