My friend has those same speakers and runs them with a Vosne-Romanee/Corton-Charlemagne combo to great effect. The Shindo gear is gorgeous and certainly sounds fantastic. Are you paying a premium? Probably but it's up to you to decide if it's worth it. Sounds like you have a good dealer to work with take your time auditioning.
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.
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Hi pacific-nw, Congrats on your new purchase. It's very exciting. First thing to seriously consider is your budget, or what you feel comfortable investing in. Then work within those parameters to get the most performance you can for your money. Everyone thus far has provided you with very sage suggestions. To add to it I would say check out Rogue Audio - slightly lower price point without sacrificing quality. It would allow you maximize your investment by opening up potential funds in your budget to also invest in cabling, etc. http://www.rogueaudio.com/Products_RP7.htm http://www.rogueaudio.com/Products_100.htm http://www.aaudioimports.com/ShowProduct.asp?hProduct=246 I have heard the Hera 2 preamp & M180 from Rogue, in Triode Mode hooked into the DeVore Nines with Thales Cabling and it was truly magical. I am sure it would be even better with Orangutan O/96. What I like about Rogue is that it sounds as good if not better than products 2 - 3 times their price point. They are also very friendly to Tweaks, like tube rolling. The Thales cables are the best cables for the money, hands down. Something that has not been mentioned , but also very important is that you want to make sure that you have enough in your budget to invest in your Power - whether it be chords, distributor, Outlet or a combination. I happen to be sitting on an extra pair of Thales RCA interconnects if your interested. I moved into a pair of XLRs. Whatever you decide - Have Fun and Good Luck |
Hi Pacific_NW, While my entire system is not Shindo, at one time or another, I've demo'd each of the Shindo amps, preamps and Devore O/96 in my home. When I think of Shindo and Devore, of course the Box Furniture Audio Rack comes to mind......best purchase I've made in years. Anyway, I have A23 products (Turntable Mat, T2 Step-Up Transformer) as well as the EMT 75th Anniversary Cartridge (perfect match for the A23 Hommage T2 SUT). I also have Shindo cabling throughout. The A23 cabling is more "easy going," but I preferred the Shindo cabling. Not sure what kind of music you listen to, but the Cortese is my favorite (and least expensive) SET Shindo amp for Classical and Jazz. With your O/96 speakers, you really would have something special for the price. Even with my current mono amps, which are more expensive than the Cortese, I have never been able to reproduce strings and wood instruments as I did with the Cortese. I'd recommend spending more on a Shindo pre-amp (than on the Shindo amp)......they really are that good. I'm taking my Giscours Western Electric 349A pre-amp to my grave! To avoid a debate, I'm not suggesting that the pre-amp is more important than the amp! With the high-efficiency O/96, I'd go for the Shindo Cortese and the Shindo Vosne-Romanee pre-amp. Fell free to send additional questions on Shindo and A23. Happy Listening! |
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