Silent Fan for VHT 2/50/2 !

[OrganicZed]

I can’t believe how much better this is. It is quieter than my Axe3 now and stays cool . I really don’t understand why they don’t just fit something like this in the first place. Big thanks to OrganicZed for the help and if you have a power amp with a noisy fan don’t just put up with it.

You are very welcome. I'm glad to have been of assistance.

 

[ctreitzell]

Hello, my first post here...I found this forum by googling silent fan for VHT 2902
and I signed up to TGF

I have a VHT 2902 and also a 2562 (both built in 2007). I have discussed at length with David Phelge over on TGP this issue of these awesome power amps having unacceptably loud cooling fans. Clearly Fryette is not going to endorse any user employing a lower CFM fan than they build their power amps with. I mean, I spent most of the past two days trying to locate my 2902 far enough away from my critical listening/ recording/ playing position in my studio. The long cable runs have put me off installing these amps two rooms away! And I'm not spending $5K for a silent server rack. I may well never gig my VHTs...and it is always much colder ambient temp where I live than it ever gets hot.

It had been suggested to me by another TGP member to perhaps try disabling the fans; take the covers off and cool with quieter fans. I have considered that too...again, there is a cost in adding rack silent fans as well. I rack my VHTs with lots of space (1U top and bottom for my 2902) all by itself in a 4U SKB.

So, I was very interested to read this thread by @Eagle. If you you wouldn't mind updating me with how it is going with your lower CFM fan, I'd really appreciate knowing your latest thoughts on this lower CFM fan mod to your 2502.

 

[Eagle]

Hello, my first post here...I found this forum by googling silent fan for VHT 2902
and I signed up to TGF

I have a VHT 2902 and also a 2562 (both built in 2007. I have discussed at length with David Phelge over on TGP this issue of these awesome power amps having unacceptably loud cooling fans. Clearly Fryette is not going to endorse any user employing a lower CFM fan than they build their power amps with. I mean, I spent most of the past two days trying to locate my 2902 far enough away from my critical listening/ recording/ playing position in my studio. The long cable runs have put me off installing these amps two rooms away! And I'm not spending $5K for a silent server rack. I may well never gig my VHTs...and it is always much colder ambient temp where I live than it ever gets hot.

It had been suggested to me by another TGP member to perhaps try disabling the fans; take the covers off and cool with quieter fans. I have considered that too...again, there is a cost in adding rack silent fans as well. I rack my VHTs with lots of space (1U top and bottom for my 2902) all by itself in a 4U SKB.

So, I was very interested to read this thread by @Eagle. If you you wouldn't mind updating me with how it is going with your lower CFM fan, I'd really appreciate knowing your latest thoughts on this lower CFM fan mod to your 2502.

It’s completely fine, it runs near silent and never gets anything more than mildly warm.
The case has a lot of space around the tubes already and heat would probably not be an issue even without a fan at all . Don’t hesitate to do this mod. You will probably need a different fan than I used because I needed 230v .

 

[ctreitzell]

It’s completely fine, it runs near silent and never gets anything more than mildly warm.
The case has a lot of space around the tubes already and heat would probably not be an issue even without a fan at all . Don’t hesitate to do this mod. You will probably need a different fan than I used because I needed 230v .

wonderful, thanks for sharing your experience

I'm in France, so 220/230 works fine for me

 

[Eagle]

wonderful, thanks for sharing your experience

I'm in France, so 220/230 works fine for me

Yes the same one then because it is excellent.

 

[ctreitzell]

Yes the same one then because it is excellent.

ok, cool...from mouser...I look forward to it

 

[ctreitzell]

The fan in my 2/90/2 at full speed sounds like a damn hairdryer. It’s almost offensive how loud it is. Like the only place it could even be considered remotely appropriate would be backstage at a very loud gig. But honestly that’s not entirely unfair considering what the amp is. Then again that fan does kind of make a mockery of the amp’s master volume control, which is maybe the best and most low-volume friendly master volume control I’ve ever heard.

I had my tech experiment with different component values and we just added a part to the low fan switch so in that mode, the fan still works but is practically silent.

We did that mod maybe 10 years ago and the amp has continued to remain bulletproof.

