is the Montille a real Shindo?

I'm in a transitional period right now.

I was using a pair of Ocellia Kedros (PHY-HP based speaker). I sold those because they were annoying my neighbors.

I made a temporary move to a pair of Devore Gibbon Nines (the first production pair actually). They work well with the Shindo gear and are very apartment friendly.

I currently switching to an Altec 604 based speaker. I'm getting quotes from Ken Shindo on a Shindo crossover and cabinet for the 604s. Eventually, I'd like to get a pair of Shindo Compact Latours if I don't go for the Shindo 604 speaker. I currently have the 604s in an open baffle. These work well in my room but are a bit too wide for long term use. The Altec speakers such as the 604 or the 515B and 288C combo work ideally with the Shindo gear since this is what Ken uses in voicing his equipment.

Thought of buying the Montille myself but...... it is still push pull amp and is not a DHT. They actually offer it it a single ended version which you see on some sites and not others. Strange.

There are other things issues to consider with Shindo that I have read about (can't get electric approval in North America, is sold for considerably less in Japan, and forget about direct customer support from Shindo should you need it as they won't return emails with you due to the language barrier).

Having said all that if it sounds great some things can be overlooked I suppose.

"can't get electric approval in North America"

what is that all about?

Frankk

You seemed to be off on several points in your comments.

First, you seem to be confusing the Montille with the Montrachet.

The Montrachet is a EL34 based amp that can be ordered as either a push pull or single ended amp.

Don't be so enamored of something being DHT or single ended. I used to think like that many years ago. However, a good design is a good design whether it uses DHT, pentodes, etc. Just slapping a 300B, 2A3, 10Y, etc. into an amp does not make it great. In fact, one of the big problems with SET amps is that is is relatively easy to build something that sounds good. To make it sound great requires a lot more effort. An effort that I don't really see in many commercial offerings. Trust me. I've been building my own stuff for over a decade. One of the reasons I own Shindo gear is that I know what it takes to build something and I can appreciate the exquisite details Ken puts into everything he builds.

Also, there are no issues with Shindo getting electrical approval in the US. Otherwise, Shindo gear would not even be on sale in the US. The electrical issues are in Europe due to new EU laws that just went into effect. This affected not just Shindo but a large group of companies.

As for pricing, it is not unusual for gear to cost less in their domestic market. Also, grey market goods can give the illusion of lower pricing (pretty common in Asia). I suspect you picked up this point from other posts on Shindo gear made a certain poster. I'll leave it at that.

Ken Shindo does not speak English so direct communication is difficult. However, his service has been exemplary due to the efforts of Jonathan Halpern, the US distributor and Matt Rotunda at Pitch Perfect Audio. For example, my Shindo SPU cartridge developed a problem. The repairs and rebuild job was done free of charge and Matt loaned me a cartridge to use while mine was being repaired. The loaner cartridge was a $2K cartridge. I would consider that pretty good service and customer support. Also, even though Ken does not speak English, he is fully aware of his customers. When I ordered my Vosne Romanee, Ken sent a message via Jonathan and Matt that he would put something extra in the preamp since I was a good customer. Again I would say that the support is very good.

Shindo has decided to be represented by his distributors and dealers. A lot of people deride the value of a brick and mortar store or lament the lack of service. In my dealings with Jonathan and Matt, I've received nothing but the best service. It is a service that I also have no problems paying a premium for. In the end, you get what you pay for.

BTW- if the push-pull Montille doesn't float your boat, no problem. You can always go for a Shindo Lafon using real PX25 tubes or have something custom built for you. All of his gear are limited editions anyways.

Forums as this,used properly are wonderful for information, insight and experiences.Every now and then someone like FrankK comes aboard and makes negative statements that he has no first hand knowledge of.He states he has read that.......
I have had first hand dealings with Shindo's representatives
namely Jonathan Halpern and all the great people at In Living Stereo.I have found them all to be most helpful before and after the sale.
I owned the Auriges-L and in many ways found it to be the best preamp I have owned and I have been listening for about 40 years.If my budget allowed it I would own a complete SHINDO SYSTEM.
Mr Shindo's products are ULTRA reliable and his representatives are as well