I bought a 120 mm cooling fan and a quiet computer power supply. Installed them in the back of my cabinet and turned it on. What sounded quiet earlier now sounds to me like a freight train! I can't have my Denon 3805 cooled at the expense of the sound I bought it to create! Any such thing as really "Silent" fans? My cabinet has a glass front and I would like to keep it that way. Any suggestions? Much appreciated.
How about removing the back of the cabinet? If this becomes unsightly because of the glass front maybe a panel made up of speaker material would allow heat disipation without seeing the wall behind.
You have to let a large receiver or power amp breathe. Nothing beside, in front or back of, and especially over top. If you could suspend it in the air without it touching anything, this would be ideal. j/k Otherwise open and above dust is fine.
While a fan will cool the exterior, if the cabinet is enclosed air still won't be able to move through the unit, and heat will still accumulate inside.
This is actually a TV stand that is wide enough to accomidate my 60 inch Sony. 2 enclosed cabinets underneath on either side, and an open one in the middle, (where my Center channel sits.) The receiver is alone on the left side. I took the previous shelf out, used it as a template and created a shelf that is only an edge all around that the feet now sit on. So it is almost floating..... I put it pretty much in the middle of the space, (8 inches above and about the same underneath.) I cut out a 120 mm square and put the fan in it, directly at the top. I scooted the receive towards the fan so that the air would move over ther top and hit the glass. The cooler air would be forced down under the reciver and out a 3 inch tall slot that I have running across the bottom back of that part of the cabinet. It actually works great! Just too darn loud!
What I plan to do is to go by a speed control for the fan and adjust it to half speed and see what it sounds like. Next option I can try to buy a quieter fan, only problem is that I do not know which fan is the quietest...
Venting the sound away from the listening area may work. From the 120mm square vent at the top, attach some sort of vent that directs the sound behind the TV stand. Or simply placing a dense object in front of the square may make a great improvement.
J. Vigne
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Fans typically have SPL ratings for noise. Check with a large industrial supplier such as Grainger's. You can buy a 220V fan which will run at 1/2 speed with no controls. Placing a reostat in the circuit to control speed might cause AC line noise if the control does not include RFI and EMI filtration.
Old fan rated at 2500rpm @36 DBA, new fan 1500rpm @20 DBA.
I bought a stealth fan 120 mm. Secured it in the paper board just above the receiver. (It spins at just 1500 rpm compared to 2500 rpms as the other did. Plus its design is quieter, 2 ball berings. Without having to buy a speed control knob it is almost silent.) the small power supply I placed at the bottom of the cabinet; and its own fan blows up behind the receiver into the 120mm fans air path. I just played I, Robot at a good volume and checked at the end of the movie. Barely hotter than the rest of the living room!! Pluged it into the back of the receiver at the power outlet and its only on when the receiver is on.
Why don't people sell a more steamlined option, that's something we would all buy! Send me the royalties! I would but am studying for my CCIE right now.