Hi, the quote on the Shindo was stated to me as follows. "Assuming that it's the Shindo Masseto that you're considering,you should be aware that it's basically a reworking of the Marantz 7 circuit. The Wavestream phono stage is also the same basic circuit. When properly executed, it's a very pleasant sounding design that can make alot of recordings sound better than they really are".
I am presently driving Vandersteen 5A's with a Vac Phi 300.1 stereo amp. I can't say at the moment if I will stay with the 5A's, but I am not planning changing speakers. When I do, all I know is my price range will be around the cost of the 5A's. So, no more than 15-16K new or used. If the Masseto was sweetening things up a bit, I did not notice. I could not detect any loss in detail in the system I was listening to. I think of mid-efficiency speakers as 87-90db. IMO, I would be reluctant to use a 40 wpc amp on a speaker in that efficiency range. I would try a 40WPC amp with a 90db speaker, but would have to hear it before I subscribe that it would work for my tastes.
I am presently driving Vandersteen 5A's with a Vac Phi 300.1 stereo amp. I can't say at the moment if I will stay with the 5A's, but I am not planning changing speakers. When I do, all I know is my price range will be around the cost of the 5A's. So, no more than 15-16K new or used. If the Masseto was sweetening things up a bit, I did not notice. I could not detect any loss in detail in the system I was listening to. I think of mid-efficiency speakers as 87-90db. IMO, I would be reluctant to use a 40 wpc amp on a speaker in that efficiency range. I would try a 40WPC amp with a 90db speaker, but would have to hear it before I subscribe that it would work for my tastes.