I'm guessing your Mahi Mahi are not balanced (or have both). Any thoughts as to how they would mate with a balanced design?
Lokie: did you have the chance to try the Shindo on your system, or did you do it on spec?
Cheers |
Aronsss/Patrickamory/Lokie: did you try the Masetto or Vosne Romanee? Just curious if you thought the step up (ignoring price points for the time being) was warranted in the performance of the line and phono stages, respectively?
Thanks all for the input. |
I'm on the wrong side of the oil trade - being a consumer of barrels, not an owner of barrels!
Thanks, I agree. I am considering the Masetto and the new 75wpc amp they have coming out. A new TT is in the cards, but the Shindo/Garrard is definitely not (@20k, yikes). |
Lokie: that Moscode sounds like a great option to try out. No retail markup and the ability to home audition - sounds perfect.
The new Shindo Corton Charlemagne is an expensive amp ($14k) and puts out 75wpc. I just wonder whether there's an amp that works with the Masetto (single ended output only) that costs ($5-$10k). I've spent a great deal of time auditioning, but have also been reading those studies that under controlled conditions high quality amps are generally indistinguishable. I think this is increasingly the case as SS and tubes seem to converge in sound.
I'm not opening a discussion on that point - it's just background to my question and thread.
Cheers |
Verity Parsifals - not an easy load (not difficult either), but need, in my experience, 50W as a minimum. So far they sound better with even more power. They are 89db efficient, and drop to 4ohms as far as I know. With power, they become more energetic, even at similar listening levels.
I've been tweaking a great deal lately: speaker placement, isolation, dedicated AC lines. All have been incrementally superb improvements. If I'm doing pre-amp, then might as well do amp and get move on from my Levinson integrated (which is pretty good). |
Corton-Charlemagne 80 is a different amp and new, so I've heard and is 75 or 80 wpc. Best to confirm details with a dealer. |
I have, but don't want the new pyramids. Would do VPA + PMA, but that adds up to about $6k more than the Shindo option... not sure it's worth it.
I'm also interested in something off the beaten track, as Nagra is the easy match I think. Great review of the Class D MPAs in TAS this month - but I'm just not loving them, would prefer an easy maintenance tube setup instead.
Cheers |
LOL Timothy. I think you'll find Verity owners as being pretty satisfied and building their systems around the speakers... but hey, Shindo seems to have it's own addictive personalities. Too bad you need to fork out min $20k to get shindos to work with the Parsifals.
Cheers |
Lokie: wasn't meant to be a criticism, just include a "sigh" in front - a statement of fact indeed.
I think Verity showed their product with the pyramids b/c it's new and sounds decent. They still have 50w VPAs in their own listening room (along with Wavac) - all lower "power" options. They showed their Lohengrin with Artemis SETs I believe (15-20wpc?).
Timothy_m: Fidelios are certainly easier to drive, but still good to see 20W doing it for you. I've been spending time with Julien on ideas, tweaks, room placement - a true (and patient) gentleman; and I've certainly been in touch with Jonathan (another gentleman). Now, what pre and amp did you get? What did it replace?
Thanks |
Timothy: where did you try the CJ LP70 with Shindo... which pre was used? Very interesting combo. The LP70 is roughly same power as the Corton Charlemagne 80, at half the price point. A very interesting, but risky, proposition (in that I can't hear it unless I've bought it).
Bwhite: I"m in touch with Matt, but can't go down there in the near future unfortunately.
It is the Corton Charlemagne that are under consideration for the Verity. There are three dealers carrying Shindo and Verity in the US it seems. |
I started this post b/c I was looking for a higher powered amp than Shindo makes. As Rchau correctly pointed out, the new Corton Charlemagne 80 (75wpc) solves the problem.
I bought the Masseto and the Corton Charlemagne 80! Delivery in a few weeks. I do believe in synergy, so it was only to address the "power" issue that I sought alternatives. I decided against the Shindo/Garrard 301 - and went with a Raven AC. I will have two arms set up on that in time - one more modern (Phantom etc.), one with a more "Shindo-esque" feel to it (Mersault, EMT 997), both with appropriate carts.
Cheers and thanks for the discussion. |
Jeffrey: yes on the mono, no on the dual MC (not possible). The step up will definitely be in the cards when the second arm is set up. Thanks for your help and input on this.
Cheers |
John: I think the Vosnee Romanee preamp is balanced and is meant to be great. Maybe Bsal is right, or maybe not. You might love the combination of Shindo Pre with the the great MX-R amps - I'm sure you will. I wouldn't trade even think of trading in your amps for the time being, just focus on the analogue. Try the Shindo amps out in time.
I've ordered the Masetto, the one below the Romanee as I don't need balanced. If you live near a dealer, I'd take in the MX-Rs and try what you can. I think Don Better is a Shindo and Ayre dealer - so you might want to start there (just my recollection, could be wrong).
Best wishes |
