I have a 12v fan with USB connection for cooling, will it harm or do any damage to the Nucleus+ to connect it to USB of the Nucleus for a 12v power source?
I thought USB outputs 5v.
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That very well may be but I did try it for a moment and it does work so I’m just wondering how electronically safe it is.
What sort of fan?
One meant for PCs and constant running or a piece of crap?
One that’s constant running meant for electronic cooling
Even so not sure you should spend a load of money on a piece designed for hifi excellence and put an odd thing in its usb socket.
I use an ACInfinity USB fans and component fans in my system. Most are not connected directly to the equipment, but I do use an S2 Blower fan that is connected to my Bryston BDP-2. It is plugged into the rear panel via USB. Fan is quiet and has no noticeable impact on the performance of the player. It lays flat next the player and pushes air under it for cooling. Works nicely. Hope that helps.
You can also puchase a power module that allows direct AC plug connection for the DC USB fan.
Thank you
That’s what I have
Per the underside of the S2 fan, it uses 1.25w. that shouldn’t be an issue.
Aside from any Voltage mismatch, if your Nucleus is directly attached to a DAC/analogue electronics I would be inclined to avoid attaching anything electrical to it. Maybe less likely to cause trouble over a more remote network connection.
Hello @Robert_Zinn,
I changed the title of the thread to reduce the potential for confusion.
Standard USB-A spec is 5V.
The fan will likely work without issue, but I would think twice before settling on this solution. If the fan itself or the cabling shorts you could have a very expensive problem on your hands.
I suggest procuring an inexpensive UL certified AC to USB-A power adapter for the fan instead of using your Nucleus+ as a $2k+ AC to DC power supply.
-John
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A simple under $10 solution. Available from the same vendor who sells the fan…
On a serious note, how many DC fans have you ever seen experiencing a short? I have been using 12v and 5v fans for years. They never seem to fail…bearing noise is what takes them out of service.
Never. But USB + external wiring are multipliers to the risk factor.
A plausible scenario: You’re moving components around on the rack as you’re cleaning/dusting and the wire gets snagged on a sharp heat sink.
-John
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Thanks @john I’ve never had a failure either. I use mostly AC Infinity T8 smart fans, and they have USB ports to connect satellite fans to, otherwise I use AC based 5v DC converters. I do have a single USB fan connected to my Bryston to activate when the BDP comes on, but its in a safe place, and I usually change them every two years. Bearing noise creeps in.
Just about any old phone charger will give you 5vdc on it’s usb socket. I would use that over any pc’s USB ports, Nuc, Mac, pc etc
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I probably should buy a USB wall wart and an AC switch. Only reason I plugged the one S2 fan into the back of the Bryston was that the fan would only come on when the Bryston BDP did.
This forum is hilarious sometimes. On one hand you have the no cables of any kind or power supply will make any difference to any server crowd and on the other an extremely low draw, well built usb fan will either mess up the sound and/or burn the house down.
I use AC Infinity fans and they are great, well built and quiet and you really only need to run them on them the lowest setting for hifi purposes. That said, they are 5V so I wouldn’t power a different make of 12V fan with a 5V fan with a USB output.
Thanks
I’ve since attached a 5v plug.