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EQUIPMENT FORUMS >> SE34I.5 >> SE34I.4 Heat Question
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Message started by bokat57 on 04/27/15 at 16:10:20

Title: SE34I.4 Heat Question
Post by bokat57 on 04/27/15 at 16:10:20

Hi
How hot does the se34 get ? In a small room (12x10) would this amp produce to much heat and raise the ambient room temperature to an uncomfortable level ?

What is your overall impression of the rachel ?

Thanks
Bob

Title: Re: SE34I.4 Heat Question
Post by hdrider on 04/27/15 at 21:34:59

Bokat57- I received my Rachael at the end of last October. Fantastic amp, even better with my new (160+ hours so far) Omega 7XRS speakers that are 95 dB and 8 ohms. A fantastic match, plenty of power and the amp and ZP3 phono are just making magic on a daily basis. HEAT? I have all my gear in a coat closet that is in the living room and even with the door closed and all the gear on, it only raises the ambient temp of the closet about 10 degrees. I was worried so I purchased the same calibrated digital therm that I use in our QC room at work and it is a non issue, in my room. I would not really worry about it. Enjoy and post your findings. What speakers are you going to be driving with the amp? Let me know if you have any other questions, this forum is amazing. Happy listening, Chris.

Title: Re: SE34I.4 Heat Question
Post by bokat57 on 04/27/15 at 23:21:32

Hi hdrider

Right now I have the mini torii ll driving omega super 3s speakers ( 94db @ 8 ohms ) I am very happy with this combination along with the schiit gungnir dac. I am considering the se34i.4 for a possible future try.

Do you get any speaker hum or hiss when the amp is on but no music is playing ? If so how far from the speaker do you go before you don't hear it ?

Are you using the stock tubes ?

Thanks
Bob

Title: Re: SE34I.4 Heat Question
Post by hdrider on 04/28/15 at 14:24:03

Bob- With my cd (have not replaced the DAC yet) is have no hiss or noise through the Rachael/Omega combo at my listening area, volume wide open. That is WAY louder than I could ever listen to it. With the phono I still have a very small amount of what I call ''motorboating" which I determined was the ZP3 being near the Rachael, but that is also with the volume set WAY higher than I could ever listen to the phono. At normal volumes, pretty quiet. Running stock tubes now since I just got proper speakers for this amp. I will play with tubes next fall/winter. Heat, not a problem at all. Love the Decware/Omega set up. Listening to Rodrigo y Gab live in Tokyo last night and the presentation was just magical. Happy listening, Chris.

Title: Re: SE34I.4 Heat Question
Post by bokat57 on 04/28/15 at 15:14:39

Hi Chris

The Information you have provided has been very helpful !

Thanks
Bob

Title: Re: SE34I.4 Heat Question
Post by FullRangeMan on 05/01/15 at 13:50:04

Bob, It depend where do you live.
A tube amp in Canada is one thing, the same amp in Mexico is not suited to use in summer.
It may need air cond in the summer if one live in a hot area.

Title: Re: SE34I.4 Heat Question
Post by hdrider on 05/03/15 at 17:31:47

Heat issue resolved!! I find that living in the Santa Cruz mtns, that in the spring/summer the proper brand of beer in a chilled pint glass or the fall/winter a single malt (proper glassware is not just for tube amps either) will offset any temp issues…. Just kidding, I was prepared for some issues with this new gear in the closet but it has averaged about 8 to 12 degrees above the ambient temp of the living room. We are just getting into summer like weather now so July/August might be a different situation. With the speakers removed from the living room due to contractors texturing/painting I am having a very Zen weekend without music, quiet when they have all gone home. But really I will be looking forward to next weekend when I can put the living room back together and get my tubes glowing. Happy listening, Chris.

Title: Re: SE34I.4 Heat Question
Post by Ellsworth on 05/03/15 at 23:36:01

As I consider exploring a low power tube amp, high efficiency speaker setup, this question has also been on my mind. The space on my rack is open front and back and 20 inches wide. The height is 10 inches from bottom to top.

Will this height be a problem? In the worst case, I could drill holes in the top of the rack to let heat escape but would prefer not to do that. The Mini-tori may also be a better fit for that rack space. Any insight or comments on this are appreciated.

Title: Re: SE34I.4 Heat Question
Post by Archie on 05/04/15 at 01:21:29

I have a ZMA and the inner transformers get pretty hot as do the 4 KT66 power tubes. My concern was more that the transformers might over heat. I have pretty good room above and on two sides of my amp but the back and one side are just inches away from walls. I bought a Nexus fan and a speed controller and I mounted the fan behind the amp. I keep it on and it gently blows air across the amp. Its noise is negligible. I keep it at a very low speed though.

Title: Re: SE34I.4 Heat Question
Post by Syd on 05/04/15 at 09:34:34

Height is a factor for many of the hi-fi racks that are happy with ss gear, cd players etc but not for big tube amps. I had to lift off a shelf, put in the ZP3 and replace the shelf. The limited headroom meant that I taped tin foil to the underside of the shelf above it to help dissipate the heat from the amp and stop the shelf getting hot. They were early days with Decware and I`ve since move the amps to one platform where they can all get warm together with unlimited space above.
Regarding the room getting uncomfortable with the heat from the tubes. I`ve got 4 amps running in a 12x9ft room. Winter time I still need the radiator on when it`s cold outside ( UK cold, not US v/cold ).
Springtime when it`s still cool I`m not thinking more heat which I may for the rest of the house. Summer when it`s hot outside the room feels like it`s gone up a few degrees, but as I listen in the evening it`s all good. A window and a door open trying to find a little breeze is a perennial pastime. 8-)
With one SE34 running I doubt you`ll notice any change.

Title: Re: SE34I.4 Heat Question
Post by Ellsworth on 05/04/15 at 12:31:21

Thanks for the replies. Between running a fan or putting holes in the top of the rack, I should be able to come up with a solution.

Title: Re: SE34I.4 Heat Question
Post by hdrider on 05/14/15 at 20:55:38

If you have real concerns about the temp of your gear, I used to use and sell products from ATM (Active Thermal Management) when I was in the custom install business. Might be too much $$$ but you can get ideas about what you can do with a little whisper fan and some imagination. They are really good products, but the ideas are good also. Happy listening, Chris.

Title: Re: SE34I.4 Heat Question
Post by honkytonkwillie on 01/25/16 at 11:08:16

Some actual numbers for the heat: 90 watts continuous is what my Rachael measured pulling from the wall. It all goes up as heat somewhere. <1% at the speakers most of the time, so >99% rises from the amp.