Just purchased a Pioneer VSX-814-k. Then i find out it has a FAN inside. Why would they do this?, cheaper than heatsinks i guess,IMOP fans pull in dust and they dont last long, it is a 80mm x 80mm x 25mm, same as a computer fan (i have 10 in my computer), the fan comes on very often, depending on the volume level, not thermal sensitive. Looks like it's going back, Ill get a Yamaha HTR_5840.
Some receivers have fans; some don't. I don't think it's necessarily an indication of overall poor build quality; just one cost-cutting way for the manufacturer to deal with heat build-up. Heat sinks are no doubt more expensive to incorporate into a receiver's design. Some receivers' fans are quiet and unobtrusive; some aren't. Some are situated deeper inside the receiver and are less noisy; some are situated closer to the back panel and are sometimes noisier. Some folks find them annoying; some don't notice them at all. Your receiver is meant for you to enjoy; if a fan bothers you, by all means get one without a fan.
My experience with those type of fans is that they collect dust on the fins, and pull in more dust to the components, also the bearings dont last. I dont want to have to take the cover off of the receiver and clean it out every year or so. Thats what i have to do to my computer to keep it cooler. Look like I will be getting a different receiver. Any suggestions between a Harmon Kardon HKA-AVR-235 or Onkyo SR602? I want to stay under $500.
For some reason, Onkyo is not particularly popular on this forum. My son-in-law has an Onkyo that he's very happy with. My understanding is that they are fairly well built, user friendly and don't generally have a lot of problems. The HK's have a reputation for slightly flimsey cabinets but decent power and internals.
On this forum particularly, many will not offer a recommendation unless they know what speakers you're driving. They believe that there are vast sonic differences in receiver brands and that you can't, for example, have a "bright" receiver driving bright speakers. I'm not a believer. My advice is to spend some time with each receiver and choose based on looks, build quality, ergonomics, features and power -- not necessarily in that order.
Dust collects regardless of the fan. Most amps have a grid like top that draws air and dust. Open up any amp after about six months or so of use (depending on where you live) and dust is collected everywhere.
I do agree though that a fan can be annoying. Where is decent room temperature super conductivity when you need it!
I have Polk 6700 Sat. and a Infinity PS8/Samsung HD850 DVD and a Pansonic 30" HDTV. It sounds great with DVD and movies. I was just going to step up notch in quality on the receiver if i can. I remember the old days of Yamaha Class A/B receivers/amps putting out 200 watts thru DCM Time Windows, with a Denon Direct drive turntable, vinyl was great.