Shindo lab pre amps

Mikeyc8
Bvdiman: I think top units and remote controllable is an oxymoron. Can't have one with the other :)

< You can for SS gears, well I guess you are quite right as to valve units. Have owned ARC REF3 and VTL REF7.5 and can see what you mean. But still, no harm searching one? =))

There ARE some v. good tube pre-amps w remote, e.g., VAC Ren Sig and later.

Mikeyc8,
Agreed, most people are just not into the retro look, I've always like the McIntosh look, but many don't care for it.
My new preamp is kinda retro, but not a Shindo, maybe a poors man Shindo.

Have a listen to the TRON Syren tube preamp from the UK. This is a top drawer tube preamp (no remote though) with great sound quality and fantastic build quality. With the current USD:GBP exchange rate, it becomes even better value. Jeff at Highwater Sound in NYC is the US distributor. Here's a review from 6moons.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/tron/syren.html

Charlie

I use a Shindo Monbrison with a Shindo Montrachet amplifier hooked up to Avalon Indras and a Clearaudio turntable. My dealer (Coup de Foudre Audio) also said that other preamps including Spectrals sounded broken compared to Shindo.
Not having spent an enormous amount of time with the competition, all I can say is that you can listen all day to music. I can go through, literally, 20-30 records in a day (when/if I have time) and have literally zero listening fatigue, while being engaged in the music.