# Antec MX-1 Enclosure - Fan Loud??



## mchiles (Jul 13, 2007)

I picked up a Antec MX-1 USB/eSATA enclosure to use for my external drive on an S3.

Boy, does the MX-1 have a noisy fan... At least mine seems to be.

It is not very quiet when it is running. 

There is a low "whirling" sound when the fan is running.

Are all MX-1 fans relatively loud??

Anyone used an MX-1 with the fan disconnected?? Any hard drive overheating issues?

Thanks,

mchiles


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## fritolayguy (Oct 31, 2002)

I have the same setup, and I turned the fan off it got so noisy. I have had the fan off for going on two weeks with no issues. The drive seems to be about as hot as it was with the fan off. 

Of course, this is just one person's experience...just my 2c...


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## mchiles (Jul 13, 2007)

fritolayguy,

After you unhooked the MX-1's fan, did you leave the top off the MX-1 to let the drive radiate heat into the air instead of plastic?


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## richsadams (Jan 4, 2003)

This post should probably go in this thread to get a good response:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=350510

FWIW our MX-1 fan is very quiet. Sounds as if there's a problem if you can hear it more than a foot away or so (bad bearings?). They have a six year warranty. I'd order a replacement and send the one you have back for credit.

To preserve your recordings when you replace it you should unplug TiVo, then unplug your eSATA drive. Swap out the HDD, plug it back into TiVo, power it up and then power up TiVo.

Or if you have the drive placed in a well ventilated area you can probably run it w/o the fan, but that really depends on the HDD. Some (WD in particular) run very hot. Seagate DB35's are probably the coolest.


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## George Cifranci (Jan 30, 2003)

I can't even hear my MX-1's fan.


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## keenanSR (Oct 13, 2004)

I can hear mine from about 2' away which means it's a non-issue for me. That's with an Hitachi 1-TB drive in it.


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## mchiles (Jul 13, 2007)

The Hitachi is very quiet. You can't hear it over the MX-1 fan!!!

Seriously, I must have a bad MX-1 fan, because that is all I hear over everything

Even the wife complained about it. 

After disconnecting the fan on the MX-1, The Hitachi was so quiet that I had to put my finger on the drive to make sure it was still running. Also, the S3 would have gone nuts if it wasn't running.


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## greg_burns (May 22, 2004)

I can't tell if I am hearing the MX-1 fan or the 500GB WD drive in it. Both are very quiet, IMO.


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## gargoyle999 (Oct 28, 2006)

I hear a lot of clicking from the Segate DB35 drive I have in the MX-1 enclousure. But the MX-1 itself is quiet.


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

I have never heard my MX-1 fan, and I'm pretty picky, it's a small living room, with the eSata drive on top of the shelf with the TV, and I sit only 6' away.

I used to hear the 500GB Maxtor drive a lot until I went and adjusted it's acoustic settings from performance to "church mouse quiet" now I don't hear it either.

Diane


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## jfh3 (Apr 15, 2004)

My MX-1 fan is very quiet.


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## drew00001 (Jan 13, 2007)

gargoyle999 said:


> I hear a lot of clicking from the Segate DB35 drive I have in the MX-1 enclousure. But the MX-1 itself is quiet.


I thought the DB35s were supposed to be extremely quiet.


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## WeKnSmith (Jun 24, 2002)

You can't even hear the fan in our MX-1. I'd say it is time to give their support a call.


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## slimm (Sep 19, 2003)

drew00001 said:


> I thought the DB35s were supposed to be extremely quiet.


My DB35 and MX-1 are both very quiet.


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## AbMagFab (Feb 5, 2001)

gargoyle999 said:


> I hear a lot of clicking from the Segate DB35 drive I have in the MX-1 enclousure. But the MX-1 itself is quiet.


Then it's not a DB35 (or you have a bad drive). That sounds like as AS or ES drive, which are "clicky".

The DB35's are whisper silent.


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## slimm (Sep 19, 2003)

AbMagFab said:


> Then it's not a DB35 (or you have a bad drive). That sounds like as AS or ES drive, which are "clicky".
> 
> The DB35's are whisper silent.


I know for a fact that the AS drive is very "clicky".


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## keenanSR (Oct 13, 2004)

I originally had a Seagate 500GB AS in my MX-1 and it sounded like a popcorn machine. It wasn't "loud", but definitely distracting during quiet scenes.


