Fans are still a good idea, though: solid state circuitry isn't as forgiving as vacuum tubes when it comes to heat. If fans get too loud, there a few options:
- using a fan with higher cubic-feet-per-minute rating than needed and just throttle them back (with a resistor) to a lower RPM;
- have the fans turn on only when needed (like with a temperature sensing device or with a manual switch);
- ball bearing fans typically are a bit quieter (and last longer) than sleeve bearing fans;
- and other ideas I'm sure a few other folks out there might have.