December 2013
My latest creation, a 50W tube amp, produces great, audiophile-quality sound. Problem is, I have two fans cooling the amp, and the noise is distracting. Is there an alternative to forced-air cooling of audio tubes? I've looked at the water cooled systems used for computers, but I don't know if the tubes are too hot for a DIY water jacket.
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You could use a squirrel cage fan. It is a lot quieter for the same airflow.
Back in the day when there were ONLY tube amps, none of them used fans. Hot air rises and tubes make the air hot enough that convection cooling is all that is needed as long as you properly ventilate the box containing the amplifier. This means long slits, or a large amount of nice sized holes, in the bottom and the top of the box to let the air flow.
