ICE amps need cooling?


I've been looking for an amp to power my Maggies and was doing some research on these ICE modules from B&O. While reading the data sheet I saw that the model 1000 that puts out 525 watts into 8 Ohms and 1,000 watts into 4 Ohms it gave a specification of Power(FTC) of 80 watts continuous. Now I remember back in the 70's during the receiver wars the FTC mandated that power ratings be standardized to something like "100 wpc continuous into 8 Ohms with no more than X% distortion" This was to stop all the unrealistic power claims of huge power output for a brief time under tremendous distortion. It made the playing field level so consumers could at least get what they were expecting. So I see that the ICE module has a power rating of only 80 watts continuous! Now that is a far cry from the 500 watts they are bragging about. Have all amplifier specs abandoned the FTC ruling, or is the ICE module just blowing smoke? The B&O site also stated that with heat sinks or fan cooling the power rating could go up. Most ICE amps I see on the market don't have any heat sinks or even ventilation for that matter. So are we all buying ICE amps that can deliver their stated output power for only brief times, and actually put out only a fraction of the power for any sustained period of time? I'm no expert and I just saw this today so I am asking the the members with lots of knowledge in this area to respond and please clear this up. Thanks.
koestner

Showing 4 responses by maab

Muralman1, can you please elaborate the sound from the icepower and the highs in particular?
Thank you
Muralman1. I respectfully hope you are wrong - Yesterday I bought a 5 channel icepower amp.
As history has proved many times, not always, but many times that we humans tend to be skeptical when it comes to a new... technology, as in this case.

I will not argue with anybody because this is not my field and what I know is what I read or experiencs my self, and I until then I won't comment.

But: "It is a proven fact that the digital power supply ICE modules are not good for
high audio use. They are instituted in mass productions of popular electronics."

if it is a fact, can you prove it?
well, two days ago I indeed bought a class d amplifier with 5 modules, three of them are 525w.
I am really looking forward to the arrival.

With all the respect I don't buy muralman1 claims because he did not give a practical explanation of his thoughts.

I believe in evolution and time will tell me pretty soon wether it is a whorthy solution. As far as I am concerned the fact that class d amplification is greener it's already worth a try.