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OMG, MY DAC IS HOT!

genghisquan
By genghisquan
in Audio
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OK, so I've been using my FiiO E10K for several days now,

but it's very warm to the touch right now, and I'm worried.

Is this OK?! It IS 38ºC (100ºF) right now in southern California right now, though.

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Ohh very warm, so dangerous...

 

Its fine.

Specs: CPU - Intel i7 8700K @ 5GHz | GPU - Gigabyte GTX 970 G1 Gaming | Motherboard - ASUS Strix Z370-G WIFI AC | RAM - XPG Gammix DDR4-3000MHz 32GB (2x16GB) | Main Drive - Samsung 850 Evo 500GB M.2 | Other Drives - 7TB/3 Drives | CPU Cooler - Corsair H100i Pro | Case - Fractal Design Define C Mini TG | Power Supply - EVGA G3 850W

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Ohh very warm, so dangerous...

 

Its fine.

 

I've never owned an external DAC before. I don't know how hot it can get!

Does the shroud act as a heatsink? [shrugs]

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I've never owned an external DAC before. I don't know how hot it can get!

Does the shroud act as a heatsink? [shrugs]

 

Pretty sure it does, don't see anything else on it that would give off the heat to cooler air.

Specs: CPU - Intel i7 8700K @ 5GHz | GPU - Gigabyte GTX 970 G1 Gaming | Motherboard - ASUS Strix Z370-G WIFI AC | RAM - XPG Gammix DDR4-3000MHz 32GB (2x16GB) | Main Drive - Samsung 850 Evo 500GB M.2 | Other Drives - 7TB/3 Drives | CPU Cooler - Corsair H100i Pro | Case - Fractal Design Define C Mini TG | Power Supply - EVGA G3 850W

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I've never owned an external DAC before. I don't know how hot it can get!

Does the shroud act as a heatsink? [shrugs]

As long as its not on fire, I think you're fine  ;)don't sue me for my poor advice

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Due to the imperfect efficiency of the amplification, the excess energy is given off in the form or heat energy.

It's not uncommon for It to be warm to the touch, I would recommend that you turn system volume to 100% and control volume from the DAC, that way it's not working as hard ;) 

export PS1='\[\033[1;30m\]┌╼ \[\033[1;32m\]\u@\h\[\033[1;30m\] ╾╼ \[\033[0;34m\]\w\[\033[0;36m\]\n\[\033[1;30m\]└╼ \[\033[1;37m\]'


"All your threads are belong to /dev/null"


| 80's Terminal Keyboard Conversion | $5 Graphics Card Silence Mod Tutorial | 485KH/s R9 270X | The Smallest Ethernet Cable | Ass Pennies | My Screenfetch |

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Due to the imperfect efficiency of the amplification, the excess energy is given off in the form or heat energy.

It's not uncommon for It to be warm to the touch, I would recommend that you turn system volume to 100% and control volume from the DAC, that way it's not working as hard ;)

Yes, that is practical advice. I already had my sys. vol. to 100!

The knob on the DAC is between 5 & 6—sometimes 7 when I'm listening to certain genres or watching action films.

should I flick the high gain switch on the back, so I can lower the knob a few more? Or is that the same thing?

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Yeah they're supposed to get pretty hot. You're fine as long as it doesn't burn something. 

 

I was also inspired to write a poem.

 

DAC so hot

Hot hot DAC

DAC so hot it fries an egg

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-snip-

 

That display picture, yeah... it's gonna have to be changed.

export PS1='\[\033[1;30m\]┌╼ \[\033[1;32m\]\u@\h\[\033[1;30m\] ╾╼ \[\033[0;34m\]\w\[\033[0;36m\]\n\[\033[1;30m\]└╼ \[\033[1;37m\]'


"All your threads are belong to /dev/null"


| 80's Terminal Keyboard Conversion | $5 Graphics Card Silence Mod Tutorial | 485KH/s R9 270X | The Smallest Ethernet Cable | Ass Pennies | My Screenfetch |

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I've never owned an external DAC before. I don't know how hot it can get!

Does the shroud act as a heatsink? [shrugs]

It depends on the model and brand. Tube amps get very hot, for example. Some dac/amp combos get hot, some get warm, some don't even get warm.

 

I was also inspired to write a poem.

