High Gain Preamp

[amirmk]

I'm going to build a preamp with a gain of 36dB's and i would like to know would it be dangerous to connect it to an anp that has already a gain stage?

[Miles Prower]

The only case where it would be dangerous is if either your preamp or main amp use the "suicide box" topology that uses a power xfmr-less supply. In that case, you could short circuit the mains if one unit has the ground hot to AC, and the other one is AC grounded. If you do that, you'll know it pretty quick.

Other than that, it isn't since you'll get massive distortion from over driving a low level stage. If that happens, back off the gain. I suppose you could burn out a small signal tube's grid by persistant overdrive, but you won't want to listen to the result long enough for that to happen anyway. Even if the specs say no grid current, tubes are tougher than transistors and don't go FUBAR at the drop of an electron.

[amirmk]

So in that case, if i've built Pass' high gain preamp the only thing i need in an amp is the current stage, right?

[Miles Prower]

Right