Preamp volume control
 

I was reading Jim Smith's book on "Get better sound" and he talks about the advantages of keeping the potentiometer (volume control) at 11-3pm settings to achieve optimal reproduction. Does this hold true in the land of Shindo and do any users try to achieve this by adjusting the amp gain levels?
Also, I have always thought the Shindo preamp potentiometer to be somewhat unique, in that as you increase the gain level it doesn’t seem to increase the overall db as readily. The mid range volume seems to rise faster than the level of dynamics, resulting in a slight disconnect.
The overall sound is superb.

I am also curious about this.
I have the gain pots on my Cortese trimmed back to about the 2 o'clock position in order to be able to increase the volume on my Masseto to solve a very slight channel imbalance when the Masseto was at the absolute lowest setting on its dial. The Masseto seems to sound its best to me anywhere between the 10 and 12 o'clock position.
I, too, notice that the Shindo pre's dont increase volume in the same way as other pre's I have owned. They don't seem to get louder in some absolute sense but rather seem to ratchet up their intensity or juiciness, for lack of better terms. All in all, much nicer on the ears.

I always seem somewhat reluctant to turn the volume past the 12 aclock postion as I feel I am taxing the amp, or pre, however it is probably not the case. I like the way the volume control works, however when you really want to increase the volume, for say rock music it seems a bit slow to react to the increasing levels. Maybe its because there is a lot of incremental "travel" in the way the gain rises?

I have experimented with this as well. In my system, there are distinct differences in sound accomplished by adjusting the volume control at the Monbrison, the Lafons, and the Arome. I'm glad it was brought up.

When my Lafon monoblocks are run wide open, the ends of the frequency spectrum seem more pronounced and weightier. If I'm in the mood for some classic rock played hard and loud, I'll turn the turn the Lafons up all the way. You can really feel this difference in the bass. The horns also tend to scream at you on certain notes if pushed too hard when run wide open, however. Conversely, if I'm in the mood for some nice relaxing acoustical ensembles or vocals, I'll run the Lafons at 12:00 and the Monbrison around 9:00 to 12:00. Things are very smooth here, but can get boring if the recording call for the reproduction of some weightier notes at the extremes. There's definitely a sweet spot depending on your mood.

I can also alter the sound by adjusting the volume at the Arome. You just have to experiment to find your personal sweet spot. Shindo systems allow the listener to dial in their exact tastes. After owning a pair of Shindo speakers, I wouldn't know what to do without an adjustable crossover. Talk about dialing it in... It's amazing what moving the wire just one notch in either direction can do.

Interesting post, guys. I'll have to do some experimenting.

Not to highjack the thread, but G-Man, what do you have for a digital source? Can you share some thoughts about the Arome? I see lots of posts on AA but I'm not at all familiar with it.

I've always run my Shindo amps wide open and used the preamp to control the gain/volume. Matt, what does Shindo recommend in this regard?

I've got an old email from Ken via his wife, Harumi stating I should try running the amps wide open and control the output volume with the Arome. JH once recommended that I run the amps at 12:00. I don't think there is a wrong answer here as long as both speakers are balanced. You just have to experiment and decide what suits you and your system best.

Ok, I'll check it out. I didn't realize you could tailor the sound like you are describing.

Guys, has anyone of you a hands-on experience with the Shindo Arome inserted between the CD player and a Shindo preamp?

In my case with the dCS Puccini and the Monbrison vintage serie I tend to have too much gain on many records (usually Pop / Rock even Jazz sometimes) and I need to adjust the volume control ie output level on the Puccini which is less welcome than leaving it at 0 dB.
So I am thinking about the Arome matching adjustable transformer...

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Cellindo,

The Arome does well as an output level control and will actually do more for you that just control the volume. IMHO, it always adds a greater sense of depth, fluidity, and a more musical presentation. Like all Shino products, it helps give way to a more emotional connection.
Interestingly, I also feel like the Arome adds more clarity and detail to the presentation. It does not roll of the high frequencies. If anything, I feel like it helps you get closer to them. I do not view the Arome as a band-aid for a bad source. Shindo products all seem to help you peer deeper into the music by accomplishing astonishingly low levels of distortion. IMHO, Shindo products are quite revealing; the Arome is no exception.

Running the Arome at different volume levels does seem to affect the sound, however. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, it's similar to the way the sound is affected when the amps and preamps are run at different volume levels. Many folks like to run the Arome wide open; I generally do, too. You just have to experiment to find what works best in your system.