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## moxie1617 (Jan 5, 2004)

gargoyle999 said:


> I hear a lot of clicking from the Segate DB35 drive I have in the MX-1 enclousure. But the MX-1 itself is quiet.


I'll chime in also. The DB35 should be whisper quiet. You should consider getting it exchanged. I have a DB35 in an MX-1 which I use for the S3 and an ES series in an MX-1 which I use with PC's. The ES exhibits some vibrational noise and faint clicking, but the DB35 is whisper quiet. And no fan noise from either enclosure.


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## richsadams (Jan 4, 2003)

AbMagFab said:


> The DB35's are whisper silent.


 +1 :up:


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## NOD (Aug 26, 2006)

The MX-1's fan is ridiculously quiet. I have 2 of them w/ Hitachi 1TB drives and can't hear a thing.

You might wanna call Antec.


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## miller890 (Feb 15, 2002)

The first MX-1 w/ DB35 was silent for about two weeks, then the fan went bad. It was so loud that you could hear buzzing throughout the house. I removed the drive from the case and ran it open-air for a while until I found a replacement. Antec support would not RMA the MX-1 even with a CC, so I purchased another one, as it turns out Antec was out of stock and I am guessing that is why I got the run around. The replacement MX-1 needed to be propped up on a foam earplug because of slight vibration that was amplified by the wood shelf it sits on.


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## mchiles (Jul 13, 2007)

My MX-1 fan was so loud that you could hear it three rooms away. Sounded like a baseball card in the spokes of a bicycle wheel. (Yes, I am dating myself).

Instead of messing with an Antec warranty claim. I just took it back to Best Buy yesterday for full refund. (they didn't have any replacements on the shelf for exchange)

When I got home, I ordered another MX-1 from Staples.com for $54.95. Should be here next week.

In the meantime, I am using a CoolDrives eSata enclosure that has a fan. It is an aluminum enclosure that runs kind of warm and the fan is not as loud as the MX-1.

I will try the new MX-1 when it comes in. If the fan is still I problem, I will probably just unplug the fan and take the risk.


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## subspace100 (Oct 31, 2003)

mchiles said:


> My MX-1 fan was so loud that you could hear it three rooms away. Sounded like a baseball card in the spokes of a bicycle wheel. (Yes, I am dating myself).
> 
> Instead of messing with an Antec warranty claim. I just took it back to Best Buy yesterday for full refund. (they didn't have any replacements on the shelf for exchange)
> 
> ...


I'd like to "hear" how your new MX-1 works out. Mine is also too loud for my liking. On a related note, do you know if there are any "good" fanless enclosures that people are happy with?


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## drew00001 (Jan 13, 2007)

mchiles said:


> When I got home, I ordered another MX-1 from Staples.com for $54.95. Should be here next week.


You may want to stop order and get it through Newegg.com, which has a $10.00 sale and $20.00 discount bringing the price down to $39.99.


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## richsadams (Jan 4, 2003)

subspace100 said:


> I'd like to "hear" how your new MX-1 works out. Mine is also too loud for my liking. On a related note, do you know if there are any "good" fanless enclosures that people are happy with?


Apricorn's EZ Bus DTS enclosure (on sale for $29.99 at  Newegg and ZipZoomFly after rebate) is a good alternative; one that a number of others are using. It does have a fan but it's smaller and very quiet.

Otherwise if you have good ventilation and a cool running drive most of the quality external SATA drive enclosures listed on the Series3 eSATA Drive Expansion: FAQ + Discussion post will work. (See #33)


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## sdnative1 (Mar 7, 2009)

I can confirm that after 7 months of whisper quiet, there is noticeable fan noise from the Antec MX-1. It's loud enough at times to be heard from 15 feet away. It sounds like a bearing grinding or the fan rubbing against something in the housing. It was SILENT DURING THE FIRST 7 MONTHS. I was originally placing the unit horizontal. However, I accidentally discovered that when I turn the unit on its left side and use the included stand, the unit is SILENT AGAIN and has been for the past 2 weeks. If it keeps working this position, I'll be happy however it is still disturbing.

My only reason for buying this enclosure was that it was one of the only ones with a internal fan. I was surprised at Fry's Electronics to discover that most of the hard drive enclosures on the market do not use a fan and are passively cooled via the aluminum case. Had I known of the fan issues with this MX-1, I would have opted for a fanless enclosure (which Antec also makes). I'm told the usually there are no problems using a well ventilated hard drive without a fan. Keep in mind that most DVRs (other than Tivo) have a hard drive with no fan in the box.