 

DAC so hot

Hot hot DAC

DAC so hot it fries an egg

Marry me?  :wub:

In Placebo We Trust - Resident Obnoxious Objective Fangirl (R.O.O.F) - Your Eyes Cannot Hear
Haswell Overclocking Guide | Skylake Overclocking Guide | Can my amp power my headphones?

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OK, so should I flick the high gain switch on in order to lower the volume knob?

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OK, so I've been using my FiiO E10K for several days now,

but it's very warm to the touch right now, and I'm worried.

Is this OK?! It IS 38ºC (100ºF) right now in southern California right now, though.

 

It's kinda hard for us to understand the word 'very warm to touch'. I mean, it's different to each individuals. I had the E10 (sold it though), and it did get a bit warm, but no where near 'cautious point', and I live in a tropical country, average 30-35C.

 

That's the problem, if it's just a tad warm, then it's normal (it's even a sign that the amp is doing its job properly), but going past some points, there's a big chance something is wrong inside, and as time goes, something will fry inside. 

 

I always think the aluminium/metal housing, aside from being an interference shield, also acts as a heatsink to dissipate the heat generated inside. You could try getting/using a small USB fan pointed right to it. It helps a lot with the temperature, but again, if it turns out that there's something wrong with the internals, the fan won't save it from frying. 

 

 

It depends on the model and brand. Tube amps get very hot, for example. Some dac/amp combos get hot, some get warm, some don't even get warm.

 

Marry me?  :wub:

 

 

My Aune T1 gets quite hot, almost too hot to touch. The tube itself is definitely too hot to touch. A USB fan fixed it nicely, making them very cool. But when I ask around, some people say that tubes work optimally when they're hot, sooo...I ended up not using the fan now. 

 

Booohoooo....you don't love me anymore....

HE-400 personal review , ATH-AD700 personal review, Aune T1 MK2 personal review, Lepai A2020+ personal review, Field report of Jakarta USF

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It's kinda hard for us to understand the word 'very warm to touch'. I mean, it's different to each individuals. I had the E10 (sold it though), and it did get a bit warm, but no where near 'cautious point', and I live in a tropical country, average 30-35C.

 

That's the problem, if it's just a tad warm, then it's normal (it's even a sign that the amp is doing its job properly), but going past some points, there's a big chance something is wrong inside, and as time goes, something will fry inside. 

 

I always think the aluminium/metal housing, aside from being an interference shield, also acts as a heatsink to dissipate the heat generated inside. You could try getting/using a small USB fan pointed right to it. It helps a lot with the temperature, but again, if it turns out that there's something wrong with the internals, the fan won't save it from frying. 

 

 

My Aune T1 gets quite hot, almost too hot to touch. The tube itself is definitely too hot to touch. A USB fan fixed it nicely, making them very cool. But when I ask around, some people say that tubes work optimally when they're hot, sooo...I ended up not using the fan now. 

 

Booohoooo....you don't love me anymore....

We can have a three-way relationship, I can deal. Plus, he's probably way out of my league anyways.

In Placebo We Trust - Resident Obnoxious Objective Fangirl (R.O.O.F) - Your Eyes Cannot Hear
Haswell Overclocking Guide | Skylake Overclocking Guide | Can my amp power my headphones?

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We can have a three-way relationship, I can deal. Plus, he's probably way out of my league anyways.

I am flattered 

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Thanks for the replies. As best as I can describe the heat, it's only as hot as...

laptops when you're charging or a warm plate of food from the kitchen.

Anyway, there's no power button on this DAC. should I unplug it when it's not in use??

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Thanks for the replies. As best as I can describe the heat, it's only as hot as...

laptops when you're charging or a warm plate of food from the kitchen.

Anyway, there's no power button on this DAC. should I unplug it when it's not in use??

 

No. My E10 gets warm, stop worrying.

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Thanks for the replies. As best as I can describe the heat, it's only as hot as...

laptops when you're charging or a warm plate of food from the kitchen.

Anyway, there's no power button on this DAC. should I unplug it when it's not in use??

That's not even hot in the world of electronics. You're fine, don't worry.

In Placebo We Trust - Resident Obnoxious Objective Fangirl (R.O.O.F) - Your Eyes Cannot Hear
Haswell Overclocking Guide | Skylake Overclocking Guide | Can my amp power my headphones?

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