2. amps-preamps
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shindo vs. atma-sphere

i've been auditioning shindo and atma-sphere pre-amps, particularly for their phono sections and was wondering who else has compared the two brands.

which gives better sound and is easier to live with over the long term?

i like the shindo sound, but the atma-phere seems like it will be easier to maintain/repair and get replacement tubes. plus, atma-sphere is always upgrading their electronics and upgrades are relatively easy to get.
the_rook

Showing 2 responses by jtimothya

jtimothya
612 posts
 
Neil - have you rolled any tubes yet? The chinese tubes that come stock tend to be quiet and pretty reliable (though not super long lived) but their top end is, uh, well let's say less than sweet. MP-1 and MP-3 are gorgeous sounding preamps.
jtimothya
612 posts
 
If you want to hear the difference brought by resistors, get a variety of pairs and try them in the phono load position on the backside of the preamp (at least on the MP-1, I assume a similar spot for the MP-3). They are simple to swap and the gear is so revealing that yes a single resistor's difference in each channel is audible. Audio Note Tantalums, nude Vishays, Caddocks, for example.

That's a nice lot of tubes to play with. For me, finding quiet 12AT7s was challenging. Some of my favorites are the Sylvania GB-6201 and the Siemens 12AT7. Ken-Rad and Sylvania for the 6SN7s, RCAs too. Among caps I had the CuTF version of the v-Caps installed and definitely found the upgrade worthwhile vs. stock. Andy at VTS is a great source for 6SN7s.
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