I’m sure this had been asked before but I couldn’t find the answer.
Is there anything wrong with plugging one preamp into a power amp balanced input and another preamp into the SE input?
I have a GCD plugged into M1200’s via balanced and would like to plug another preamp into the SE. Of course only one preamp would be powered up at a time.
Thanks
This is generally regarded as a Bad Idea™.
Concern being that both inputs are likely very closely coupled or actually directly connected, meaning one preamp would end up trying to drive into the low impedance of the other preamp’s output (even if it is off, and especially if it’s on).
To know if it is safe, would need a detailed knowledge of the output stages of each preamp, and usually isn’t safe.
Can be done with something like a mini-mixing desk, but that would introduce extra circuitry (most likely not aimed at audiophiles).
I have thought a few times about building an audiophile oriented device to allow this sort of thing without switching, and have done it with relay switch boxes too, but either way it requires custom widgets.
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Thank you. I thought the inputs might be isolated from each other. Van Alstine offers an ABX Switch Comparator that will switch 2 amps, 2 sources, and 3 pairs of speakers. Nice to have but overkill.
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