McCormack DNA-1 runs hot

Thank you guys for your comments.
I should have said warm instead of hot: I can keep my hands on it for a long period (was able to do it for 5 minutes even if it's not comfortable). According to SMc, that's normal, it is just heat coming off of it. But what a difference with the Stratos!
Thanks again.

I had some problems with my 225 that ended up being traceable to a bad IC to the preamp. My problems actually resulted in repairs (a good excuse I used to get an SMc upgrade).

I've tried it with 3 different IC to the preamp and with 2 different speakers, same result. The heat/warm comes mostly from the sides, not really from the top. If the rule is to be able to keep your hands on it for more than 1 minute, so that should be normal and I can leave with that (the sound is fantastic). Surpised to see that this fact doesn't seem to borther other owners... Maybe, I am not difficult...

I've tried it with 3 different IC to the preamp and with 2 different speakers, same result. The heat/warm comes mostly from the sides, not really from the top. If the rule is to be able to keep your hands on it for more than 1 minute, so that should be normal and I can leave with that (the sound is fantastic).

Hi Papazeze,

Your description of the warmth of your DNA-1 sounds completely normal. The DNA-1 runs fairly warm, but you can leave your hands on the heatsinks easily. And as you point-out, it's only the heatsinks that get warm, just as it should be. The idle temperature can be affected by several factors, but the most important by far is having unrestricted air flow around the amp and over the heatsinks. As long as you have at least several inches of space around the amp, you should be fine. The amp will, of course, run hotter if you push it hard for some time, but this is normal as well.

Glad to hear you are enjoying it!

Best regards,

Steve McCormack
SMc Audio