2. amps-preamps
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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
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Kijanki...Don't kick him when he's down!!
muralman1
1,527 posts
 
ü Bang & Olufsen ICEpower a/s doubled its turnover from DKK 50 to DKK
100 million while the result improved by DKK 28 million from DKK 2 mil-
lion during the 2004/05 financial year to DKK 30 million in 2005/06.

There are so many class D auto amps out there I don't care to track down what is inside them.

Here is one that admits it uses ICE.

http://www.caraudiomag.com/0607_cae_alpine_pdx_4150_amplifier/index.html
muralman1
1,527 posts
 
I'm not down, Eldartford. Not by a long shot. :)
muralman1
1,527 posts
 
Audiofeil,

My new speakers are True Sound Works Apogee Scintillas with precision panels, and new specially engineered ribbons giving the Scintilla greater presence.

My new DAC is an Audio Note 2.1 highly enhanced by Henry HO, of H2O, so that it doesn't resemble stock Audio Note DACs.
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,428 posts
 
Muralman1 - I don't recognize this module. It is probably made by B&O for car market and not the home audio. In addition it is in application that always uses switching power supplies - no linear to compare with.

Yes you'll find switchers in every piece of modern mass market electronics but you'll also find linear supplies there. Should I conclude that linear supplies are not suitable for audio? It is important to understand that class D amp including your H2O is switching mode power supply with varying reference voltage. Do you really thing that B&O would put mass market power supply "not suitable for audio" in their best amps or you believe that good SMPS cannot be designed for audio? Again your H2O is switching power supply.

Switching power supplies have improved over the years as much as class D amps (because it's the same thing). They operate at zero-voltage, zero-current switching with very little noise that is non audible and easy to filter out. Many manufacturers are still sticking to old fashion "no brain needed to design" linear power supply probably believing that switchers are worse but it is really funny that they produce class D amps.

Jeff Rowland switched all his production to class D with switching power supplies. He even uses switchers in preamps and he released only great products in over 20 years. Maybe your audio experience or expectations are higher than mine but if it's good enough for Jeff Rowland is good enough for me.
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