A Useful Way To Keep Components Cool

Sugg. Retail: $119.95 USD
Manufacturer: VERIS Media Components

www.antec.com

Is your audio or video system hot? Too hot, in fact? Well, here’s a solution that may be very attractive to circulate air around hot-running amplifiers or receivers. I’ve been using my A/V Cooler under projectors recently, and upside down at that. I’ll explain more about that below.

This quite inexpensive accessory is a  platform made of plastic and aluminum that draws air in at the back, and blows it out underneath. You can see the two fans on the bottom. The fans run at two speeds, 1200 rpm on Low and 1600 rpm in the High position. The unit weighs just over 4 pounds, and is almost 2″ high, and roughly 17″ x 14″ wide and deep, respectively. The fan noise level is said to be 22.45 dBA in Low and 28.7 dBA in High.

This latter spec is significant, in that some users might find the higher position intrusively noisy. I certainly did with a projector just over and behind my right shoulder on a pedestal (actually a bass trap) in the home theatre room. Luckily, the lower position was effective in reducing heat, especially with the quite hot running Sanyo reviewed elsewhere on the site, without adding noise greater than the projector’s own fan.

Situated on a floor, say, under a tube amplifier, noise would probably be less obvious, even in the High position, especially if the floor is carpeted.  And the A/V Cooler doesn’t look bad, certainly not cheap, and could be raised a little with audiophile rubber or sorbothane feet at its corners to clear a shag carpet. In this application, it is also likely to spread the heat more evenly around the room, a bonus in Winter, perhaps. I’m sure you can think of your own possible ways of using this very intelligently conceived accessory.

The Antec A/V Cooler  is available online (see above), and shipping is very reasonable at under $10.00. It’s an inexpensive tweak that can extend the life of tubes and projector bulbs, and I recommend it warmly and coolly.

Andrew Marshall