Turntable/Cartridge ideas for Shindo system

[countingbackwards]

I'm using an A90 direct into the MC input on my Monbrison and it sounds phenomenal to me - it's an excellent match. I haven't compared it to other SUT's - other SUT's could be better just as any component can be improved, but the Shindo SUT is as well-matched to the A90 as it could be to any cartridge. The A90 is, if I remember properly, a 4 ohm cartridge. Anything 10 and under should work well, in theory at least.

[Whart]

fjn and restock- thank you both for replying. I guess my terminology was imprecise in referring to phono stage to cover both phono pre (with equalization) and step up transformer. And restock, i suppose you are right, i guess alot of freestanding phono stages may still force you to buy the precise step-up transformer. (i have not had good luck with those- i used an ortfon back in the early 70's and much more recently, my experience with Manley Steelhead led me to conclude that i liked my moving coil cartridges (a Lyra Titan i and now an Airtight PC1) through the MM inputs, rather than through the autoformers. For some reason, I found it difficult to adjust the Steelhead to get the autoformers to work smoothly- they were unbelievably alive at certain frequencies, but their performance across the spectrum was uneven).
I haven't experimented with the step up part of the Steelhead in some time, but may do so soon, because I think my line stage is heading to the shop and I may need to run the Steelhead as a linestage temporarily.
Thank you both.
I would like to hear the full-on Shindo system with the large field-coil speakers and gather than a trip to San Fran will be necessary. (i can think of worse towns to visit).
Best,
bill hart

[baddog]

Originally Posted by adhesiv

So many choices...my hammertone 301 is collecting dust waiting for me to make a decision about how to build it out...

There's the LignoLab Plinth + Shindo Platter/Bearing/Mat upgrade
There's the Artisan Fidelity Route
And Last but not least the Shindo 301 Playback System

None but the Shindo come with a Tonearm/Cartridge so there's another set of decisions to make...
EMT 997, SME 3012 v1, other 12" arm??
And cartridges!?!?!

I'm so overwhelmed by all the decisions and with a table of this caliber the decisions are not cheap...

Why does this hobby hate my bank account so much...

Decisions, decisions, decisions. I went with the 401, Lignolab plinth, EMT 997 tonearm, and matching cartridges solution with Shindo platter, bearing and mat. I did not however compare them against the other options. I would have loved a Shindo 301 but it was outside my price point, however I am incredible satisfied with what I have and feel no desire to upgrade.

Barr

[adhesiv]

Hmmm...i have a good line on both an A90 and a SPU 90th. I'm new to the vinyl playback scene and haven't enough experience to know the sound characteristic differences between an SPU type cartridge (SPU 90th) and a non-SPU cartridge (A90).

I can pretty much get them both for about the same price, + or - a few hundred bucks so the price isn't a factor in selecting...I know one camp is big on SPU's and the Shindo was seemingly made for them but I'll likely be getting an SUT eventually anyway and the A90 seems to work well with the Shindo and has some calling it their "desert island" cartridge.

Countingbackwards, have you had any experience with SPU type cartridges? I'd be interested to hear the differences between those type cartridges and your A90 if so.

Barr, yes...decisions, decisions...i finally decided on the tonearm...a Schick with upgraded FinewireC37 cryo'd with Eichmann bullets. Now the cartridge is my next thought provoker.

[Shindoug]

Originally Posted by two dot

You actually HAVE Lafites???? Let's see them.. how are they??? What did they replace???

Yes, I've had them for a few months. I've been reticent to write a review because they have taken such an incredibly long time to break in - and I'm still not even sure they are there yet. They do sound incredible. I won't hijack this thread - give me a couple of days and I'll get pics and a wee bit of a review on a new post.

Doug

[Whart]

FWIW, and I am not trying to hijack here either, my line stage is definitely bad, going back to Vlad, so this morning I ran the Steelhead straight in and decided to experiment with loading, same experience as 4 years ago- at 100 ohms, the Airtight sounds great in the middle, but lacks heft in the bottom. the Manley allows a lot of adjusments, easily. I wound up going back to the MM side, without the step-up, using NOS tubes.
Not sure if this bears on your Shindo experience with respect to SUT choices, I guess it is cartridge and system dependent but since you guys seem to be using SUTs, I'd be curious about the differences you hear.
Best,
Bill Hart

[countingbackwards]

I haven't to my knowledge heard the SPU in any of it's forms - my local Shindo dealer doesn't tend to use Shindo turntables or speakers, instead using Brinkmann and Clearaudio tables usually with EMT cartridges. But even then...while their tables always sound good, I haven't even heard the EMT in a familiar enough system to compare it to my A90.

What I can say, is that the A90 is a much better match to my system than was the Benz Ruby I had before (and concurrently for a short while) - the latter, while still a great cart, needs a step up to sound properly balanced into the Shindo phono stage, while the A90 certainly does not.

Since so few SPU's are made for modern tone arms, and no A90's were made for the "pickup head" tone arms, it's probably a comparison that will be hard to come by.

[adhesiv]

Well I just picked up a Goldbug Ms. Brier that was given a full top line refresh by Soundsmith. I'm still interested in going the SPU route as well but had to pull the trigger on this rare gem that many have put on their all-time favorites list. Gotta find a headshell now, thinking i'll probably go with the Yamamoto HS-1As.

[gortnipper]

Originally Posted by adhesiv

Well I just picked up a Goldbug Ms. Brier that was given a full top line refresh by Soundsmith. I'm still interested in going the SPU route as well but had to pull the trigger on this rare gem that many have put on their all-time favorites list. Gotta find a headshell now, thinking i'll probably go with the Yamamoto HS-1As.

Good call. I have one of them somewhere...LOL.

[adhesiv]

The Goldbug or the Yamamoto?

Anyway just another calculation to consider when choosing the headshell...can't be too heavy or too light and posses as little resonant property as possible...now I know why a lot of people shy away from vinyl, theres a lot of complexity to consider in the setup...it's a part time job figuring all this stuff out.