Shindo + Digital...Your Experiences

[audiot servant]

Stephen... you got me thinking some more... Playback Designs have apparently released a DAC only MPD-3... still up there at $6500 but if it sounds anything like the other stellar megabuck Playback Design players it might be awesome and almost affordable at the same time... hmmm, could be a very happy partner for a Shindo or C-J pre

Playback Designs - MPD-3


cheers
Graham

Main Music:Pure Music>Wireworld silver starlight USB>Mac Air with 256GB SSD>Wireworld silver eclipse 6 ICs >Calyx DAC>Shindo Aurieges L>Sanders Magtech>Wireworld Silver Eclipse 6 SC>Magnepan 3.7
Head Music: Audeze LCD2 and AKG 702>Violectric V200 headphone amp
Also: Meridian>Straightwire and Kimber ICs>Peachtree Nova>Quicksilver GE 8417 monos>biwired Kimber 8tc>Proac Response 2

[omodo]

Did anyone on here grab the Arome that was listed on eBay today?

eBay - Shindo Laboratory Arome CD Matching Transformers

it was only up there for a few hours, ended early by seller..

[Shindoug]

I use an Ayon CDP 1 which sounds fantastic. I’ve also had a lot of fun with the little Sony playstation 1 (I know that will be sacrilege to some - but many of the reports are true, this thing is wonderfully musical.) Sure it cedes some resolution, bass depth and soundstaging to the Ayon, but it presents it’s music in such an involving manner that the aforementioned details don’t really matter. I would certainly love to hear it hooked up to a Cortese…… one day.
Not suggesting that people sell their current digital rigs, but, if you have lying about........

cheers

Doug

[G-Man]

Shindo and digital is no easy task. I had a hard time finding a digital source that mates well with Shindo and allows the listener the same type of emotional connection to the music Shindo is known for. Teddy Pardo's DAC has brought me the closest thus far. I was glad to see he finally got some media attention - his DAC recently won the shootout in HiFi World magazine.

http://www.open-end-music.de/vb3/att...9&d=1314258338

[Old Grey]

I've used a Wavelength brick for years now and have been quite happy with it. Similar to other posts I've read on this forum, it gets better and better with every Shindo upgrade. Next step would be to upgrade it to the v3 (currently a v2), but since I primarily listen to vinyl, I haven't been that driven to make a change just yet.

[G-Man]

Toslink cables have made some great strides over the years. Nowadays, I prefer this connection 9 times out of 10 for a digital connection. I typically switch back and forth between the Lifatec Silflex cable and the Black Cat Veloce as my latest reference.

Both cables are nice and smooth; however the Lifatec toslink has a bit more detail and more natural presentation when compared to the Veloce. Vocals and midrange also tend to be more convincing with the toslink in my system.

Out of the countless digital cables I've tried, it's very hard to beat the Lifatec Silflex for the money. I prefer the sound of the version with the Optisilk jacketing. It's very smooth across the frequency spectrum. If you want more detail, however, the version with the armored jacketing will give it to you.

I just thought I would pass it along since it's cheap and has worked well for me. I hope it does the same for you, and saves you some trial and error time/$$ in the process.

[JayBass]

Based on G-man's review, I have taken the plunge and bought a Teddydac.
Will report back shortly on how it differs from my Underwood-modified Music Hall cd25.2 in my system.

[Cucumber_Jones]

Originally Posted by JayBass

Based on G-man's review, I have taken the plunge and bought a Teddydac.
Will report back shortly on how it differs from my Underwood-modified Music Hall cd25.2 in my system.

Cool - I cannot wait to hear what you think. I am pondering this VS the W4S Dac (1 or 2).

[G-Man]

I hope you guys end up being as impressed with the TeddyDac as I have. It's definitely the most musically satisfying DAC I've come across; and I've had dozens come and go... I haven't had the opportunity to try the Acoustic Plan DAC. I hope I get to someday so I can write a review for everyone here.

There are a few tweaks I've employed to get the DAC to produce its best magic... Both the TeddyDAC and the TTouch power supply need to be grounded to function at their best; however sources always sound better to me when they're connected to the Mr. T. The problem is the Mr. T is not grounded when using one of Ken's cords. Therefore, I ended up sourcing the 3-wire version of the same vintage cord used in Shindo's upgraded cords and terminating them with the same plugs. I then used these cords to power the Mr. T, the TeddyDac and the TTouch. The moment they were connected, it took my digital system to a level I thought not possible. I stilll just can't get over how good it sounds every time I sit down for a listen. This may not be Shindo approved, but it works amazingly well.

If you plan on using the SB Touch as a source, I highly recommend using the firmware modifications that Soundcheck graciously posted on his blog for free. It really cleans up the digital signal prior to its arrival at the DAC. The TTouch power supply also does a stellar job in producing a clean digital signal. When you're listening to sources with speakers utilizing high resolution compression drivers like my Shindo made Valencias, you hear the slightest changes to your system.

Currently, I'm back to listening to the TeddyDAC through the Black Cat Veloce. It's such a great digital cable for the $.

Finally, the Shindo Arome CD matching transformer mates extremely well with the TeddyDAC. It adds such a great sense of depth and sense of a live performance, that I wouldn't imagine listening without one. In fact, lately I've been controlling the system volume with the Arome and it works amazing well. If I had a set of interconnects long enough, I could run it to my couch and use it as a remote!

One more thing. If you have an IPad, you can control the Squeezebox Touch with the Ipeng app. I love it! The only problem is you won't ever want to get off the couch...

I know you guys mostly aren't into home theater, however we love listening to movies through the TeddyDac and the Arome. Everything sounds so realistic and clear. You can actually hear every word the actors are saying, and the sound it yields is so much more involving. IMHO, it puts the most expensive multi-channel systems to shame!

[tonyd]

Originally Posted by G-Man

The problem is the Mr. T is not grounded when using one of Ken's cords. Therefore, I ended up sourcing the 3-wire version of the same vintage cord used in Shindo's upgraded cords and terminating them with the same plugs. I then used these cords to power the Mr. T, the TeddyDac and the TTouch. The moment they were connected, it took my digital system to a level I thought not possible. I stilll just can't get over how good it sounds every time I sit down for a listen. This may not be Shindo approved, but it works amazingly well.

Very interesting post. I am keen to do similar. Could you tell us from where you sourced the replacement cable and plugs?