I remember reading about Ken Shindo. How he began stocking away vintage resistors, capacitors, transformers, tubes, etc, parts that he believed sounded better than what was becoming available. From these, he began crafting Shindo amplifiers and preamps in limited numbers. When the parts run out that particular device will no longer be available. Workmanship was all point to point wiring. I’m not sure he ever used a printed circuit board.
The whole less is more concept being that he didn’t want anything to interfere with the music source. It’s a lovely idea, however it would really only make sense to me if the music was recorded using microphones directly into a tape deck. I really can’t think of too many recordings that are made this way. There is good reason for that. Even the best microphones will need some type of limiting, many need compression, others need dynamic range expansion, tube microphones often need noise reduction. We could go on and on. If you have ever seen a 32 channel Neotec, Foster, or Neve mixing board, you would understand the complexity of obtaining a quality recording.
Shindo preamplifiers don’t use tone controls. I don’t understand why manufacturers shy away from this. For the audiophile to think that the controls will deteriorate the sound of the recording is ludicrous. If the average Joe Audiophile was aware of how much signal alteration takes place during the recording process he would probably slit his wrists. Not to mention the “off the shelf” professional patch cables that are used to create the recording.
The seasoned recording engineer is going to give you an excellent recording and to do so he is an expert at using compression, limiting, expansion, equalization, phasing, ambience, delay, etc during the recording process. Most audiophiles are also grossly unaware of the ancient but excepted RIAA phone equalization curve, which compensates for the inherited loss of information in vinyl playback.
In your home, adding a minor bass adjustment to a room filled with bass absorbing furniture is often needed to restore what is being taken away by your fluffy couch pillows. The bottom line is that if it sounds right, and natural to you then you haven’t done anything to contaminate the sound, you have just enhanced your listening experience. With hardwood floors you might actually have to cut the bass, and dial down the mids just a tad for a more enjoyable listening session.
When I see Joe Audiophile swap out his mega dollar patch cables because he wants more high end, or more bass, they don’t realize that the cables resistance and capacitance are actually altering the source signal just the way a quality tone control will do. They’re just doing it the hard way.
Other Joe Audiophiles will purchase this brand of cable for classical music and those cables for jazz or rock. I’m thinking, why don’t you just purchase a quality parametric equalizer? That what is used to make your precious recording when tone adjustments become necessary.
Same is true of room tuning devices. It’s so silly to me and they are hideous looking. Again, want to tune the room? Purchase a signal analyzer and a parametric equalizer and you can flatten out any listening room.
I used to use those, but always found that simply dialing in what I need with basic tone controls results in a more satisfying listening experience. I also want to mention, that the tone control adjustments are always minor. Sorry for the Segway, back to Shindo.
I have a fairly large photo studio and have some gear that I keep there. It’s like the waiting station, where I park hifi when I list it for sale. While it’s there I always have a system hooked up so that potential buyers can audition the piece before purchase. So, our system consisted of a pair of EPI 100 speakers, hooked to a SUMO Andromeda amplifier, with our source being our music hard drive driven off of a Power Mac. I have over 60,000 titles on this drive.
My good friend Ron brought over his Shindo Aurieges-L preamp which he had recently purchased used. This is the line stage version with a built in power supply. Don't let the 'phono' selection fool you. There is no inboard phono preamp.
I was curious and wanted to hear the magic he was raving about. I had noticed, that whenever I have wanted to audition any Shindo gear in an audio salon, new or used the audio consultant will play a recording of a flute, solo guitar, or solo piano or a lute perhaps. (I once listened to a recording of whales and dolphins singing with the ocean waves as a back drop.) I don’t ever recall going into any showroom with Shindo gear and hearing “you shook me all night long” by AC/DC. It’s always very minimalistic music which I do enjoy.
When listening the bass is usually light, and mids are always a bit forward and there aren’t really any highs because these instruments mention don’t really have “highs”. I will say it’s very REAL sounding. You could easily imagine a cello player in the next room, which I am sure is why these pieces are selected. When I request playing Led Zeppelin, or Genesis, or even Earl Klugh, I get a look. Sorry, but there are times when I want to hear Led Zeppelin. The one time I actually did convince an audio salesman to play some Zeppelin through a Shindo system it was awful. Really awful.
The audio consultant quickly stopped the music a minute or so into the tune. I was so happy he did, because you couldn’t bare to hear it. It was a total icepick in the forehead experience for both of us. “Hurry, put on some solo triangle music”, I thought to myself.
Returning to some Japanese recording of a female vocalist in pain, the audio consultant explained that Shindo electronics will reveal all of the electronic sonic alterations and impurities during the recording process. “It’s ugly, when you actually hear what the engineers have done to the music” he continued snubbing his nose as eloquently as he could. “Shindo listeners are purists” he continued, “we prefer to hear music as it is intended, by a soloist or a small group of musicians”. Well that eliminates my Herbie Hancock Head Hunters album doesn’t it?
