Why does my amp get so hot?!

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I've always thought my NAD C326 runs kinda hot, and thought this was normal. I'm currently borrowing a Rega Brio 3, which barely gets warm using the exact B&W 685 speaker set up. Intrigued, i did a small test with a thermometer. the brio is around 22 after an hour of play at 8 o'clock on the dial. the NAD, however, got up to around 35 ish after just half an hour and was likely to go above this if i had time to run it longer. its sat on a rack, with a few inches of space above it and ample room around the sides. it used to have a CDP sat on top of it, and did switch itself off once or twice, but hasn't for a few months.

is this normal for the NAD, or is there cause for concern? i'm still covered by the Sevenoaks warranty.
 
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Anonymous

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its not it switching off, i put that down to the old CD player sitting on it. its the fact that it runs so hot, something i've never experienced with amps i've used previously. it has been brought to my attention since borrowing another amp yesterday that gets nowhere near as hot.
 

drummerman

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Plenty of NAD owners here which should be able to comment.

I use two amplifiers, one gets fairly warm (even the knobs heat up) the other doesn't. Depends on the amount/way of heatsinking, case material/thickness and bias. They have thermal cut-out's so unless it switches off for no apparent reason I wouldn't worry.
 

aliEnRIK

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Different amp designs run at different temperatures

My P1000 runs almost cold unless im thrashing the living daylights out of it. Whilst my old denon av amp used to get hot just by being switched on
 
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Anonymous

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you should try having a MF A1... now that gets hot!!! i could cook burgers on its heatsink!!!

I used to have a kenwood amp that would turn itself off when played too loud but mine also stopped doing it once I took the cdp off the top of it.
 
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Anonymous

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well it seems its pretty variable! thought i'd ask; i didn't want to take it back to Sevenoaks and get them to test it if its an entirely normal thing!
 

SteveR750

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My old 3130 and then a C352 never cut out. They got hot when hammered, and only when soft clipping engaged and party volume set. Normal loud listening seemed to be no problem whatsoever to them.

Sounds a bit un-NAD like to me.
 

rymidd

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SteveR750:

My old 3130 and then a C352 never cut out. They got hot when hammered, and only when soft clipping engaged and party volume set. Normal loud listening seemed to be no problem whatsoever to them.

Sounds a bit un-NAD like to me.
my nad 326bee got very warm at low volume with soft clipping on or off never cause me a problem
 
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Anonymous

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jsl think we discussed this before - my 326 never gets anything but warm at 30% driving my 685's. I would take it back if I were you - clearly you are worried. However referring back to my NAD unreliable thread - its unlikely that SO will change it because they may not have a return option with NAD. Not that that affects your rights of course - you believe it to be faulty - and it sounds so.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.
 
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Anonymous

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My NAD 326 got hot aswell when only on 30 mins or so, never really had it pas the 9 o'clock position for long listening sessions. I had mine on the top shelf of my rack with no restrictions round it but still got very hot. My creek on the other hand dosn't get hot, have my creek on for hours and no where near the heat that came of my NAD
 

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