My EX-8 is also in a cabinet with the back completely shut and the door with wood slats (so ~50% open). I use the Myrtle blocks.
Before the v 2.0 update, the back part of the amp would get up to 107F (this was a strip at the back bottom); the rest much less warm. So I added a USB fan (~$10 from amazon) and that basically took care of that.
With the 2.0 update, I experimented with turning off the fan and after ~2-3 hours of listening, the hottest part of the amp was about 101F. With the fan it is cooler. Thus the vents have definitely helped but since the fan basically makes no noise that I can hear (once I'm more than a couple of feet away from it) I've left that going.
As far as which channel is which, every amp I've ever used works the way you describe: as you face the amp, the left side is for the left speaker and the right side is for the right speaker.
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I had a AX-7e and it wasn't hot at all.
You can also call Ayre directly. Sometimes, you'll get connected immediately, sometimes they will call back. It is usually Ariel or Ryan.
Bob |
It's best to get the most cooling you can achieve. An open back cabinet is good. But I would bore holes in the middle of the shelves to get cool air to move through the cabinet. Extra generous shelf spacing is also a good thing. |
My Ayre retailer reports the additional vents on the Ayre EX-8 2.0 provide the heat to escape out of the top of the chassis and should work fine in my Salamander SYNERGY Model 237 cabinet. He suggests 6” of clearance above the amp and 5” clearance on each side. All back cabinet panels have been removed. My retailer said their demo Ayre EX-8 2.0 amp runs cooler as result of the additional vents. I hope to audition the amp on Friday. The list price for the 2.0 version is $6,450. The unit includes 3 Ayre Myrtle wooden blocks to be placed under the amp. This should help cool the bottom of the amp. My retailer also said that if a cooling fan was required, it could be placed behind the amp attached to the brackets on the cabinet. He doubts a fan will be required. |
@OP,
Pm'd you before I read this.
I'd say your dealer is giving you very conservative measurements, but, heck, why take chances?
Bob |
deone
how do you pattern those Myrtle blocks?
Square or Triangle pattern ?
Happy Listening! |
@jafant, my retailer said two myrtle blocks in the back of the amp and one up front (triangle shape). Myrtle are included in the package. |
I am doing two at the back and one in front. I doubt it makes any difference in the sound but it likely helps with cooling and lifts my amp up so that its IR sensor peeks out through the opening on my cabinet door (it has horizontal slats) which lets me use the remote. |
hgeifman
Thank You for the follow up.
Happy Listening! |
I auditioned the Ayre EX-8 2.0 integrated amplifier this morning. The retailer left the amp on all night and the top was warm and not hot. There are 2 large vents on the top for cooling. I was very impressed with its sound quality meaning it was like my previous Ayre AX-7e amp but even better (lots).
Ayre reports they "added the extra ventilation to the unit and with the extra devices, it brought the temperature down considerably, particularly on the front of the unit (and I agree). Their 2.0 upgrade doubled the number of output devices and capacitance for the output stage of the amplifier. Ayre reports the more capacitance, the better, and the doubled number of devices helps the EX-8 drive harder-to-drive and lower ohm speakers more effortlessly and lets their benefits shine. Ayre also optimized several places in the Diamond circuit that we discovered after first releasing the EX-8 that overall improves the sound. In all, the EX-8 simply sounds like it has more power better range. Bass feels stronger and the mids clearer without losing any of the resolution it had". The Ayre EX-8 2.0 is an excellent sounding amplifier.
I also auditioned the Ayre AX-5 Twenty integrated amplifier and it sounded even better. The sound quality was very impressive meaning clear, musical and I liked it very much. I felt this amp was MUCH better sounding than the amp I was using in my main audio system. I continued to listen to the Ayre AX-5 Twenty integrated amplifier and purchased it to replace my SimAudio 700iV2 integrated amp. The Ayre AX-5 Twenty sounded better than my SimAudio amp. Delivery time is 6-8 weeks.
My SimAudio 340i integrated amp is staying in my 2nd audio system and I am making no changes. These funds are better spent upgrading my main audio system. |
Nice! I still love my AX-5 Twenty. Probably my last amp. |
I am interested in the
Ayre AX-5 Twenty integrated amplifier but it lacks one thing the EX-8 has ... a headphone jack. Why doesn't it have one, I wonder?
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Why doesn't it have one, I wonder? Charles Hansen used to write on these forums: “Performance, features, price. Pick any two.” The AX-5, IMO, gives you nearly all the sound of SOTA separates but at a relatively affordable price point. I think most AX-5 owners use the amp only to drive speakers. In my setup, for example, I have neither the space or desire to listen with headphones. I have a Pono player for that. |
Charles Hansen was quite a character. I never got to meet him, but from his words and those who knew him, he was one of a kind.-In a good way.
B |
hgeifman
Nice score! on the AX-5 Integrated amp. There is magic in the "Twenty" series version. Impressive that you felt it bettered a Sim Audio 700i V2 amp.On an integrated this level, I would not want a headphone jack.
Another Ayre onwer here.
Happy Listening!
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Can the Ayre EX-8 2.0 Integrated Amplifier be left on 24/7 or should the ampliifer be placed in sleep mode when not in use? Ayre specifications say '60 watts in operating mode'. Thanks...
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Yes, you can leave an Ayre amp powered all the time. It doesn't hurt anything other than your wallet when the power bill arrives. Sleep mode saves power without powering completely off. I put my AX-5 in sleep mode most nights and I unplug it if I'm gone from the house more than about a week (my previous house was hit by lightning and I lost several components of my then mid-fi system).
I've read accounts of Ayre not sounding its best unless warmed up for many hours. That's not my experience but I rarely go from sleep mode to a full scale listening session, and pretty much never from completely off to critical listening. If I'm home and awake, my system is playing music so it's pretty much warm when I'm ready to sit down and bliss out.
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I scanned the Ayre EX-8 2.0 manual and discovered some interesting information.
After 30 minutes of no activity, the amplifier will shut down its output stage. As soon as the amplifier receives an input signal, it will start up again.
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I just received my Ayre EX-8 2.0 amp and it is breaking in. I changed my amp settings so the amp will go into sleep mode after 30 minutes. It does not work. I powered down my amp for 30 minutes and restarted it.
After 30 minutes, my amp did not go into sleep mode as per their manual. Am I missing a setting or something? Obviously, I will contact my retailer on Tuesday. Any thoughts?
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My retailer confirms the sleep/low power mode (push left button on front of the amp) is an option when not listening. In addition, in the Ayre manual (one of the many settings), there is a setting that, when enabled, places the amp in a low power mode after 30-minutes of no input (manual page 24).
The enable option automatically disables the audio circuitry when a selected input remains inactive after 30-minutes. As soon as the input becomes active again. the audio circuitry is automatically re-enabled. My Ayre EX-8 2.0 amp is still breaking in so I cannot judge its sounds quality. The Ayre manual says 100 to 500 hours are required for the amp to break-in. I hope this helps......
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