A little background: I went through the trouble of opening up the unit, removing the hard drive and blowing out the fan with compressed air. No change in the noise after reassembly. I believe the problem is caused by a poor quality fan bearings or fan housing.


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

keenanSR said:


> I can hear mine from about 2' away which means it's a non-issue for me. That's with an Hitachi 1-TB drive in it.


Ditto. I can't say I've never heard my MX-1, although I have 2 air cleaners droning on in the room with 3 PCs so I'm used to some white noise.


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

sdnative1 said:


> I can confirm that after 7 months of whisper quiet, there is noticeable fan noise from the Antec MX-1. It's loud enough at times to be heard from 15 feet away. It sounds like a bearing grinding or the fan rubbing against something in the housing. *It was SILENT DURING THE FIRST 7 ...*
> 
> MONTHS. No change in the noise after reassembly. I believe the problem is caused by a poor quality fan bearings or fan housing.


Yes, you are describing a fan gone bad.
There's never been a question that a fan can go bad, the question was on if a new unit should be able to be heard.

I had a fan go south after about 24 months, I simply bought a new MX-1 I view that as a better choice then a passively cooled case.

Diane


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## sdnative1 (Mar 7, 2009)

dianebrat said:


> Yes, you are describing a fan gone bad.
> There's never been a question that a fan can go bad, the question was on if a new unit should be able to be heard.
> 
> I had a fan go south after about 24 months, I simply bought a new MX-1 I view that as a better choice then a passively cooled case.
> ...


Obviously it shouldn't be heard at anytime, especially if new. You also shouldn't have to spend your own money for a new one unless the thing is years older and wear is expected after running 24/7. I am simply adding yet another confirmation to the list to keep building a case against a recall.

Antec is known for it's higher level of computer parts, including fans. To have these kind of problems seems a bit unusual. The right thing to do would be to offer pre-paid shipping label print-outs both ways from their website after entering the product serial number. This is how other companies like Sony and Canon have handled some recalls.

The MX-1 has a 3 year warranty (something many don't know) so you shouldn't have had to by a new one IF you have your receipt and a box to ship it, and are willing to pay the shipping.

That fact that it does it when new, as reported in a few forums, confirms that the fan is a faulty design from the start. I guess I was just lucky enough to have no issues with it for 7 months.

This is the ONLY device I've ever had with such widely reported fan issues. I've had about a half dozen video cards with similar sized fans. I ran them for at least 4 years a piece with no fan problem.


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

sdnative1 said:


> The MX-1 has a 3 year warranty (something many don't know) so you shouldn't have had to by a new one IF you have your receipt and a box to ship it, and are willing to pay the shipping.


It was easier to spend $29 on a new one for me then it would have been to go through the hassle of a return/RMA process and finding the receipt from 2007.
I would however be more then willing to buy a spare fan if one were available.

YMMV
Diane


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## richsadams (Jan 4, 2003)

I should have mentioned a while back that my MX-1's fan was noisy when I first fired it up...kind of a vibration/annoying hum. I played around with it for a bit, tried setting it up vertically then horizontally with no luck. Finally I just opened the case, pulled the drive sled back out and gave the center of the fan mount a good flick with my index finger/tumb. Problem solved.  I upgraded the S3's internal drive a while back and now the MX-1 is happily running as a backup drive behind my iMAC. Guess it's about two years old or so...still quiet as a mouse.


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## oViTynoT (May 18, 2007)

Ditto... Mine isn't even audible unless my ear is near it. One of these days I'll remember to shut it down, open it up, and blow the dust out of it that's been accumulating for 6 months now...


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## zob (Mar 25, 2007)

I am currently running the MX-1 with 500 GB Seagate DB35 hard drive. It has worked fine for over 2 1/2 years. I contacted Antec to replace the fan. They indicated to me the only way to warranty the fan is to RMA the entire enclosure. I have disconnected the fan and left the lid off. I would like to get it fixed before the summertime when it gets warmer in the house. If I RMA enclosure I will need a backup device while the shipping process is taking place in order to continue using the S3. Does anybody know of any replacement fan that is available for the MX-1? I currently have a Thermaltake Black X hard drive cradle. This may work as a temporary device in the interim.


