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Quiet cooling fan suggestions?

It's definitely 24VDC (21.9VDC coming off the board)... there seem to be quite a few 40mm fans at this voltage but not with the choices you get for PC fan voltages. Having investigated further I think the noise could be internal airflow as well as fan vibration, which presents a bit more of a challenge... maybe I could put little baffles in the enclosure like in air conditioning ducts :)
I think a number of the PC folks also have mounting options that reduce vibration such as rubber screws, grommets, washers, etc.
 
There are fan adapters out there that lets you mount larger fans on smaller openings. In general large, low RPM fans are quieter than small fans that spin at high RPM. Of course, you still need the physical space for the fan.

Another alternative is a scroll fan with a square mounting flange.

It would help a bit to identify what kind of noise you are trying to get rid of.
- Vibration noise tend to be very annoying but could in some cases be reduced by using rubber mounts.
- Coil whine from the motor or bearing noise. Replace the fan...
- Turbulence. Often manifests itself as a "fluttering" noise. Usually caused by fan grills with sharp edges (like holes punched into sheet metal) or fan grills/heat sinks too close to the fan blades.
- "Pressure noise". Hissing noise caused by restricted airflow. Caused by poor cooling design and/or vents clogged by dust.
 
"Quieter" fan for whom?

I remember that you have to totally rebuilt the case or housing in which the amp/PC resides in to get a silent fan. Those "owl feather" principle ones may come to your rescue but - by and large - if you have to make them silent, you really have to increase the diameter area, so they don't have to run at same speed, but moves air through a larger hole. Speed is what makes the noise. If you re-house all of your amp into any 3-4 rack space case housing you can use huge fans, and they can run smoothly and shift a lot of air. I would even advice of using two fans, one "intake" and one "out-take" at the back. I e one that sucks in air from the front, passes it through, and one that pushes it out again at the back, or up through the vent holes of any amp head, of course at different directions. Then you'll get the most put through, and can turn down RPMs considerably and make them even more silent.

Use two of these then, BTW they're not Papst, they're called Noctua:
0b568733e77f0968add06a24538e067b.jpg


The "owl" principle is detected at the corners of the fan blades, which are jagged and shaped in a very special way, akin to that of an owls wing, hence the owl can fly silently in the night without being detected by its prey even when close up. Cunning solution, by nature and evolution. This principle of fan blades, moves just as much air, and cools the same way, that any of the regular ones, but are way more silent. This of course, with the same diameter, and everything else equal. The material in which they are made of makes significant contribution too, to the resulting fan noise.

The one thing you have to do anyway with these, that sucks IN air from the front, is that you really have to vacuum clean (hoover) it ever so often. They drag in dust too, that sets on the circuit board. Not everything gets sucked or pushed out by the back fan. Maybe a trade off that you don't want to deal with.

Oh yeah, they will cost you some serious dough. Maybe that too, is a trade off you don't want to deal with... ;)

Here's their explanation of their "bevelled" fan blad corners and tips:

Noctua

"Due to the Vortex-Control Notches, trailing edge vortices are split up into several smaller vortices. Thus the noise is spread over a wider range of frequencies and therefore perceived as much less annoying."


Noctua has some killer (although expensive) product. For anyone who builds enthusiast PCs they're usually top of the list when choosing fans.
 
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There are fan adapters out there that lets you mount larger fans on smaller openings. In general large, low RPM fans are quieter than small fans that spin at high RPM. Of course, you still need the physical space for the fan.

Another alternative is a scroll fan with a square mounting flange.

It would help a bit to identify what kind of noise you are trying to get rid of.
- Vibration noise tend to be very annoying but could in some cases be reduced by using rubber mounts.
- Coil whine from the motor or bearing noise. Replace the fan...
- Turbulence. Often manifests itself as a "fluttering" noise. Usually caused by fan grills with sharp edges (like holes punched into sheet metal) or fan grills/heat sinks too close to the fan blades.
- "Pressure noise". Hissing noise caused by restricted airflow. Caused by poor cooling design and/or vents clogged by dust.

There are two specific noises I want to reduce:

Narrow peak just over 500Hz from fan vibration, possibly resonance from the panel it's mounted on.

A wider peak centred around 255Hz that sounds more like internal airflow.

No turbulence or pressure whistle through the exit vent I can detect.

I am going to try rubber washers and making a rubber gasket for the fan, then maybe I'll look at lining part of the metal enclosure. I knew I should have paid more attention in Noise Control :)

It's a small enclosure so only a 40mm fan can fit in there.