Can I get by WITHOUT a coupling cap between mm cart / tape head and LME4970 (and other op amps)?

opamp with JFET/MOSFET inputs have (close to) zero bias current, so no current can flow back into the source... unless a major disaster is happening. Therefore, better keep a DC blocking cap 🙂 Some designs even have clipping diodes on the input to limit maximum voltage peaks.
 
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Depends on how much you value your cartridge or tape head...

A good quality electrolytic capacitor like the Nichicon UES-series will have zero impact on the sound quality and will prevent excessive DC across the cartridge or tape head if anything bad happens. $ cost now vs a potential $$$ cost later. Your call.

Tom
 
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Yes, of course it is possible. If you worry about turn-on and turn-off thumps: create a muting circuit which guarantees the output is muted for the first N seconds after power-on, and which also guarantees the output is muted within X milliseconds after power-off.

Is it a good idea? Probably a matter of opinion and personal taste.
 
Thanks guys - not worried about output thumps (covering that elsewhere) but possible magnetization of tape head.

Newvirus - where did you get Fig 9 from - looks wrong - inputs backwards and no gain - 100Kohm to ground maybe should be 100ohms?