The future of preamps

You have rights to be cautious Audiolabyrinth about protecting your expensive poweramps, I agree get it in writing.

A tube pre if it's output is capacitor or transformer coupled gives some safeguard to precious large power dc coupled poweramps.

But if a tube pre is direct coupled and you get a bad tube or something goes haywire then your dc coupled power amps are in grave danger, even if the pre has output relays which can switch too late.

If something goes wrong, the dc offset in a direct coupled tube preamp premap can be up to 100 x larger that a transistor pre. Your poweramp may survive a dc coupled transitor pre going bad, but not a dc coupled tube pre.

Cheers George

Hi Audiolabyrinth,
If you heard the Atma-Sphere MP-1 I believe you'd absolutely love what it would bring to your system, I'd trust Ralph's assurances (he been doing this successfully a long while). But if you're that apprehensive maybe you should forget about using a great tube preamp.
Charles,

Another thing,
Consider the multitude of people who are using tube preamps with SS amplifiers and this has occurred for many years quite successfully. I believe your contact at Krell planted a needless bug of worry and anxiety.
Good Luck,
Charles,

"Thick As A Brick"
Side Two

Wow, you can't make this up folks.