space above amp in rack for cooling


I am purchasing a Vantage Point Euro rack for my newly assembled components after years of using a scan design teak wood furniture rack. As you may know, the Vantage is open on all sides, however my solid state amp (Classe CA 200) will only have 1 & 1/4 inches of space above it. will this be enough room for cooling given all sides are open. the amp is the newer version with the heat sinks on the sides. thanks.
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Showing 1 response by sean

Cornfed could have said the same thing but in a much more civilized manner while STILL answering the question. Then again, we all have our moments, don't we : ) As to the question at hand, i would NOT install that amp into that specific rack. Even with open sides, the amp will surely run much hotter than it should. This will effect both sonics and the longevity of the equipment. If it was an amp with very low bias and ran cool, it wouldn't be a problem. As an amp that does run warm, i wouldn't push it. Look for something that has TONS of room above the amp for the heat to rise along with open sides. Besides that, don't forget that lifting the amp off of the shelf via some type of cones or isolation devices will also allow increased airflow under and up around the entire chassis. This allows both higher efficiency for the cooling of the amp and longer lifespan of internal components. Sean >