Thanks, Ivan and Kensea.
This week I am very busy so can not add much. I'll come back to it and we can expand the knowledge base.
As for amp flavors, this is a really tough one for me. Whichever amp is in my system sucks me into the music. I have a hard time really explaining the differences between magical and magical. In my retail days, I could explain the sound of half the amps in the market. With Shindo, its just a different thing. I find myself talking in circles while trying to convey what I hear. I can't tell you how many times I emailed Matt or Keith Aschenbrenner just after swapping amps, writing "this is the one, why has it ever been out of my system" only to repeat this statement a month later.
An interesting point- most Japanese customers and many European customers I'm aware of, do not change amps for decades. The focus is generally on optimization. The room and the set up. Once things hit a level, they just enjoy. Every once in awhile the equipment is serviced and adjusted. I'm pretty sure most systems out there are not anywhere near their full potential. The room being the biggest obstacle and the hardest to handle.
Jonathan
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