Replacement for Shindo

I've owned lots of Shindo gear. Don Better has a Montille 391 available right now. There are lots of discussion threads on what amps are "comparable" to Shindo but be warned its a pandora's box…..everyone has their opinion. 

Zanden maybe?

@aricaudio

https://aricaudio.com/tube_gear.php

Thank you all. Sbayne , what amps are you currently using?

By 'Shindo closed down' do you mean out of business? 

Prima Luna Just ask uncle Kevin .

Is this an importer issue or did they close up shop? What ever happened with you Oppo, did they go under too or was it local issue?

Good luck, these do come up used often. Or call dealers and negotiate a deal. Most Shindo and Leben dealers work with customers.

@alfa100 

Have you heard Shindo and want it or have you read about it and therefore you think you want it? It will help us make recommendations.

From what I’ve heard, there is a pause in the manufacturing. The Shindo’s have been going non-stop, trying to keep up with demand since Mr. Shindo passed away almost 10 years ago.

Leben is terrific and cut from the same cloth, Line Magnetic is cut from a wonderful but different cloth. Audio Note sounds nothing like Shindo but that isn’t good or bad, they are just different. The similarities though is Audio Note builds everything from the power cord to the speaker and everything in between.

Instead of chasing a used Shindo pre and amp, I’ll likely go the simpler route and get the Audio Note Meishu Tonmeister integrated amplifier which I heard several times at audio shows.

The one we manufacturer.  Call John Rutan at Audio Connection.  He has some of our stuff now.

Happy Listening.

I believe he is Vu Jade Audio 

what about Kondo?  No experience myself, but legendary.  I vaguely recall an Art Dudley (RIP!) piece where he compared his shindo stuff to kondo.

Does it have to be Japanese - have a look at Canor.

Canor is 100% opposite of anything Shindo - not like-sounding & with a totally different audio philosophy. Very nice gear, yes, but in no way similar on any level

@viridian my company manufacturers audio components.  Point-to-point wired, best parts quality, etc.  Our preamp is currently at Audio Connection in NJ. Call and ask John Rutan his opinion on it.  Soon we will have our products on demonstration there as well for all to hear. 

+1 for Aric Audio. Give Aric Kimball a call, he's a great guy to talk to and will be honest with his opinions; and builds extraordinary equipment. Not sure how it compares to the Shindo equipment, but I've never seen a negative review on any of his stuff.....and hundreds of positive. I did tons of research, and ended up buying his Motherlode XL preamp based on that and several conversations with him

aricaudio@gmail.com

1 413 627 2543

Look At Phasemation and Airtight 

@viridian Thanks for mentioning that- we all start somewhere :-) I built those back in 2006 and sold them for around $200-300. FWIW, I still stood behind the products back then. If there was an issue you actually could have contacted me. However in the past 18 years- yes I have come a long way thankfully!

Yes… hopefully we all come a long way and learn

grace, peace and happy listening….

Consider this...

https://www.instagram.com/p/C3YYzAIvhB9/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

It sure seems that some are posting their own wares. In fact, quite a few recommendations. While Im sure they are fine pieces of gear, in what ways are they similar and/or complimentary to Shindo?

EAR-Yoshino, Quicksilver Audio, and Music Reference, designed and made by Tim de Paravicini, Mike Sanders, and Roger Modjeski, respectively.

I echo the comments and recommendations for Aric Audio! The Motherlode(original) is the best preamp I have had in my system, and I have had too many to list. 

@alfa100 

You are getting alot of suggestions and its nice that everyone likes what they like. Alot of great gear out there.

Your question, however, was centered on the Shindo Montille CV391. That amp was designed around an reasonably obscure power tube: the CV391. That tube has many of the best characteristics of the EL84, the 6V6GT, the EL34 and a healthy dose of some of the holography and tonality one typically associates with the 300b. IIRC it was a Western Electric or Mullard tube most commonly branded STC (although Ive seen some ITT which would make me lean toward it being a Mullard design?) manufactured in England.

Its a marvelous tube and in the Shindo Montille, it has some of the best of PP along with some SET-like behavior. IIRC its perhaps a 20wpc pp stereo amplifier although at the very limit of its power envelope it doesnt get “tubier” like many tube amps, it seemed to get ever so slightly brittle sounding. Its been a while since I heard it in my system. Others making suggestions, if they havent heard the Montille CV391 with proper speakers and setup, they just can’t make an honest recommendation about a suitable substitute. No offense intended to anyone.

Thank you Ghasley.  This is helpful. What are your favorite amps? 

@alfa100 what are your speakers?

Ghasley.     I heard the Shindo with living voice speakers.   My present system is Wilson Sasha with pass labs.   But I need a second small Systen for my apartment.   I want the Shindo amp and will then search for a speaker.       Meantime I will check out Audionote Cobra with Audionote speakers and cable.  

Shindo's website is still up and doesn't say anything about going out of business.  If it's true, AirTight might be an alternative worth considering.

I doubt they are going out of business. They are still signing up dealers and sending product to said dealers as far as I know.

I never owned a Shindo but out of FOMO, I auditioned them a few times. The Shindo did not persuade me to switch from my Futtermans but of the things I’ve auditioned over the years, the Shindo came closest to sounding like my Futtermans.

Here is a rare set of Futterman OTL1s for sale.