Follow the clearance your equipment manufacturer specifies, and give the cabinet a path for air to enter low and leave high. A vented shelf, a vented bottom and an open or vented back will handle most systems. Add a thermostat-controlled fan when the equipment runs hot, the bay is tight, or the cabinet sits against a wall with nowhere for warm air to go.
Do not rely on a number you read online. Your amplifier's manual states the clearance its maker tested for, and that is the figure that governs.
Why an enclosed cabinet traps heat
Audio and video components convert some of the power they draw into heat and shed it from their casework, mostly upward. In open air that heat rises away. Inside a closed box it rises to the top of the box and stays there, and the component then sits in air that is warmer than the room. Nothing dramatic happens immediately; it is a long-run reliability question, and it is why manufacturers publish clearance requirements at all.
Two design choices decide how well a cabinet copes: whether air can get in at the bottom, and whether it can get out at the top or the back. A cabinet that has vents only at the front has decoration, not ventilation.
What passive venting can do
Passive venting uses convection alone. Warm air rises out of the cabinet and cooler room air is drawn in behind it. For it to work there has to be an opening low, an opening high or at the back, and an uninterrupted path between them.
- Vented shelves let air pass between bays instead of stopping at each level.
- A vented bottom gives cool air a way in.
- A removable or vented back panel gives warm air a way out, and gives you a way to reach the cabling.
- Glass doors that stay closed still allow convection if the vertical path is open, which is why the venting matters more than the door.
Passive venting is quiet, has nothing to fail, and is enough for a great many systems. It is not enough when the heat load is high or the cabinet is pushed hard against a wall.
Spacing and manufacturer clearances
Component manuals specify clearance above and around the unit. Those figures come from the manufacturer's own testing and vary a lot between a cool-running streamer and a class A amplifier, so a single rule of thumb is not worth much. Two habits are worth more:
- Read the clearance figure in each manual and set your adjustable shelves to it rather than to what looks tidy.
- Give the hottest component the most room, and put it where rising heat will not pass through everything else. In practice that usually means the heaviest, hottest amplifier goes low, on the strongest shelf, with space above it.
The large amplifier guide works through that placement in more detail.
When active cooling earns its place
A fan is worth adding when passive airflow cannot keep up: a high-output amplifier, a bay that is deliberately tight, a console positioned so the back is close to a wall, or a rack of components that all run at once. The point of a thermostat-controlled fan rather than a permanently running one is that it does nothing until the temperature you set is reached, so the system stays silent when it does not need help.
B&A offers the AC Infinity AIRPLATE system as a build-time add-on, with the back panel made to take the fan panel and an optional end-panel cutout for the controller:
| Option | Fans | Total theoretical airflow | Noise at full speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIRPLATE T7 | 2 | 104 CFM | 19 dBA |
| AIRPLATE T9 | 3 | 157 CFM | 21 dBA |
Both use dual ball bearings and a programmable digital thermostat controller with a 6-foot probe, so you set the on and off temperatures and the fan speed. The system is only available as an add-on with a new console, because the back panel and the controller cutout are made for it during the build.
How B&A builds for airflow as standard
Before any fan is considered, every B&A console already ships with four adjustable vented wood shelves, removable vented back panels, and grommeted wire chases through the bottom and divider panels. The Monarch and Pennington add vented bottoms, and on the Majestic, Haven and Horizon the back panels come off without tools.
See the consoles, or tell Brian what your equipment is and he will tell you whether a fan is worth adding to your build.
Frequently asked
Do media consoles need ventilation?
Any cabinet holding audio or video electronics needs a path for warm air to leave and cool air to enter. Follow the clearance figures in your equipment manuals, and prefer a cabinet with vented shelves, a vented bottom and a removable or vented back panel.
Can cooling fans be installed in a B&A media console?
Yes. B&A offers the AC Infinity AIRPLATE T7 or T9 as a build-time add-on, with the back panel made to take the fan panel and an optional end-panel cutout for the thermostat controller. It is only available with a new console because the panel is made for it during the build.
How loud are the cooling fans?
AC Infinity publishes 19 dBA at full speed for the T7 and 21 dBA for the T9. Because the controller is thermostatic, the fans stay off until the temperature you set is reached.
Talk to the person who builds them
Send your component list and the space you have. Brian will tell you which console fits, or whether it needs to be built to a different size.
Figures on this page are B&A's own published specifications, taken from the current product pages and the ordering and warranty terms. Equipment clearances should always be taken from your own component manuals.