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## greg_burns (May 22, 2004)

zob said:


> I am currently running the MX-1 with 500 GB Seagate DB35 hard drive. It has worked fine for over 2 1/2 years. I contacted Antec to replace the fan. They indicated to me the only way to warranty the fan is to RMA the entire enclosure. I have disconnected the fan and left the lid off. I would like to get it fixed before the summertime when it gets warmer in the house. If I RMA enclosure I will need a backup device while the shipping process is taking place in order to continue using the S3. Does anybody know of any replacement fan that is available for the MX-1? I currently have a Thermaltake Black X hard drive cradle. This may work as a temporary device in the interim.


I was just looking at my Antec fan. I don't see an easy way of removing the fan without breaking something.

Your S3 is married to the harddrive, not the enclosure. You "should" be able to use your drive inside the Thermaltake w/o issue...


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

FWIW 2 months ago I emailed Antec via the website to say that I have 2 MX-1's with noisy fans and I love them so much I'd like to buy replacement fans. They said "no need, we'll send you 2 at no charge" So your Antec person is off base.

The fan assembly is actually pretty cool as far as its construction, I dissected one after I put the new fan assy in, the stator is mounted permanently, on the base, and if you take the screws out on the top, move the vibration deadening rubber, the top plastic comes off, and the blade pops out, it's actually free floating! I have no doubt that if I cleaned it up and put a speck of fan oil in it, that I'd get a few more years out of it.

Diane


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## greg_burns (May 22, 2004)

Not quite sure why I tore apart my perfectly working Antec, but curiosity got the better of me. 

After reading Diane's post, I took a second look and realized they're screws under the circuit board I had missed previously.



















Still don't see how the fan comes off. Is there a screw possibly under the round sticker on the back?


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

greg_burns said:


> Not quite sure why I tore apart my perfectly working Antec, but curiosity got the better of me.
> 
> After reading Diane's post, I took a second look and realized they're screws under the circuit board I had missed previously.
> 
> Still don't see how the fan comes off. Is there a screw possibly under the round sticker on the back?


I was at the stage you are, then I grabbed the fan blade, and pulled up, it pulled right out, I cleaned the gunk and crap off the shaft, placed the fan back in, and reassembled.

In fact I just looked, apparently the fan I did that to is currently still in use, I was waiting for the noise to come back before I swapped them out again, I still see a new one in the parts pile, I'm getting older, I thought the new one was in the system.

Diane


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## richsadams (Jan 4, 2003)

You and Greg rock! I posted a link to your fine experiment over on the Drive Expansion and Drive Upgrade FAQ. Nice work! :up:


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## zob (Mar 25, 2007)

Thanks for the info; I will try this before I RMA it back to Antec. I will probably wait for my new TiVo to come in first, since I will need to shut it down to do the experiment. I just hope this new Premier XL is as reliable as the S3 has been.


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## richsadams (Jan 4, 2003)

zob said:


> I just hope this new Premier XL is as reliable as the S3 has been.


+ 1 :up:


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## keenanSR (Oct 13, 2004)

Thought I would share my experience with a noisy fan. I have an MX-1 hooked to a DirecTV DVR that I hadn't used for almost six months and when starting up the DVR/MX-1 combo yesterday the MX-1 had a nasty fan noise. Took it all apart and cleaned it although it wasn't really dirty at all. Put it back together and the noise was still there so I decided to try and pop the fan off as noted above. I'm not sure exactly how Diane got her fan off, but this one was not going to come off easily. At that point I decided I was going to get it off even if it destroyed the unit - I didn't really need the external drive with the DVR, so I figured what the heck - anyway, it took pulling up on the fan blades with my fingers while prying around the fan center with a screwdriver, and even then when it did finally pop off I thought for sure it was toast.

Turns out it looked okay, the fan blade casing is part of the motor armature itself and uses some small flat washers and a bearing on the shaft protruding from the base. Everything looked very clean, but I figured I would add a drop of oil anyway. Didn't have any oil close by so I squirted a bit of WD40 on the assembly, naturally it got soaked and I figured that was the end of but I wiped off as much as I could and popped the blade back into it's housing. Put it together and tried it and it's whisper quite now. It's been running for over 24 hrs now and still going good, in fact, I would say that it's quieter than it was brand new. Pretty happy with the result given that I had figured it was toast to begin with.


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## richsadams (Jan 4, 2003)

keenanSR said:


> Thought I would share my experience with a noisy fan.


Thanks for posting...nice to know and it should help others that follow. :up:


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