I picked up a BDI entertainment rack and decided to put my XA-25 inside. Bad idea? The rack is ventilated below and behind. I lowered the shelf to give it as much room as I can, but to the touch, I think it is running hotter than when it is in open air.
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Get this and enjoy your rack!
Sadly, they are not expensive. But you get to choose the power source! I use Anker power units. I never wrap the power supplies in 3M magic material or foil. No fuses.
Put them in the back, blowing towards the front, set them on low. They are very quiet.
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Inside a cabinet is never ideal for a class A amplifier (or preamp).
I would definitely take Al’s advice about the fans.
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I have used these for years. They take care of all sorts of touchy issues. All my gear is Class A, hence my experience with them.
Completely agree with adding fans. IME BDI cooling is marginal for class D. Natural convection won’t be enough. It will need a lot of forced cooling flow at the risk of creating fan noise, which can be significant if not well chosen and implemented.
Besides adding fans I’d recommend sealing the existing vents in the back to ensure the fan flow isn’t short circuited. Also ensure there are cut outs in the bottom of the unit and the shelf the amp is sitting that are at least as large and preferably larger than the combined fan openings to minimize air flow restrictions. You may need to consider multiple fans.
We recently replaced a custom wall unit with glass doors similar to your unit with a BDI Elements 8779/Wheat which has perforated metal door panels and vented sliding rear panels. We love the look, but cooling is marginal at best.
We’re running a class D NAD AVR that was never even warm to the touch in the wall unit, which I’d added cooling fans with thermistor switches. In the BDI I’m now running with the rear panel slid open because the NAD runs warm with it closed. It’s not hot, but a lot warmer than I think it should be.
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Our Luxman 509X Is in an enclosed BDI rack.
Initially I had similar concerns. After several years without forced air cooling it has been just fine. Personally I would prefer it out in the open. My wife prefers the gear in the BDI for her office/condo. Al’s suggestion for a quiet fan is an excellent option.
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Hmmm… fans or just move my amp on top of the rack. Are these fans audible when nothing is playing?
In my experience, no. But for less than $20 you might go crazy and give them a try. They offer three different speeds. One fan at low speed may do the trick. They come as a separable pair.
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