Shindo Labs Amps and Preamps


I have a pair of DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/96 loudspeakers and am considering purchasing a Shindo Labs amp. and preamp. to pair with them.  I've been working with a very nice and helpful dealer who has recommended an amp. and preamp pair, but to optimize the combo it looks like I also need at least one Auditorium 23 Hommage SUT, as well as Auditorium 23 or Shindo interconnects and speaker cables.  The total cost is high (approximately $30K to $40K) so I'd like to get some opinions on whether Shindo is really that much better sounding than another amp and preamp pair for my loudspeakers.  Unfortunately, I don't live close enough to the dealer to listen for myself before purchasing.  I don't mind paying a premium and don't want to offend anyone by asking this question, but is Shindo really worth the cost in terms of sound and build quality?  Thank you for your time and assistance. 
pacific_nw
Good idea. I will email him and see how it goes.

Yet I live in Argentina so would need to buy from Tone Imports and ship it here. Or I could buy from the manufacturer in China and ship it here. Anybody knows how they sell retail in China? Website?

Thank you.
I am a huge fan of both Shindo and Devore O/96s...I visited two different dealers of both brands, and at my assigned dealer, heard the combo.  I know many on this forum love the combo and think they are a great match.

They were NOT the best combo in the one instance I heard them.  And both dealers, both of whom I trust, told me AHEAD of my listening that they felt there were better pre/amp combo brand pairings for the O/96s, and both dealers are obviously big fans of both brands.  I heard some similarly priced Auditorium 23 speakers with the exact front-end/Shindo pre/Shindo amp, right after I heard the O/96s, and the combo was much better.  At the second dealer, I heard the O/96s with some different amp combos, and they sounded much better.

YMMV, but from my two experiences, there might be a better pre-/amp combo than the Shindo if you're really looking to get the absolute most out of those speakers.  I would definitely try to hear the combos before you spend that much without a listen, and call around and speak to multiple dealers around the country and ask them for their honest opinions.  BTW, in either case I do NOT feel I was being upsold...
Parsons, and what do you recommend? What was the amp that you hear that was better with DeVore than Shindo?
I never got to hear any of the other combos at the one dealer (as I switched the speakers to the Auditorium 23 lines to listen with Shindo and never got to go back to the Devores), but it was recommended that if I was serious about the O/96s, I should try the Line Magnetic line with the O/96 if I really wanted to hear the better synergy from the Devores.  I would still like to hear the combo, so I may try to hear some Line Magnetic with the O/96s the next time I can get back there (3 hours away).  If Line Magnetic sounds as good as it looks, and is a great synergy with the O/96s, I'm not sure you could put a better looking system together at any price, quite honestly (as I LOVE the look of the O/96s).

And I'm pretty sure the first combo I heard (at a dealer out west) was with either a Rogue Audio stereo amp (don't remember which one but perhaps the 100?) or a Sugden, and I don't remember the pre-amp, but it was similarly priced from one of those two companies as well.  It sounded great, but it was front-ended by Nagra's top DAC ($30K+), so the whole system there was like $75K of stuff sitting in front of the Devores.   So it better have sounded great.

Please note that I'm not knocking the Shindo/DeVore combos--I merely am passing on advice I got from two different dealers, and then what I heard...as I sought out this combo based on what I had read here and elsewhere.
@labpro did you compare the Cortese ( 300b or F2A?) with the Corton Charlemagne monos for classical music and jazz?