[KLJTech]

I was wondering if anyone else here has been using the Little Dot MK III as a preamp into a direct coupled amp with no problems?
 
After reading Sam Tellig in Stereophile (May 2010) say that the LD MK III makes a very nice preamp (daring you to compare it against your current linestage) I thought I’d give it a try and I think it sounds great (big soundstage and beautiful mid-range) and I've used it for a couple weeks with no problems at all but then read that the makers of the LD MK III do not recommend using it with a direct coupled amp. I’m using Parasound Halo amp which are direct coupled (no capacitors or inductors in signal path).
 
This concerned me so I emailed Parasound and they said that the issue is the “possibility” of some DC leakage from the LD’s  audio output and “If” DC is amplified in a DC coupled amp it can fry speakers but most likely any DC in the LD’s output is within the range that the amp’s DC servos can handle. They went on to say that IF the LD’s output coupling capacitors were leaky the amp would just shut itself off so if it continues to work fine I should feel safe to continue to use this setup.
 
Now I wondering if I’ve just been lucky so far or if others are using the LD MK III as a preamp for a longer period of time with no problems while running it into a direct coupled amp? It sounds wonderful and I’d like to keep this setup if it’ll continue to work fine together.
 
Thanks in advance for your feedback.

 

[fallsroad]

I looked closely at the Little Dot MKIII as a replacement for my McCormack Integrated Drive, which serves as both headphone amp and as a preamp feeding a McCormack solid state power amp that is DC coupled. I corresponded with folks at Little Dot and also McCormack and both advised against it, and rather strongly. There wasn't even a hint of "try it, but totally at your own risk" - they both said flat out it is not recommended at all.
 
If DC is passed through the system it can destroy speaker drivers.

So I passed on the LDmkIII, sadly, and will be sending my McCormack MID back to them in the near future for a complete upgrade.

 

[KLJTech]

It's a shame that it can be a problem with some amps because I've been using it for a week as a preamp with either the Benchmark DAC1 or DacMagic as a source and it sounds outstanding with both. As a matter a fact I saw the review in Stereophile from about a year ago in which the reviewer says I dare you to try it in place of your regular linestage and thought I may as well give it a shot and it sounds to me that having the tubes between the digital source and the amp really gives more body/warmth to the music than I had before. Of course THEN I read that Little Dot does not recommend using the LD with that type of amp.
 
[size=11pt]The person I spoke to at Parasound was Richard Schram[/size] so I'm sure he knows his own product. The LD may start shutting down the amp tomorrow and then I'd have to change back to my normal setup but so far there's been no problem at all. He said as long as the amp isn't shutting itself off to go ahead and keep using the LD as a preamp but I wondered if I've just been lucky so far that my amp hasn't been shutting off via its protection circuit. I was rather hoping that several members were using the LD with a direct coupled amp with no problems but I'm having my doubts now. That's a shame...I certainly don't want to damage anything.

 

[manufelices]

I have the same question. My problem is how to know if an amplifier is DC or not... Could you tell it if I send any schematics?