[sibelius]

Originally Posted by Volks

I really need to hear Shindo products for myself......overheard a convo in an audio shop the other day and the jist of it was that altough Shindo is built decent and looks good......its "Sound"is old&dated and extreamly overrated.......it reminded me what some people say about Mcintosh LOL .....but you know what they say about opinions.......everyone has one............but i so want to hear this brand for myself...

Listen for yourself and do not be swayed positively or negatively by external opinions. After being in this hobby for several decades the one thing I've learned is that there is no meaningful objective criteria in Audio gear. Trust your own ears.

To me, Shindo represents the best of the old and new. I find the sound tonally rich and full bodied yet also able to extrude all the musical details out of a performance. I do think the gear emphasizes the midrange and provides an immediate emotional connection to the music. There is other gear that will do the frequency extremes better but very little music lies in the extremes anyway. Shindo gear is also extremely well built. I've never owned quieter electronics. Also, the NOS tubes are conservatively run, providing years of enjoyment. Finally, Shindo dealers like Pitch Perfect are truly value add in that they offer amazing trade-up programs and will provide excellent support post purchase.

Everyone has different tastes. If you do not like the Shindo sound there are many other brands out there offering a different musical perspective. But I think you should listen to Shindo equipment if you have a chance.

I think where Shindo elicits some scorn from audiophiles is over pricing. It's not cheap. Some of this is due to the fact that Shindo's are hand built in small quantities using scarce NOS parts. Also, since Shindo has elected to sell his equipment through dealers there are distribution mark-ups that add to the cost. It also does not help that the product is from Japan and the Yen exchange rate has generally been unfavorable to most. However, value is a relative term and Shindo seems to be selling all he can build so consumers are voting appropriately with their wallets.