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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
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,432 posts
 
Muralman1 - SMPS are regulated (line and load) while linear power supplies are not. They also operate at non-audible frequency that is easy to filter out while 120Hz is not. They also respond faster to load demands than linear supplies because of inductance of huge electrolytic caps (unless you use expensive slit foil caps). In fact class D is controlled SMPS. Reviewers of icepower amps like Bel Canto S300 (SMPS on board) praised behavior at max power and heavy orchestral pieces (holding coherence, imaging etc).

Size of power supply is not an indication of its quality. Small 1" Dia toroidal transformer in SMPS can cary at 100kHz as much power as huge toroidal transformer at 60Hz.

As for your statement:

"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."

- I like to mention that highly praised Jeff Rowland's Capri preamp has switching power supply.
maab
27 posts
 
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?
audiobugged
528 posts
 
ICE module amps even 1,000 watts into 4 Ohms only get warm to the touch. My amps are on 24/7 as at idle they only draw 1/4 the power of a Light Bulb.
jfz
570 posts
 
I believe an ICE amp will melt about 32 degrees Fahrenheit : )
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
My Rowland Continuum 500 integrated amplifier idles around 120-degrees F. Jeff says that's due to the power factor correction not the ICEPower units.

Dave
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