I've measured my 2902 with ipad running SPLnFFT app...48dB!
I moved into the next room...to my workshop below my workstation desk
both scenarios, that fan will drive me bonkers

Then I tried 2 doors away which is also on the other side of a double cinder-block wall and finally got some joy...but the cable runs are going to far too long...I'm going for the lower CFM fans

Fryette should really offer up some guidance on this beyond just saying no or nothing
whatsoever

 

[Snave]

This is the least noisy equivalent fan (18dB versus the stock 33dB) for 230V: https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/ebm-papst-inc/8880N/441726

On paper this would be about 5 times quieter.

 

[GreatGreen]

I've measured my 2902 with ipad running SPLnFFT app...48dB!
I moved into the next room...to my workshop below my workstation desk
both scenarios, that fan will drive me bonkers

Then I tried 2 doors away which is also on the other side of a double cinder-block wall and finally got some joy...but the cable runs are going to far too long...I'm going for the lower CFM fans

Fryette should really offer up some guidance on this beyond just saying no or nothing
whatever

Yeah it's kind of absurd. I've heard commercial IT rack equipment meant to live in datacenters all their lives with quieter fans.

However, that fan is completely overkill. You could disable it completely and as long as you left a space above the amp open, you'd probably be fine. Like I said though, I took the middle route and added a small resistor in line with the "low fan" setting and in that mode the fan runs but it is literally silent. Cannot hear it at all even when I'm sitting next to the rack. In the "high fan" mode, it's as loud as a jet airliner for all your 70,000 people stadium gig needs. It's been running for over a decade like that without a single issue.

Also, kinda strange how the Fryette PS-100, which uses two KT88's in its power section, half what the 2/90/2 uses, has no fan at all. It's almost as if the most obnoxious fan in the world might not be totally necessary, huh.

 

[laxu]

Yeah it's kind of absurd. I've heard commercial IT rack equipment meant to live in datacenters all their lives with quieter fans.

However, that fan is completely overkill. You could disable it completely and as long as you left a space above the amp open, you'd probably be fine. Like I said though, I took the middle route and added a small resistor in line with the "low fan" setting and in that mode the fan runs but it is literally silent. Cannot hear it at all even when I'm sitting next to the rack. In the "high fan" mode, it's as loud as a jet airliner for all your 70,000 people stadium gig needs. It's been running for over a decade like that without a single issue.

Fryette can't know where and how you'll use their gear so they go for extra safety just to reduce potential for failure. Cram a lot of rack gear in a tight, poorly ventilated space and then run it loud through a whole stadium gig and you might be happy that there is active cooling.

What sucks is that the cooling is built for that scenario and then there's no option to turn the fan to a low, silent setting for less demanding scenarios.

Also, kinda strange how the Fryette PS-100, which uses two KT88's in its power section, half what the 2/90/2 uses, has no fan at all. It's almost as if the most obnoxious fan in the world might not be totally necessary, huh.

The Fryette PS-100 does have a fan. But it's aimed mostly at half of the load resistors and cools the powertubes only via wherever the air goes. Its tubes are right near the vents in the chassis so it's easier for air to flow in and out.

 

[Enchilada Jones]

If you are in the US you can use a 240v fan, the lower voltage will reduce rpm’s and thus be quieter. I know at least one amp builder who does that regularly.

 

[Eagle]

Fryette can't know where and how you'll use their gear so they go for extra safety just to reduce potential for failure. Cram a lot of rack gear in a tight, poorly ventilated space and then run it loud through a whole stadium gig and you might be happy that there is active cooling.

What sucks is that the cooling is built for that scenario and then there's no option to turn the fan to a low, silent setting for less demanding scenarios.


The Fryette PS-100 does have a fan. But it's aimed mostly at half of the load resistors and cools the powertubes only via wherever the air goes. Its tubes are right near the vents in the chassis so it's easier for air to flow in and out.

View attachment 37964

Compared with that the 2/50/2 and 2/90/2 don’t need a fan at all .

 

[ctreitzell]

Fryette can't know where and how you'll use their gear so they go for extra safety just to reduce potential for failure. Cram a lot of rack gear in a tight, poorly ventilated space and then run it loud through a whole stadium gig and you might be happy that there is active cooling.

