Onkyo 805 in a rack

[tlabatte]

Hi all,

I have just framed out and attached these Middle Atlantic Rack Rails into the wall to create a Built in Rack chassis. The front will look like a flush mount cabinet and will back into a closet under the stairs. There is no rack case surrounding the components.

Here is my concern. I would like to install a Onkyo 805 into this rack. I will need to use a shelf for this receiver. the Middle Atlantic shelves will not provide the 4" space on sides because these shelves have side walls to help support the weight of these components I am guessing it will be less than a 1/2 inch on either side. If I place the 805 on the top of the rack, I will have unlimited amount of overhead space.

How can I safely deal with the potential cooling issue? Anyone else rack mount a Onkyo 805 or the like? I am new to this and want to do this right.

 

[GlocksRock]

You could always add some silent fans, and you will need it as the 805 runs pretty hot.

 

[ThA tRiXtA]

Most people that use the TX-SR805 / TX-SR875 Onkyo receivers just buy a small computer fan, say an 80 mm or 120 mm fan and wire it up to a plug that will go into the switched outlet on the back of the receiver.

When the receiver turns on, so does the fan. When the receiver turns off... you get the picture.

Good luck.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

You could always add some silent fans, and you will need it as the 805 runs pretty hot.

Most people that use the TX-SR805 / TX-SR875 Onkyo receivers just buy a small computer fan, say an 80 mm or 120 mm fan and wire it up to a plug that will go into the switched outlet on the back of the receiver.

When the receiver turns on, so does the fan. When the receiver turns off... you get the picture.

Good luck.

That's kind of a sad picture, though.

The price you must pay for power...

I would not buy a Onkyo unless I could place it on the top shelf with 100% ventilation for the top, rear, and both sides.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Hi all,

I have just framed out and attached these Middle Atlantic Rack Rails into the wall to create a Built in Rack chassis. The front will look like a flush mount cabinet and will back into a closet under the stairs. There is no rack case surrounding the components.

Here is my concern. I would like to install a Onkyo 805 into this rack. I will need to use a shelf for this receiver. the Middle Atlantic shelves will not provide the 4" space on sides because these shelves have side walls to help support the weight of these components I am guessing it will be less than a 1/2 inch on either side. If I place the 805 on the top of the rack, I will have unlimited amount of overhead space.

How can I safely deal with the potential cooling issue? Anyone else rack mount a Onkyo 805 or the like? I am new to this and want to do this right.

I say put it on the top of the rack! Don't take any chances.

 

[tlabatte]

The 805 does run hot but it is thermally stable to run that way. Making it hotter by restricting vents make things troublesome. Going back to the fans, would you lay these Fan(s) on the top of the receiver flat with a rubber feet to stabilize it? Would I orient the fan to pull air out or push it in?

 

[ThA tRiXtA]

Either of the two cooling fans I suggested shouldn't push enough air to lift the fan up so that it results in the fan moving around by itself or rattling against your receiver chassis... that being said, 4 little rubber feet in between the two never hurt.

Regarding the orientation that the fan should be placed, either blowing down into the chassis, or taking the air away from the receiver itself... from my experiences with computers, always mount fans blowing onto the heatsinks, not drawing air away from them so I would maintain that precedent.

 

[Seth=L]

I would think pulling hot air out would be more effective. When I had my Onkyo TX-SR502 I placed a fan on top (with rubber feet) and it was very effective at keeping it cool. So long as the receiver is not in a closed cabinet, it should be fine with a fan in numerous configurations.

 

[ThA tRiXtA]

If you are going to install that particular receiver in an enclosed or mostly airtight cabinet, as Seth indicated I would try to configure a fan to not just cool one component, but exhaust heated air from the whole cabinet just as a computer case fan effectively does.

Ideally if you could have one intake fan near the bottom of the rack and one exhaust at the very top that should do very well.

 

[tlabatte]

My Rack Solution will be not enclosed but in a closet and the Rcvr will be on the top. Sounds like a fan solution will suit my needs. Thanks

As a side question, I heard in this thread and others on this forum to stay away from the Onkyo 805 due to the heat problems. I would be interested in what people think would be an alternative that has a close to the same feature-set and is within a few hundred dollars of the 805 price ($800)

 

[johsti]

My Rack Solution will be not enclosed but in a closet and the Rcvr will be on the top. Sounds like a fan solution will suit my needs. Thanks

As a side question, I heard in this thread and others on this forum to stay away from the Onkyo 805 due to the heat problems. I would be interested in what people think would be an alternative that has a close to the same feature-set and is within a few hundred dollars of the 805 price ($800)

You won't find anything comparable to the 805 for the money. I have mine in a media cabinet which is open on the back and a few inches of room above and to the sides. I'm not going to lie, it does run pretty warm on the back right side where the video processor and HDMI inputs are. However, the heatsinks for the amplifier are barely warm to the touch. My 805 doesn't run any hotter than my directv HR20 or PS3. This whole topic has been greatly exaggerated IMHO.

Many of the heat related comments are from folks that have never owned this receiver or had any real experience with it whatsoever. Sure, you can add fans for added safety, but it really isn't necessary unless it is in a very confined space which would affect any electronic component.

 

[cooley]

I have the 875 and it does run hot, do not put this in any rack without air flow you will destroy your investment. I just put mine on the floor and it does not look so bad. I love this receiver, no complaints, works flawless, nothing can beat it for the price. Take a look at the pictures. http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll156/cooley_018/Image006.jpg http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll156/cooley_018/Image02t.jpg http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll156/cooley_018/Image000m.jpg

 

[darien87]

If you are going to install that particular receiver in an enclosed or mostly airtight cabinet, as Seth indicated I would try to configure a fan to not just cool one component, but exhaust heated air from the whole cabinet just as a computer case fan effectively does.

Ideally if you could have one intake fan near the bottom of the rack and one exhaust at the very top that should do very well.

That's going to depend on the cabinet and how hot the 805 gets. I did the exact same thing with my enclosed cabinet. Even though it had about a 2" opening that went across the whole back of the cabinet, at the top and bottom and I installed a 4" fan pulling out hot air at the top and a 4" fan pulling air in at the bottom, it still wasn't enough to keep my PS 3 and cable box fans from kicking into high gear. 2 fans might not be enough. You'll just have to try it and see.

I have since taken the PS 3 out of the cabinet and I have a new cable box that seems to run much cooler than the old one. Now, I just have the 4" fan pulling air out at the top of the cabinet and one 4" fan directly on top of my receiver, pulling hot air out of it. With this configuration, the 661 barely gets warm.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Middle Atlantic has switched rack shelves to a new style that is not enclosed on the sides anymore. Instead, they use a cut out steel support system which leaves the sides fairly wide open, as well, there are venting holes all across the bottom of the shelf.

Your worries about ventilation should be for ensuring that the closet itself is not completely sealed and trapping a ton of hot air within it (Middle Atlantic can help with that as well!).

But, if you go to their main webpage at www.middleatlantic.com - you will find that right on the front they have a flash animation that shows the design of the new rack shevles.

IMO - you still want to design the rack to leave a full rack space between each component if at all possible. Use VTF spacers between shelves, and include serious ventilation around the rack to remove hot air buildup inside the rack.