nprenger

I've been running a cooling fan from the DSP's voltage source for around 2 years with no problems. I typically use this amp a few times a week. nprenger

Interesting. It could be that the extra grit is part of the amp model. Or it could be that you're hitting the power tubes with a hotter signal and they're starting to break up. Could be both, too.

Oh man, sorry to hear that. You're right - either way I'm lucky. Either I'm lucky because I have a good transformer or because I happened to use a low-power fan without giving it a second thought. I haven't had any problems yet. I played mine in the basement about as loud as I could stand it for a few hours a few weeks ago and it seemed fine. nprenger

Hi Jay, It's good to see you on here. I recognize your handle from the earlier forums. I suspect that we will never know the answer to your question. If there were no component or manufacturing quality issues and if there were no design changes made to address overheating (we don't and probably won't know the answers to either of these questions because the L6 folks aren't obligated or probably even allowed to discuss warranty and reliability issues), it means that if there was an overheat on at least one unit, all of them are susceptible. That doesn't mean that all of them will acutally overheat, though. I have a feeling that whether it will happen or not depends on things like ambient temperature, natural air movement, bias setting, and how hard you're playing. All of these factors affect how much heat is generated or determine how effective the natural cooling is. The balance of heating and cooling determines the temperature of the sensitive parts and whether or not the amp has to shut down to protect itself. If you don't bias your amp super hot, stick it in a 95°F corner of the room, convert your combo to a closed back, and play with a heavy hand with the gain, channel volume, and master volume dimed, you'll be a lot less likely to overheat. I would imagine that there are thousands and thousands of satisified customers who have never overheated their amps or even know these support forums exist because they have never had a problem. All of this, of course, is just my opinion. nprenger

I've never had an overheat with or without the fan. Usually, I keep the volume pretty low since I only play at home. I run my bias a little hot, though, and with the heat that the SVpre adds, I don't want to risk damaging the amp. With the mods I've made, I love my Mk I, so I want it to last a long, long time. I just sent you a PM. nprenger

You're on the right track. I like your solution better than mine because 1) the cooling will be concentrated at the chip where it's needed and 2) the fan will be inside, which should be less noisy assuming similar fan noise levels. My fan hasn't been loud enough to do anything about it yet, but I can hear it when I'm not playing. I'm interested to see how yours turns out. Keep us posted. nprenger