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Tube amp heat questions...

Hi all, I recently joined the ranks of tube amp owners by adding an ARC VSi55 to my setup. Love it, and it doesn't seem to put out a ton of heat, but it's getting cooler here in Phoenix so I may feel differently next July.

I did search thoroughly through past threads to see if these questions were asked, and found some good threads about summer amps vs. winter amps, but not my specific questions:

- Is there a direct correlation between tube amp wattage per channel and heat generated, such that for example any 100wpc tube amp will always put out more heat than a 25wpc tube amp?

- If that is the case, it is because higher WPC = either more tubes and/or larger tubes?

- If that is not the case, is heat a function of tube type, such that certain 25wpc tube amps can generate more ambient heat than a 75wpc amp just because of the type of tubes it uses?

I didn't take these questions into account when purchasing the VSi55, but we may put together a 2nd system for another room and I may take this into account for that purchase. And as others have done, having a nice Class-D amp for the June-Sept period is also a possibility. Thanks in advance!
128x128bcgator
mechans
3,048 posts
 
I like tube amps so much, I am willing, and do use them in the summer, as well. I just don't sit that close to the amps and am lucky enough to have central AC which I imagine you have as well. I don't want to sound insensitive and can imagine being in a position where the heat may be a nuisance.
As for your question I don't know whether more watts produce more heat necessarily but if I was betting on it I would guess yes- it seems logical, that is for most cases. My 78 watt per channel monoblocs certainly make more heat from their 4 output tubes than my old 40 watt integrated which had two. In addition the monoblocs use somewhat larger fat bottle 6CA7s vs the E34Ls (A JJ invention).
newbee
4,768 posts
 
Probably has more to do with how the amp is designed in the first place and how far the design pushes its tubes to develop its rated power. For example you can get 80 watts out of four 6550 tubes but they are close to max output. The same tubes in a design that produces 40 watts will run its tubes cooler and they will last longer. But it is fair to say, I think, that the more power your amp produces the more heat it will produce, either in how many tubes you need or how hard you have to push the tubes. Moral of this story is if you don't absolutely need all that power why buy it in the first place.
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