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Tube amp heat questions...

Hi all, I recently joined the ranks of tube amp owners by adding an ARC VSi55 to my setup. Love it, and it doesn't seem to put out a ton of heat, but it's getting cooler here in Phoenix so I may feel differently next July.

I did search thoroughly through past threads to see if these questions were asked, and found some good threads about summer amps vs. winter amps, but not my specific questions:

- Is there a direct correlation between tube amp wattage per channel and heat generated, such that for example any 100wpc tube amp will always put out more heat than a 25wpc tube amp?

- If that is the case, it is because higher WPC = either more tubes and/or larger tubes?

- If that is not the case, is heat a function of tube type, such that certain 25wpc tube amps can generate more ambient heat than a 75wpc amp just because of the type of tubes it uses?

I didn't take these questions into account when purchasing the VSi55, but we may put together a 2nd system for another room and I may take this into account for that purchase. And as others have done, having a nice Class-D amp for the June-Sept period is also a possibility. Thanks in advance!
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Showing 1 response by mechans

mechans
3,048 posts
 
I like tube amps so much, I am willing, and do use them in the summer, as well. I just don't sit that close to the amps and am lucky enough to have central AC which I imagine you have as well. I don't want to sound insensitive and can imagine being in a position where the heat may be a nuisance.
As for your question I don't know whether more watts produce more heat necessarily but if I was betting on it I would guess yes- it seems logical, that is for most cases. My 78 watt per channel monoblocs certainly make more heat from their 4 output tubes than my old 40 watt integrated which had two. In addition the monoblocs use somewhat larger fat bottle 6CA7s vs the E34Ls (A JJ invention).
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