Substitute for Shindo in the UK

Kondo is a consideration

Audio Note UK.

EAR-Yoshino.

Leben, Air Tight.

Ken Shindo died and from what I hear - it's not really the same anymore.
The best thing to do is to find out what is available - and the next thing is to listen - It's actually BEST if you go and listen to stuff you have never heard of because the internet has a lot endless blather and lots of axes to grind and persuasive writers.  I am a reviewer myself - but IMO people should NOT read reviews until they have listened to about 100 systems.  Every brand gets GREAT reviews by somebody - half the stuff that get great reviews I have heard and would rather listen to my toilet flush.  At least it's only water going down the drain and not my money.
All the names presented so far are very good IMO.  But one thing to note about going down the tube route is that even within a company you may have very VERY strong likes and dislikes for any given amplifier.  Audio Note UK makes a ridiculous number of amplifiers and I have liked one amp a lot and then another for almost the same price - I was meh - good but I'd rather by XYZ - and it largely came down to the tube output.  I greatly prefer the 2A3 amplifiers and 211 amplifiers from Audio Note UK almost over any thing by anybody else - but with 300B - sure I may prefer it over a lot of other 300Bs but I would not want them (well maybe parallel) but the point is I have been to Audio Shows where I had them ranked in the top 3 and others where they would not make the top 20.  The latter when they used a 300b the former when they used the 211.  But a darn lot of folks buy 300B amps from AN UK.  So people obviously prefer them to 2a3.

You may find that with Shindo or various other brands.  I generally like the EL84 in push pull over push pull amps using EL34 or KT88/90/120.  You may not.
To me when I got into this - really got into it - was when I heard something that basically beat the snot out of every system I had heard all the decade prior.  A system that almost forces you to buy it.  Find whatever that is for you - because you WILL be able to find a bunch of reviews telling you how great it is for the reassurance factor.  Read first and you could be doomed to be on the upgrade mill. 

richardausten
“Ken Shindo died and from what I hear - it’s not really the same anymore.“

Having heard many Shindo components, I agree, in that I think it for the most part, Shindo is even better now.

I also agree on the rest of your comment in that there is no replacement for hearing it yourself.

Best Regards,

Jim Perry

I don’t know if the OP is still looking, and some- maybe many will scoff at this idea, but in the UK, why not look to your very own Glenn Croft hand-made tubed and hybrid equipment made right in the UK?

I like to call Croft Acoustics Shindo on the cheap. Sure, it doesn’t have the mystical cache’ of Shindo, but Glenn’s equipment is very good, especially his preamplifier sand phono stages.

One of his Micro 25R or RS, along with built in phono stage, or even better, a line stage version with outboard Croft phono stage and call it done. Glenn will also modify/improve things further if you want, but most of these will come in less expensive than Shindo, and still hang with it. You just won’t get that nice green casing or glass front etc. just great value. FWIW

Some great responses here and thanks - much to think on! Some of the brands are more available than others, and having approached a couple of importers they have been, well, a little snooty. Hey ho! That’s as good a test as any for customer service!

It seems that most of these are available to buy in the UK though  (I had totally forgotten about Croft, to my shame), so that will keep me busy until I push the button on a decision - thanks team!

EAR-Yoshino electronics are designed by a Brit---Tim de Paravicini. The company is located in the UK, and their products are made there. No need to import, EAR gear is great stuff! Stereophile's Art Dudley, who owns Shindo pre and power amps, reviewed the EAR 912 pre and loved it.

We just got a new dealer in the UK and our gear carries the CE mark.

Shindo should be exempt from many of the directives (as long as no digital or computer circuits are involved), and its possible to self-certify. This should be solvable!