I hear you. Different strokes and all that. When I first get up is when I want to listen to them. Nothing like a quality pressing LP with that first cuppa. Life affirming.
Heat generated by Pass Labs amps.
- Thread starter neac1976
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Appropriate to possibly nothing, I just learned that part of the auto biasing logic takes into account heat fin temperature, so mono amps running at different temperatures could have different bias settings so different sound. I can’t speak to whether your nearly 3 degree difference is significant or not. Just an interesting side note.
My amps have been on 3 hours now. My Laser thermometer shows 109F on the fins. Room temperature is 70F. I play loud but the meters do not move. 20.8C room temp and 44C fin temp- 24C delta which is about the same as I saw on my previous X350 amp
I notice your amps match your DAWs rather handsomely. Well done.
Just noticed you have the upgraded feet on your DAWs. Can you tell me what you heard with that change?
I appreciate you noticing that. Those are the Isoacoustic Gaia footers sized for the weight of the DAW‘s. I had a set (smaller version) on my previous, Thiel CS6 speakers. The system is on a suspended wood floor. When the DAW‘s were on their spikes I could feel a lot of vibration in the floor. Knowing what the Isoacoustic Gaia‘s did for the Thiels I installed a set on the Wilson‘s to try. The Gaias do not completely isolate the speakers from the floor but they removed most of the vibration in the floor that I could feel with my feet. (Reference my posts in the vibration forum where you can see a video I did about the isolation on my amps. The floor still has vibration but mostly airborne now.) They clean up the bass and focus the imaging. The bass is still really strong and energizes my room. All pictures are secured to the walls with blue tac to keep them from buzzing. I believe the Iso footers absorb energy from the speaker cabinet, not just isolating the speakers from the floor. That was my experience with the Thiels: when I isolated them with springs, it was very effective but they still sounded better using the Iso Gaias.
I spoke to Wilson Audio about using the Gaia footers. They say their new Wilson acoustic diodes sound better. I do not doubt that but they are twice the price- and I had already purchased the Gaias.
I have a pair of the X260.8s. As most have said, they run warm but not hot in my experience. (I can leave my hand on the top plate as long as I like.)
Maybe they heat up my moderate-sized listening room a little, but not much. I have never noticed the room getting uncomfortably hot.
Maybe they heat up my moderate-sized listening room a little, but not much. I have never noticed the room getting uncomfortably hot.
You must not live in Florida.
I’ll admit that while the 260.8s don’t get super hot, in my closed listening room in the summer here in Central FL, it can get a bit warm.That’s too bad.You must not live in Florida.
Nope, I live in Minnesota.
Interestingly, my listening room is in the basement and thus is partially below ground level. So, the room stays about 65 degrees F year round.
There are times when I wish the room was warmer. But in the summer, it is damn nice in there.
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You have the X series. My X600.8 does not get that hot, either. Not even horribly warm. But I was keen about the XA or the XS series but read that the surface temperature on those amps runs about 53 degrees C. Living in Bangkok, I imagine having to pay double for air conditioning. So I am waiting for the new XA and XS lines, which may, might, possibly address this heat issue. Is it resolvable? We will see.
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Interesting thread and your feedback on your X260.8’s resonate as I’d been considering moving from my Krell Duo 300 XD which is pure Class A to the X250.8. Some in other platforms suggest such a move would be a lateral move. Seems like a move to the X350.8 might pull comparable power and generate similar heat as your mono blocks. But living here in the desert it’s as much about the power draw as the heat because they go hand-in-hand since my amplifier resides in the same room as my thermostat, so if a unit outputs significant heat then of course the AC runs harder and longer so creates a vicious cycle of sorts. Surprisingly my KRELL doesn’t get particularly warm. Nothing at all like the previous generations of KRELL amplifiers I’ve had. I just wonder if the X350.8 might strike the right bsksnce - providing additional headroom and a nice upgrade without a tremendous spike in heat output, current draw and commensurate AC expense. I’m used to the KRELL and if in the same ballpark it’s entirely manageable. It seems as though there aren’t many options in at this level if a person wants to live in the Class A domain.
I recently acquired a Lyngdorf MXA – 8400 multi channel for my home theater and it’s a beast and sounds magnificent, but I’ve had dealer friends caution me about class D for 2.0 channel music. They agree Class D has come a long ways but simply cannot quite rival pure Class A or A/B.
Please be aware that the X series amps are not pure Class A to their rated full power.
My X260.8 monoblocks do Class A for the first 34 watts, then slide into Class B.
I do not know the specs on the X350.8 and how much it does in Class A. But you may notice a sound difference coming from your pure Class A Krell Duo 300.
Fair, and thanks for the feedback. Another "candidate" just came up on my radar for consideration: the McIntosh MC462. Anyone out there with any knowledge of this piece?
Maybe I'm not understanding this post but , any device making heat the is sitting on a floor that is radiating heat IE radiant heat will suffer .
Consider amps with no fans use convection to cool them .
The cooler air gets pulled up by the hotter air moving threw the fins .
What you are doing is making the cooler air be about 100 degrees F to start with .
If you turn off the heat and let the floor cool the amp will now be cooler to the touch .
Floor radiant heat is the worse case for any heat convection cooling products
What you can do is place amps on a platform and have fans blowing up into the fins to move more air IE increasing there removal of heat .
Floor heat is great but does have it's side effects.
Ps I run krells and ml no 33 amps a few times higher in bias and heat dissipation is needed.
Consider amps with no fans use convection to cool them .
The cooler air gets pulled up by the hotter air moving threw the fins .
What you are doing is making the cooler air be about 100 degrees F to start with .
If you turn off the heat and let the floor cool the amp will now be cooler to the touch .
Floor radiant heat is the worse case for any heat convection cooling products
What you can do is place amps on a platform and have fans blowing up into the fins to move more air IE increasing there removal of heat .
Floor heat is great but does have it's side effects.
Ps I run krells and ml no 33 amps a few times higher in bias and heat dissipation is needed.
I actually have my Krell amp on a platform But here in the desert (Phoenix AZ) we have very little need for heat. A little in December and January and yes. The floors will get cold in Dec/Jan. . If lucky we need neither heat or AC in most if not all of March and some of April. By May temps are easily close to 100° or higher. By June it is non stop 110° or more by day and nights seldom if ever get below 90°.
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