Shindo vs the world

“Big change”
@thyname 

I am going to tread slowly and methodically 😊

I think it really depends on the "whole system"

I had the Shindo Apetite since I like integrated amps....was not right for me and had some tube "noise" ...had various sets of tubes and it persisted. I also run a FI-X 2a3, also has some transformer noise due to design.

Luxman SQ-150n dead quiet, PP, and not running some Dennis Had SEP with his Preamp,also quieter than the Shindo. I agree Dennis Had gear might be the "Shindo"of the USA, it is amazing nd you can run many types of tubes.

IN the end it is all the pieces and how they come together.

meant to say "now running Dennis........

I owned one of the very first Shindo Monbrison preamps in the U.S., serial #2 (I sent serial #1, which I had been auditioning, back to J Halpern, in 2005). And I owned a Cortese amp. Plus Shindo interconnects and Auditorium 23 speaker cables. That was actually my first high end system, along with Devore Super 8s and an Avid Volvere TT, SME 309 tonearm, Cardas tonearm cable, and van den Hul cart. 

The Shindo sound is addictive, seductive, dense, colorful, and full of life. The phono stage in the Monbrison preamp (and the preamp itself) was wonderful, but decidedly better with analog. That is one big reason I sold the gear -- I discovered that other amplification was better with digital, and a good portion of my listening is digital. The other reason, apart from just wanting a change of pace, is that the Shindo sound is colored -- more beautiful than life, IMO. There's nothing wrong with liking this sound and I still miss the sound of Shindo and vinyl. I would also say that Shindo tends to editorialize a bit in its presentation of the music. For example, a saxophone solo may be highlighted (in a beautiful, musical way) but other instruments can recede to the background and overall balance and soundstaging is going to be different. And while overall noise was pretty good for a heavily tube-based system, there are certainly quieter options.

Like I said, I still miss the sound of Shindo and vinyl but I don't regret selling the gear (and I was swamped with buyers). I consider the whole experience a fun and valuable education in my hifi journey. If your interest is piqued, give Shindo gear a try.  

I have had several Shindo pieces in my system over the years, and still own the Giscours Western Electric preamp. 
 

Like some of us have found with the Duelund tinned copper cables, the Shindo components portray the real “tone” of the instruments and performance.

For me that differentiates Shindo from other tube components.