Shindo Pre amps

Are there many out there with experience of these , and are they reliable. Thinking of having one to match my Cary 805c Anniversarys,

 

Not heard (or even seen) any - but Shindo gear is raved about by Art Dudley in Stereophile.

 

Supposed to be very good - Nick at The Emporium deals with them - try him - nearly went for one myself once.

 

Shindo's preamps are excellent, but the real reason to buy one is the stellar phono stage. Tremendous with a a low output MC and a step-up.

They are a tad dark sounding (warm to say the least), but I think they are about as good as they get with the right amp.

 

Hi i as most will not have heard Shindo, but i was very interested in a product he made, a cd interface. As he is coming from a analogue -valve viewpoint, the more of these type of people that take an intrest in digital sound the better for everyone.
As everyone has to make up there own mind . pre amps are more difficult to make properly maybe critical is the word than power amps.
the engineer who makes my amplification said that the shindo pre amps use transformers which can darken the sound but some people like the sound of transformers . i will ask him on this subject again and explain it a little better
the most linear valves in the book are 6n7 followed by the 6sn7
would be best for pre amp useage .I will post again on this subject when i have more definate answers .

 

they use the transformers to couple the stages in the preamp as opposed to capacitors. each have their own sound although transformers are supposed to add less colouration. the transformers are also considerably more expensive so tend to only be in high end designs. i used a VAC phi pre amp for sometime and it was certainly the fastest and cleanest sounding pre i have ever heard. it is the one piece of kit i wish i still had. i have hear the shindo pres in nyc and they are certainly lovely sounding. perhaps not totally "accurate" but certainly very involving and musical. female vocals were captivating.