I have a weird question today. I personally hate open hifi racks and the fact that equipment and cables are visible. That’s why I have a closed (very sturdy and massive) tv board. It’s deep enough (just) for the P10 / Bhk power amp components but there are 2 millimeters!! missing in height, so they can’t be squeezed in…
Most electronics from other brands are less in height but too deep for my board, which also doesn’t work. As I’m unwilling to give up this beautiful piece of furniture which cost me 6k, here’s my question: can the feet of the big PSAudio Components be removed and either be replaced with feet that are a few millimeters lower or used without any feet at all?
I can’t and won’t build an open and visible highend temple as my living room is my only man cave and wife needs to tolerate all the tech…
Even if you took the feet off P10 in order to squeeze in to a tight space is not going to yield enough air around the device for cooling and ventilation. It is not a question of finding 2mm in height to fit the P10…it is a question of finding 2mm + 6 inches in height, and additional width on either side also. What you have in mind is not workable.
I’m not really sure about that. The console is ventilated from below and the device would have space to the sides. Are they really dissipating that much heat?
The P10 generates heat. That heat has to be dissipated. You not only need an airspace around the P10, you need to be able to get that heated air out of the confined space.
I might take exception to what Brodric is saying. While technically accurate, much depends on the load. In 90% of the installations I have seen with the P20 the heat sinks never even got warm. The P20 is one serious beast. It has a ton of heat sink area and chances are likely pretty good it’s not going to generate much heat, thus, even with poor ventilation it is likely going to be fine.
I was to understand he’s contemplating P10…add to it the heat from a BHK and everything else. I just wouldn’t put one in the confined space of an enclosed cabinet.
Yes, you can remove the feet and use lower feet/pucks underneath the components. I so not recall any ventilation vents under any PS Audio equipment. Out of personal preference, I would have something underneath as I like keeping ventilation on all sides.
I lean toward @Brodric’s camp, concluding there should be at least some ventilation for the components. Heat is the enemy of everything electrical. But I am certain Paul is correct: if the load is minimal everything should be fine. The P10 has a thermal protection circuit as I recall which will shut the unit down if it becomes too hot. The BHK amps may as well.
I’ve posted this picture before and told the story. This is obviously not an enclosed rack. In addition to the perforated front, the back extends out from the rack a couple inches and has vent slots. There is only about 2" above the BHK 250 and the P10.
During a party last July, I had the system playing LOUD. The BHK did overheat towards the end of the night and the protection circuit engaged. Reset everything, turned the volume down a little bit and continued the party. No harm, no foul. Overheating would be a much bigger problem in a fully enclosed rack without an air gap on top and bottom.
Heat is the enemy of electronics. An electrolytic capacitor rated at 85 degrees C has a mean lifetime of about:
50,000 hours at 40 degrees,
2,000 hours at 85 degrees,
0 hours at 105 degrees.
As an installation design point owners should be aiming to make life for their electronics as cool as practicable. Relying on passive cooling of heat generating components installed in confined spaces is likely to be reducing the component service life, even if thermal protection circuits are not being tripped. And having a single ventilation opening in the bottom of the rack is not likely to be effective. Having a route for cool air to come into the space is being blocked by not having a route for heated air to escape.
my board is open in the back, has air vents at the bottom and I will open the door when playing music for longer periods. I think I should be fine… thanks for your answers
Consider some active cooling. There are some slow moving, large diameter 8" USB power fans that are probably quieter than the quietest of rooms - 25dB at couple feet. Moving just a tiny bit of air can cool very effectively so it’s not allowed to ‘sink’ into the components.
I prefer exhausting out the top, drawing in air from the bottom to let convection work. It’s also most effective to use two fans pulling air out vs. one pulling out and another pushing in as this nets the movement of only one fan.
