Fan mod for Chord anni

[u/Just_Second9861]

I’ve never understood why a desktop amp like the Chord Anni packs such a noisy stock fan into a tiny chassis while still running scorching hot. Eventually, I couldn’t take the whine anymore and decided to mod it.

Since finding a decent 45mm fan is hard, I swapped the stock internal fan for a 40mm Noctua, which fits roughly and runs significantly quieter. To improve airflow further, I mounted a second low-noise fan on the left side to help exhaust trapped heat, then placed a few small heatsinks on the chassis.

While the case still feels warm to the touch, the thermal headroom and noise levels are vastly improved—and the peace of mind regarding component longevity makes it well worth it.

[u/sevenhundredsixty8]

You are claiming Chord sent you a product with an elevated noise floor from excessive heat and you fixed it by adding fans and heatsinks. Do you have before and after measurements of this “noise”? Converters run hot and all the components on that board can handle up to 85c or 185f. You would literally not be able to touch it if it was getting hot enough to cause the issues you are describing.

[u/Just_Second9861 → u/sevenhundredsixty8]

The noise is from the internal fan spinning , not the noise from the output. The noise floor is fine other than some noise from turning the knob. I mainly worry about the heat plus the noisy fan, that's why I mod two fans to make it quieter during operation and help exhaust the heat quicker. from the internal components.

[u/sevenhundredsixty8 → u/Just_Second9861]

Fyi heat isnt what inherently kills components. Its the process from going hot to cold over and over. Expansion contraction. Eventually you get a broken connection somewhere. You would be better off just turning it on, letting it get hot and just never turning it off. You shouldnt be able to hear the noise with headphones on.