[x_fiddle]

I'd be in for one, possible 2 depending on the price.

Quote:

Originally Posted by uzziah for myself personally, i'll basically take whatever we can get at the lowest price, as long as it's compatable.

I agree with that statement, as far as size is concerned I think it would be nice to have room for a PSU. That way even if you didnt got internal PSU from the start you'd have the option for future upgrade.

If the PSU-less case is truly much smaller and more sleek than the bigger case I might just drop the internal PSU and go with an elpac.

 

[morsel]

Also see my post on removing 1/8" from the heat sinks in the M³ thread.

 

[blip]

I want to wait for the final specs before I commit, but I'm definitely interested.

 

[walangalam]

Quote:

I want to wait for the final specs before I commit, but I'm definitely interested.

same here, though i would prefer a smallish case (no internal ps)

 

[amb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syzygies I too would prefer a closed case, I love the idea of coupling the heat sinks to the case for reduced thermal resistance.

If you're thinking about bolting the tops of the heat sinks to the top cover, and assuming that you use TO-220 insulating kits to prevent short circuits, there are still some practical issues with that solution.

First, having a bunch of bolts on the top cover is ugly. Second, to get those screw holes aligned perfectly to the heat sinks and then have the board also perfectly aligned to its standoffs would require some fairly precision work. You'd also have to remove all those screws in order to take the top cover off, which is a pita. If you skip the screws then the heat sinks won't make perfect contact with the top cover due to minor flexture of the PCB and other tolerances.

In short, I think this is a hacky idea. I also think that cutting off 1/8" from the heat sink to be a hacky idea too... it's much easier to simply put a piece of plastic beneath the board for insulation, and use TO-220 mounting kits. Problem solved. So what if the knobs aren't perfectly in the front panel center line? In fact, having them slightly below center gives a bit of extra room for labeling the controls "Volume", "Bass boost", etc.

 

[uzziah]

Quote:

Originally Posted by amb uzziah, thanks for taking up this effort. When I inquired with Par Metal, I called and talked to John. The phone numbers are listed on their web site. Emailing them may prove to be unfruitful, so I suggest that you call and talk to them. The case I asked for a quote on was a Series 20, but in a custom size of 6"W x 8"D x 2"H. Note that this is exactly half the width of one of their standard size offerings, and it may prove to be easier for them to make (because they only need to change their jig in one dimension). The price I was given was $70 for one, or $30 for ten. This is without any options, but my impression is that options like countersunk screws and anodizing don't add much to the total cost (a few dollars per). All they need to work with is a good drawing of what you want. At any rate, feel free to ask them if making the case 1/4" or 1/2" taller would add much to the cost. If that's feasible, it may be easier to work with, with the small downside that the case wouldn't as "slim and sleek". The standard configuration, according to their web site, has vent slots on the bottom plate as well as on the side, and you could also have vent slots on the top. It would be very nice to have those vents directly over the heat sinks for best cooling. For those who want to put the PSU inside the case, they have a standard size 12"W x 8"D x 2"H which could be used, but maybe there is interest in a custom size here too. They also offer an internal divider plate option (which acts as a shield) that might be a good idea for this. Have fun!

thank you. very good points. yes, i'll contact them by phone and see what we can do

have slots over the heatsinks is an idea to consider

i'll try to determine whether adding a bit of height would increase our cost

 

[z2trillion]

If be in for around 3-4. I'd prefer the case be big enough for a psu too, and be widder than it is deep.

 

[uzziah]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMT I would in for two.

with space for internal psu, or not?

 

[bg4533]

How about a case 12Wx8Dx3H with no vents on top? This would give plenty of height clearance and allow for even taller heatsinks. No vents on top to allow dust in either.

 

[zxc]

I am definitely interested in a Par-Metal case that is:
(1) big enough to accomodate a PSU
(2) 2.5 inches high (if possible) so that we won't have to deal with any of the following:
- isolating the circuit board from the bottom
- isolating the heatsinks
- cutting the heatsinks
- using law-bias with 1 inch heatsinks
- panel wiring the pot so it is centered on the panel

If (2) is going to be expensive; I am OK with any case that can contain the MMM with the STEPS PSU.

About the looks: please make it silver if they do a bad job on painting. Any other fancy options that make the case nicer is fine with me, as there are a lot of experienced people here...

Thanks.

 

[zxc]

I just wonder: All the commercial integrated amps that I've tried so far (Arcam, Creek, Sansui, etc.) had grills on top. And I guess it is better to have an opening on top as heated air will rise and accumulate at the top... I understand that dust cannot be good; but if all those professional designs did a compromise; why not us? After all, my computer still works after 3 years of 24/7 service and god knows how much dust is in there

 

[z2trillion]

It's just not pretty. Morsel has suggested a solution in the M^3 thread involving a metal cross bar. I assume that if you were to do this you would need to isolatie the mosfets from the heatsinks?

 

[uzziah]

Quote:

Originally Posted by z2trillion It's just not pretty. Morsel has suggested a solution in the M^3 thread involving a metal cross bar. I assume that if you were to do this you would need to isolatie the mosfets from the heatsinks?

it'a an interesting thought, and may be viable with the case we choose, but unless i'm completely mistaken, i think few of us would actually want to do this.

 

[uzziah]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bg4533 How about a case 12Wx8Dx3H with no vents on top? This would give plenty of height clearance and allow for even taller heatsinks. No vents on top to allow dust in either.

amb: i assume that the specs of 12W and 8D will work well? or should we consider adjusting these as well?

 

[BradJudy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by uzziah amb: i assume that the specs of 12W and 8D will work well? or should we consider adjusting these as well?

12x8 should work, but a width of 16" makes it fit in well with CD players and other components. It's just a matter of looks though (although it probably doesn't hurt to have the PSU farther away from the amp).