Shindo D'Yquem's

[NOLG4EVR]

I have now had these amp's for several months and probably about 400 hours of use. As I have very little side by side experience with Shindo gear this is not intended to be a review but simply my impressions so far.
These are a relatively new offering from Shindo. Parallel SET putting out 18 watts of class A 300b power at 8 ohm's. My amp's are serial numbers 19 and 20 which based on math would dictate only 10 pairs have been produced so far. (If we started a D'Yquem club it would be pretty small).
Mine are combined with the stellar Vosne Romanee pre-amp which in my opinion is a perfect combination of a very detailed, focused pre with a pair of amp's that cry out to be tamed. I mean this in a good way.
Combined with very efficient speakers the D'Yquem's are powerful, very powerful. I can't imagine ever needing any more power from a SET amplifier. The 300b sound is absolutely sublime but in an almost 'slap my face' kind of way. The legendary 300b midrange is there in spades but the punch from the highs and lows surprisingly is astonishing. The detail in sound quality presentation is evident in everything you throw at these amp's. Jazz, no problem, rock, all day long and classical becomes a match made in heaven.
In a word I love these amp's. Effortless in the organic flow of music the usual audiophile adjectives need not apply here. Musicality is the mantra. Whether in the haunting, decaying guitar notes of Mark Knopfler or the lyrical female vocals of the versatile sometimes folksy and many times jazzy Joni Mitchell these amp's perform.
I have never been drawn into music quite in this way. There is absolutely zero music fatigue. Listening for hours seems like minutes. Equipment synergy is of course the order of the day and when combined with the proper pre-amp and speakers the D'Yquem's are the finest amplifiers I have owned.

[petrat]

Sounds like a match made in heaven .... and I'm not the slightest bit jealous ... really.
Can we have lots of pictures to drool over?

[Jerome W]

Thanks for the follow up.

The D'Yquem look like testament amplifiers. I am glad for you.

[NOLG4EVR]

Originally Posted by Jerome W

Thanks for the follow up.

The D'Yquem look like testament amplifiers. I am glad for you.

Thank you Jerome. These amplifiers are definitely keepers.

[NOLG4EVR]

Originally Posted by petrat

Sounds like a match made in heaven .... and I'm not the slightest bit jealous ... really. Can we have lots of pictures to drool over?

Will post a few pictures shortly.

[davidoff]

How would you compare the D'yquem to Lafon Gm70? Am looking at one of the higher powered SETs from Shindo to drive a pair of harbeth shl5. I listen to mostly jazz and vocals.

[Vinyljh]

Hello Davidoff, Shindo amps should not be used with Harbeth or any low impedance and low efficiency speaker. Not only will the sound be subpar, your tubes will fail rather quickly due to "reflected impedance." Not to mention the amps are voiced and electrically designed for minimum of 8ohms and ideally 16ohm speakers of more than 90db with higher being much better. I'll be contradicted shortly by a serial poster, but please, please, please understand this is fact, not just opinion. Please contact a Shindo dealer for more info. Jonathan

[Jerome W]

Originally Posted by Vinyljh

Hello Davidoff, Shindo amps should not be used with Harbeth or any low impedance and low efficiency speaker. Not only will the sound be subpar, your tubes will fail rather quickly due to "reflected impedance." Not to mention the amps are voiced and electrically designed for minimum of 8ohms and ideally 16ohm speakers of more than 90db with higher being much better. I'll be contradicted shortly by a serial poster, but please, please, please understand this is fact, not just opinion. Please contact a Shindo dealer for more info. Jonathan

"Serial poster"....

[Jerome W]

I would not try to drive the SHL5 or Monitor series Harbeth with a 20W Set amplifier before having a demo of them first.
They could work or not but I would not feel confident at all.
A push pull starting ar 25 to 30 W in class A is an other story, especially if you do not listen at high SPLs. My McIntosh MC225 drives the M40.1 very easily ( reaching more than 90 dB of peaks without distortion ) and Art Dudley reported magnificent sound with his CC's ( rated at 25 W in class A on 8 ohms ) but he wired the transfos for a 4 ohm load.
The SHL5 is an easier speaker than the 40.1.
Although not made in this approach, the CC amps would drive them without any problem to ear safe levels.

[Vinyljh]

As I said, contradiction. The CC was never and not possible to wire for anything but 16ohms and would fail miserably on Harbeth's or other low impedance and low efficiency speakers. Amplifier tube failure would occur very prematurely as well.

I heard the Harbeth/Corton-Charlemage EL34 combo at Art's place, it was rather awful. Dull, boring and totally compressed. We swapped it out for DMN electronics within five minutes. Not my cup of java either but clearly drove the speakers much better. It is not a power issue, its a matching issue.

Jonathan