Shindo amps and preamps also prefer high efficiency horn loaded speakers, another caveat to consider and another listening experience all together as they shy away from traditional dynamic speakers.
Using the Shindo preamp with my SUMO Andromeda, (I had no tube amps to play with at the time), allowed me to directly compare it a Marantz 7, 7T, 24, and McIntosh C-26 which I also had on hand at the studio.
Here comes the hate mail… The Shindo sounded ‘thin’, and ‘weak’ by comparison. Guitar and piano were well represented, and the recordings I have of George Winston, Michael Hedges, William Ackerman, Liz Story, etc., were pleasant enough, but I certainly didn’t feel that the Shindo sounded better, or even as good as the Marantz 7, which was the only tube preamp I had on had to compare it too. Turning to any of the transistor preamps, the 7T and the McIntosh C-26 in particular and immediately the soundstage filled up. It was like opening a door. Listening again to the Marantz 7, I really came to appreciate how advanced that preamp is, easily holding its own and in my opinion killing the Shindo in every area. Depth, soundstage, instrument placement, touch, texture, feel. This particular Marantz 7 was one I was selling for an audio buddy and was in pristine condition. It made me second guess selling my own model 7 a few years back
When I played anything in the classic rock genre through the Shindo, the sound was begging for some bass, and midrange adjustment, something I could have accomplished if the preamp had tone controls. I eventually did the unthinkable and added my ancient JVC five band equalizer between the preamp and power amp so I that I could adjust what I was hearing. Two minor tweaks and everything improved.
Before I removed the Shindo, we switched back a forth many times between the Marantz 7 and the Shindo, and then for fun I hooked up a Sansui 771 office receiver and we listened to everything again. We just looked at each other, no words were necessary. The ancient Sansui made everyone in the room smile. It just sounded sweet, lively, more musical than the Shindo/SUMO combo. To add insult to injury, we took one more receiver we had on hand and we listened again, this time a Pioneer SX450 with 15wpc. The tiny Pioneer was just impressive. Again, the silence was deafening, there wasn’t anyone present who preferred the Shindo/SUMO over anything that we compared it to. The full featured McIntosh C-26 paired with the SUMO was an impressive listen. Mac gear just has a sound, a character especially from this vintage. It really sounded glorious, rich, full, and you could play any program material you wanted. Nothing phased the Mac.
Ron wasn’t happy. He blamed it all on the SUMO amplifier and I agreed with him that this wasn’t meant to be paired with a 200wpc beast, but we all knew that the SUMO is a very forgiving amp. It does everything well, still it isn’t a low watt tube amp which is what the Shindo Aurieges-L is looking for when it wants to send a signal somewhere.
Things to like about the Shindo. It’s well made, dead silent (blackest of backgrounds), kind of pretty, gives pride of ownership and immediate snob appeal and sounds very good, very realistic in the acoustic sense of things. A solo guitar sounds like it’s in the room with you, but on the other hand, Jazz trios, or classic rock gets lost somehow. For example, you could be listening to Fleetwood Mac’s self titled, Fleetwood Mac from 1975. The vocals sound nice, then the rhythm section sounds disconnected somehow and overly dark. With anything electric, you had high points that were amazing, but still the sound was disconnected. You would find something that give you a ‘wow’ moment, but then you find you’re missing out somewhere else in the mix. It’s really a mixed bag, and it could be that the Shindo is getting everything right and we have just been hearing it wrong for so long, though I really don’t feel that is the case. This is certainly a preamp that isn’t for everyone.
Until your mind get used to listening to it, you will be constantly reaching for tone controls, a volume adjustment, or searching for that special cable to add whatever your mind is telling is missing. That or you will be pulling our your latest lute ensemble recording to listen too.
Lacking, is my best description of the Shindo. Diminutive soundstage, when compared to anything I had on hand. When Ron left with his preamp, I lent him my Pioneer SX450. Ron after all, has horn loaded speakers (Klipsch Cornwalls) I didn’t, he has a tube amplifier, a pristine Dynaco ST-35 which is a wonderful sounding amp and clearly better suited for the Shindo than my SUMO.
A month or so later I came by Ron’s house to bring him a reel to reel deck, and he had the Pioneer hooked up to the Cornwalls. Wow can those speakers can get loud quick with very little power. Live is the only way to describe them. Listening to Bad Company’s self titled Bad Company, I was really impressed with the tone of Simon Kirke’s drums. Immediate and powerful. The little Pioneer has some serious mojo, it's very well made and beautiful to look at.
Where’s the Shindo I asked. Listed on US Audiomart. Ron smiled and said “I guess I love mid-fi” staring at the little Pioneer, I replied “no, what you’re listening to is hi-fi and it sounds really good. I do recommend the Shindo Aurieges-L, it’s a quality piece, but I also recommend at least a simple five band equalizer to go with it. Without that, you are certain to increase your collection of solo and small ensemble acoustic music. “More to come!
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