Is Adcom GFA-545 DC coupled?

[Zolton]

I'd like to match an Adcom GFA-545 up with my Little Dot MkIII tube pre-amp but the manual says the Mk III is not to be used with a DC (direct coupled) power amp. Does anyone know if the Adcom GFA-545 is such an amp. I can't find this info out in web land and time is of the essence as the amp probably will sell fast.
Thanks mates.

 

[cdfac]

i'm almost sure that all Adcom amps are DC-coupled. but i'm not exactly sure why your preamp would care -- i just searched and it has output caps, meaning it can't pass DC (significant because a DC amp would pass along and amplify any DC coming from the preamp). the only exception to this is if the output caps leaked noticeable DC, which i have heard of on at least one occasion. hopefully someone with more tube experience can tell you if this is likely the reason.

 

[cdfac]

BTW (and not to sound like a jerk), if you had taken 10 seconds to type your question into Google, you'd already have your answer. i just did so and several results on the first page indicate that the answer is "yes," although not all Adcoms are DC coupled like i thought. some have input caps to block DC from the preamp, which i should have remembered as those caps have famously caused issues in several models. anyway, i think a lot of guys either forget or don't know how easy to use and powerful Google is. you can also search AK-specific threads but adding "site:audiokarma.org" to the end of any search query.

 

[Zolton]

I don't know why it would care. I'm just being cautious and going by what the manual says. I'm not as tech savy as many here but I'm riding the learning curve. :thmbsp:
Would it be because a DC coupled amp's input impedance could in theory drop to zero (DC) or am I out to lunch and it would always remain the same?

 

[Zolton]

BTW (and not to sound like a jerk), if you had taken 10 seconds to type your question into Google, you'd already have your answer. i just did so and several results on the first page indicate that the answer is "yes," although not all Adcoms are DC coupled like i thought (some have input caps to block DC from the preamp, which i should have remembered as those caps have caused issues in several models). i think a lot of guys either forget or don't know how easy to use and powerful Google is. you can also search AK-specific threads but adding "site:audiokarma.org" to the end of any search query.

No jerkishness taken. I have searched around and didn't find what I was after. I've been scrambling around the web for about a half hour and time is an issue with this amp as it just came up for sale at a good price.
Many thanks for helping brother. BTW...how did you phrase your search, just so I know my mistake. Learning curve, like I said.
I'm old.:tears:

 

[cdfac]

that's cool. i'm sure i have also gleaned skills over the last few years that make it easier for me to quickly scan search results and see what's relevant to my particular audio question.

so if you search "adcom gfa-545 dc-coupled," the 4th through 9th results all seem to say that the 545 is completely DC-coupled. and it's always nice to have two independent answers, especially when you are wondering about compatibility and safety issues like this. some sites are more reliable than others -- i usually look for AK and DIYAudio results first.

 

[cdfac]

and one more thing, before someone else says it first. although you could have potentially had your answer sooner, it's really not a bad thing that you posted this question (like i think i made it sound). i'm sure this info will be useful to someone else who reads this thread, and that's a good thing. :yes:

 

[Zolton]

Ah...I was trying to google specs for the amp. Your approach was indeed more direct and fruitful.
I went one step further and emailed Adcom themselves at the suggestion of a Canuck Audio member.
It is a direct coupled amp for sure. :thumbsdn:
Thanks though mate.