What sucks is that the cooling is built for that scenario and then there's no option to turn the fan to a low, silent setting for less demanding scenarios.

Fryette could admit that 48dB ambient fan noise is excessive. They don't.

In the wake of comments to me by Support, I felt that my concerns about such high ambient unwanted noise were of such great minority of the Fryette customer base that I was entirely too sensitive. Other Fryette/VHT users also commented that they barely heard these fans. For me, hearing reverb and delay tails rarify into the ugly whir and whine of essentially a design mistake certainly changed my appreciation, or lack thereof, for a company I had previously held in very high regard.

Further lack of acceptable customer service, email fiascos and partial promises with little or no guidance had me give up on purchasing a new faceplate for my 2902. I know they are overwhelmed with PS orders. I was not pushy or rude. I did as instructed and got nowhere. Their time is far more important than any of their non-famous clientele. At least that's the way I felt after trying to deal with them.

Fryette could release more in-depth waivers and offer a set of solutions alongside warranty waivers for users willing to experiment...they don't...they could test their amplifier longevity, points of failure, etc, using silent fans at lower CFM and share that info...they don't...so threads like this one can help them in that endeavor. Heck, they could leverage the user-base to do their testing for them! Nah, if you aren't Dean DeLeo or similar level celeb, forget about it.

 

[laxu]

Fryette could admit that 48dB ambient fan noise is excessive. They don't.

In the wake of comments to me by Support, I felt that my concerns about such high ambient unwanted noise were of such great minority of the Fryette customer base that I was entirely too sensitive. Other Fryette/VHT users also commented that they barely heard these fans. For me, hearing reverb and delay tails rarify into the ugly whir and whine of essentially a design mistake certainly changed my appreciation, or lack thereof, for a company I had previously held in very high regard.

Further lack acceptable customer service, email fiascos and partial promises with little or no guidance had me give up on purchasing a new faceplate for my 2902. I know they are overwhelmed with PS orders. I was not pushy or rude. I did as instructed and got nowhere. Their time is far more important than any of their non-famous clientele. At least that's the way I felt after trying to deal with them.

Fryette could release more in-depth waivers and offer a set of solutions alongside warranty waivers for users willing to experiment...they don't...they could test their amplifier longevity, points of failure, etc, using silent fans at lower CFM and share that info...they don't...so threads like this one can help them in that endeavor. Heck, they could leverage the user-base to do their testing for them! Nah, if you aren't Dean DeLeo or similar level celeb, forget about it.

I have no good experiences with Fryette support either.

It is always possible your amp fan is faulty as these are pretty old poweramps by now, so maybe the fan just needs replacing? Similarly you can get annoying noises from how it's mounted if the chassis resonates. It is also possible they have changed models over time which is why others are less bothered by the noise.

 

[ctreitzell]

This is how I have my VHTs racked…Learned to put them side up from Zintolo… and I run them this way, too. So, yeah, the fans are out in the open, not buried in the bottom of a rack and are likely more loud in my scenario. Frankly, it just makes sense to me to have them racked individually, on their sides. I have zero interest in having these weighty beasts in a bigger rack. I’m likely to put the 2562 in another 4U as I have the 2902 in.

I really cannot foresee these overheating with the lid off in this scenario, even with no fan. They aren’t going on the road. And it is mostly cold temps where I live. I’m very likely to do a fan mod similar to @Eagle …lower CFM quieter fan.

What I’m very unlikely to do is purchase new versions of the factory jet engine fan and investigate whether the nearly 30 yr old fans have worn down.

 

[ctreitzell]

I have no good experiences with Fryette support either.

I think we were in some of the same threads on another forum :-)

 

[ctreitzell]

I think 17 CFM should be more than sufficient as well. I suspect that Fryette just over-spec'd it because he wants this amp to be bullet proof. The 2/90/2 has a fan speed switch and the manual specifies to use the higher fan speed for when running in full power mode and to use the low speed when quiet operation is required or when in the lower power mode. That implies that the full fan speed is more a nice to have rather than a requirement.

Just a little update, I ran my 2902 this evening for about 90 min on High Power (Class A) with low fan speed...afterward the chassis was cool to the touch...low power fan is still far too loud tho...gotta do the mod