I would like to ask for advice and assistance regarding a Power Plant PerfectWave 5 unit that I recently purchased (used). I am unsure whether this is a normal operational characteristic or a potential issue.
The unit’s fan runs continuously, even when I turn the P5 off using the remote control.
When I turn it on with the rear power switch, the fans spin up as expected, then the noise stops, as if they have shut down.
However, I can still feel a slight airflow by hand, and when listening closely, I can hear that the fan(s) are still running.
The only way to completely stop them is by turning off the unit with the rear power switch. Otherwise, they remain on at all times, whether the P5 is powered on or in standby mode.
The device temperature remains around 30°C in both standby and idle operating states, while the room temperature is 22°C (according to PowerPlay readings).
The latest v0.46 firmware is installed.
Is this behavior normal, or does it indicate that some action is needed?
Welcome @peter64 to the forum. I don’t own a PP5 personally so any specific advise I would provide would be mere speculation. I’m sure someone on the forum who has direct knowledge will offer their perspective.
Additionally, if you’re not already aware, PS Audio has a great technical support staff comprised of real humans (like @jamesh) who answer phones and return emails promptly with great advice (they’ve seen just about everything regarding their products at this point). I wouldn’t hesitate to contact them on whether your fan behavior is normal.
Thank you for your help so far. Based on your previous responses and my online research, I believe that the P5’s fans do not run constantly but only turn on at a certain performance level or temperature.
I removed the P5 from its stand to take off the top, but I can’t see any screws there—only on the bottom, and there are a lot of them…
Now I have no idea how to remove the top.
Could someone help me with this? Maybe I just need to clean it instead of taking it to a service center.
Are you sure there are no allen key bolts at near the top of the side corners - that’s how a number of lids are removed, i.e. undo the allen bolts and lift (maybe by suction) the lid off.
There was only a very fine layer of dust inside, which I cleaned out, but I wasn’t expecting any improvement… Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened.
What do you think, is it worth getting it repaired? It doesn’t bother me that the fan runs continuously because it’s so quiet that you can’t hear it even in silence, only from very close.
I see you’re in Budapest. If I were you I’d ask the local Distributor whether they’ve seen this before and if no luck ask PS Audio directly.
I have a couple of P10s and the P5 is a slimmed down version. In my opinion this range was the first range that really did a good job of regenerating so probably worth fixing if it’s obvious what is likely to be wrong. I don’t understand why it’s running at 30 degrees if there’s no load other than the fan so either there is a load or something more important is wrong. You don’t want to risk a fire.
I personally wouldn’t be too bothered by the fans. They are very quiet and I don’t notice when mine come on. If you do want to get it repaired, Sound Mania in Szeged is great to work with.
Thanks, you spoke from my heart… but the warning above scared me: “You don’t want to risk a fire.”
I wonder if I might cause some trouble by using it this way. Something must be wrong with this device, right?
I received the following information from PS Audio service, which is more than reassuring for me:
“The P5 should have cooling fans running when on, but it shouldn’t be too noticeable and really shouldn’t be on while in standby. You can continue using the unit, especially if it’s staying cool. I looked at your PowerPlay data as well (I can’t really see anything other than the base data, like wattage, voltage, THD, and temperature, so nothing regarding your personal information) and I don’t see anything concerning regarding its performance at this time other than the fans.
If the fans are too noticeable, I do recommend bringing the unit to SoundMania.”
