I recently purchased the BHK Preamp and decided to add the PS Audio DirectStream DAC Junior. Can I safely stack the DirectStream Junior on top of the BHK Preamp or would that create excessive heat and damage the finish on top of the BHK Preamp?
I would think that since there is a ventilation slot… stacking on top of the preamplifier would not be a wise choice. Placing the pre on top of the dac would probably be fine though.
I agree with mark-d. The vents on the pre-amp are there for a reason.
I have both of these components and I stack them both on top of a P10 with the Pre on top. I have added small spacers to give them a little more breathing room, but the DSJr runs a little hot in the middle. I talked to PSA tech support about this and they said stacking is ok, and that the DS Jr runs hot naturally due to the oversized power supply. I leave the Pre some room above the vents so they can do their thing.
i stacked bhk pream on a directream.
just a esthetic remark: when dimmer of dac is on , its standby button is dimmed, not the standby button of preamp, so it is not very nice to have two logo lights at different level of brightness…
My apologies for brining this thread back from the dead but since it is on the exact topic I was researching why start a new one?
I too plan on stacking a BHK preamp on top of the DSJr DAC and am considering a air spacer between the two components to help the DSJr disapate heat.
Can the perfectwave components be stacked with the stock feet still on them? It seems as though the stock feet would provide a small air buffer between the components but I didn’t know if this was illadvisable due to other considereations?
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Don’t see any reason why not. But seeing as how heat is the enemy of electronics, if you, say put on additional spacing (say in the form of Herbie’s tenderfeet or equivalent) between the units that will improve ventilation between them. in an ideal situation one would use air diffusers to keep the hot air from the bottom unit from reaching the top unit, but that may be overkill and possibly unsightly.
Somewhere in the old Forum I asked the same question (can I stack on BHK Pre on top of my DS Jr) and was told be PSA that there is no problem doing this. My setup is a bit tight, I only have 3" on each side of the stacked pair and 2" above the top of the Pre. The cabinet has an open front and to be safe I cut out much of the back and for good measure I drilled air holes in the top of the back of the console to help with air.
I’ve been running like this now since January. I have had no problems, both units don’t feel hot, the Jr feels the same before I parked the Pre on top. BTW even the owners manuals for both the Pre and Junior say you can stack 'em. All is good.
I believe the DS Jr Bridge circuitry in particular dissipates a fair bit more total watts than the BHK preamp. I would put the Jr. on top and provide ‘adequate’ ventilation. Drill a few holes in the bottom near the front but behind the doors allowing the heat to convect from bottom holes out the top holes. Keep in mind, ambient room temperature will have an affect, especially with heating during the summer months. General rule: if it is too hot to keep your hand on it, it is too hot and its lifetime reduced. I don’t believe I’ve read about a single heat related issue with any of PS Audio recent gear. Ted and Bascom, and Darren Myers and Bob Stadtherr know what they are doing.
I experienced, that just when another component was put on my DS for a few weeks, its rubber feet made slightly remaining traces on the lacquered wooden surface of the DS.
If stacking, then I’d recommend something like felt under the feet. Just take care that with the felt, it shouldn’t be moved to avoid tiny scratches.
So if you’re picky about the smallest traces, I’d avoid stacking on such a lacquered surface.
The manual recommends taking the feet off the piece that will be on the top. I double checked this with PSA who recommended that I put the BHK Pre on top. Taking the feet of the BHK Pre and carefully stacking it on top of the DSJ was a perfect fit. The BHK Pre has a rounded corner piece below the face plate and maybe an 1/8" recessed from the face plate. Those corners fit snug, like they belonged on top of the DSJ.
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I think it depends on the rubber. The PSA feet might be completely uncritical.