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ARC VT-200 Cooling Fan Noisy, nit picking?

I would be the last person to claim that I have the most sensitive hearing but in my well-damped dedicated listening room, the sound of the cooling fan in my amp is noticeable (and distracting at times). I've even set the adjustable speed to the slowest setting and I can still hear it. The amp sits on an amp stand between my speakers about 10' from my listening chair and has plenty of ventilation but anyone familiar with the VT-200 knows that it can put out some serious btu's. Would it significantly affect tube life if I disconnected the cooling fan? Anyone else try replacing the fan with one that runs more quietly? Is this an "Ask Leonard" question?
jc4659

Showing 3 responses by dev

dev
832 posts
 
I have found the fans in all AR product noisy and are very distracting when listening to music specifically on quiet passages etc. You would think by now that ARC would realize this issue and correct, all they have to do is put in a better fans.

You can order quieter fans from other sources, check out other AR threads for info.
dev
832 posts
 
You are not alone regarding these fan noise issues, see below other members thoughts;

Mantis007 posted 11-18-08
I ordered some silent fans(7db) from overseas - I found them in the threat you told me about. I have the original fans disconnected and the covers off while I wait for the new fans.

Downunder posted 11-08-08
I had a listen to the ref 210's for a few minutes and even at low volumes in a cold room the fans were churning away LOUDLY.
I think the 210's sounded quite good, but I could not get my head around why the fans were so loud, especially since the amps did not seem hot and volume was low. I can only imagine how loud the fan would be at high volumes.

Is this normal for this amplifier??

Does cutting the fans out make reliability an issue??

Jc4659 you will find more too.
dev
832 posts
 
Mantis007, now why wouldn't AR do this in the first place.

How much did these cost, are they the same size with no issues regarding replacement.

So any thoughts regarding your 210's in comparison to other amps you have had.
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