Shindo Masseto w Koetsu .3mv output

Shindo put volume controls on his amps to deal with the high gain. Most Shindo preamps have issues with high gain on other amps when using  high efficiency speakers. 

2V output from a DAC is neither high nor low output, compared to most other DACs.  It's typical. You don't need any gain at all downstream from a DAC with 2V output; that's more than enough signal voltage to drive any amplifier to full output and beyond.  Are you guys referring to the linestage gain of a typical Shindo preamplifier? 

@lewm 

2V output from a DAC is neither high nor low output, compared to most other DACs.  It's typical

Agree that is typical or standard voltage output for  DACs. Most amplifiers input sensitivity is less than 2 volts. However, many listeners realize improved sound quality with a high quality active preamplifier in the signal path. Even so, you still want to avoid excessively high gain preamplifiers. Thus my suggestion for a modest/lower gain unit. 16 db of gain is gratuitous for most DACs.

Quick example, my DAC has 3.5 output voltage, line stage has 10 db of gain and speakers are 94 db sensitivity. My volume control range is usually 10-2:00 o’clock for a wide variety of recordings.

Charles

@lewm  

If it's true that the internal SUTs on the Shindo phono sections are not as good as easily available outboard SUTs, then why spend money on the Shindo phono stages that have MC inputs, since in all cases the added gain is achieved via built-in SUTs.  If Shindo make an MM only phono stage, that would be the one to buy, just from a cost-effective point of view.

The market agrees with you.  The updated Monbrison only has MM input because most buyers prefer to bring their own SUT.  Also appealing is the new version's use of output transformers, intended to lower the preamp's output impedance from 5000 to 600 ohms.