volume levels on pre and power amps
 

All,
I was wondering what levels people where setting on their shindo pre and power partnerships.

historically i had the pre amp (giscours) set to 9am and the power amps (CC80's) set to 11am.

However, I've been experimenting with a new room set up and I've moved to cc80's to 1am and the giscours to the 6.30am

the sound stage feels expanded...

thanks in advance for any feedback.

I keep my Shindo Lafon WE300B monoblocks at the 12 noon position and the gain knob on my Masseto at about 8:30/9:00. I'm in a near field listening setup right now but will be moving to a larger place at the end of the year. With my Altec 846A Valencia's, it's a good listening level without disturbing the next door neighbors. I'm also in the process of upgrading to a Vosne Romanee preamp so I imagine I'll have to play around with both preamp and amp settings once I get it set up at the larger place.

Happy Listening,
closdesducs

closdeducs- I was able to open up the V/R more than the Monbrison. With the amp at the same level of course. I also found the V/R to have smaller steps from soft to loud, or you could say the Monbrison had larger steps. Anyway, you are in for a treat with the V/R. Not to take anything away from the Monbrison. Did you put your 846A's on stands to get them up. I had 9" ones made, and it's a nice improvement. I just haven't gotten around to taking the original wood skirt off. If I do they will even look better, because the dimension of the stand is made to fit the base of the speaker sans the wood skirt.

Paul- I keep my D'yquems at around 1-1:30. My V/R usually 10P. I've heard it said with amp higher you get a bit more of the amp sound…. With amp less, and preamp opened more, a bit more preamp…. I can't say I heard this specifically, but it certainly sounds different. When I have great sound, I tend not to futz with things (-:

guys,
thanks for sharing your thoughs.

have a good weekend,
Paul.

fjn04,

Thank you for your thoughts on the VR relative to the Monbrison. I've definitely enjoyed my progression through Shindo's preamps from the Monbrison to the Masseto and now the Masseto to the Vosne Romanee. My system is still "settling in" from the insertion of the VR this past weekend, and I'll be making a big move up to Northern California in December, so I am looking forward to getting to my new digs and resetting the system for the new living room.

With that in mind, I have not changed anything on my stock 846A Valencia, however I will eventually either build or have a pair of suitable stands built to raise them off the floor and will decide at that time whether to keep or remove their wooden skirts. I also have a pair of Mast_Mutter custom crossovers designed specifically for the 846A that I acquired from a fellow Audiogoner earlier this year that I will also wait to install until I have settled in at the new place.

As a follow up to my first post, with the VR installed, and a pair of Shindo Silver balanced ICs from the VR to the Lafons settling in, with the Lafon WE 300B gain controls at 12 noon, the Vosne Romanee at the 8:30/9:00 position with a digital source is definitely showing more midrange and bass with very little background noise v. the Masseto. Definitely an improvement sonically from the already great sound of the Masseto with more texture, nuances and details.

Closdesduc's Shindo System just north of the OC

Happy Listening,
Closdesducs

Your new V-R looks amazing. Nice!

Thanks Junker, it was a very clean preamp whose owner traded up to a Giscours. I'm still fiddling with the phono side, but the line stage is dialed in to my ModWright XA5400es and sounds pretty good! I'll be sad to box things up for storage come December...

Congrats on your acquisition of the Mr. T! It's nice not to have to worry about power variation issues.

Can't believe we're almost into November. Where does the year go?

Yah man seriously. nothing truer has ever been said.

Most of my journey over the last year has been pushing the loudspeaker part of the equation further and further. Since we met I had all of my AlNiCo mags recharged and rebuilt by Bill @ GPA and some really nice improvements with the crossovers. And now I have 604D's and 12 cubic foot cabinets in the works.

I was just up in Marin looking at taking a faculty position up there so maybe I'll have the opportunity to visit you after you after the relocation. And really man that V-R looks luxuriously exquisite. Wow. And those amps too... Pretty much unbobtainium glory. Not much tannin with either of those spectacular pieces.

I listen louder than most but here's my settings:

VR Pre - 9-10 o'clock

Montrachet - wide open at 5 o'clock (spoke with Jonatan H. who said this is totally fine)

feeds into O'96's

Having the entry level Shindo duo (Aurieges 2 box plus Montille EL84) I would chime in and say I'm using the Montille "wide open" (as Mcslipp puts it) and with Aurieges at 9-10 o'clock.

An electronist mate told me that actually the volume control on the power amplifier (in my case Montille) acts as an attenuator, and that it is better to have the signal un-attenuated (hence, the volume max-ed out). Any thoughts on this?

My speakers are Unison Research Max-1 (rated at 94db and 8 ohm, recommended amplifiers from 10W to 200W).