Tube Research Labs Dude vs. Shindo Labs preamps

He didn't have Shindo in his rig. He's talking about hearing things in different stores. Just typical forum behavior.

" I presume it was due to an impedance/system matching issue or long ICs."

That would be a poor assumption as the Vosne-Romanee has output transformers and a 600 ohm output impedance.

No, I'm the distributor. Click on Latinsamaba1's system and you'll see he didn't opt for anything mentioned... I've heard thousands of systems at shows, shops and in customer systems but I would be quite cautious making any presumptions about sonics of any of those pieces without living with them for a period of time. Especially picking out what one component in a unknown system is or isn't doing. Pointless post is my point. Grasping at straws proves nothing nor is it productive.

Pdreher,

I think you misread the post.

Agear,

Yes, I have found an approach that works for me and many of our clients. Nothing is for everyone and their is no doubt more than one satisfying approach. I started into this hobby trying to get closer to my music and like so many wound up listening to sound and not the music. I think thats why we see so many visual descriptors- people are looking and not really listening to the music. Not to mention guys with hundreds of feedbacks here on agon... how would one have time to listen to music with gear changing so often.

Its the 'drive by' comments or the hidden or sometimes not so well hidden agendas I see repeatedly that frustrate me. Thats where my 'pointless' comments come from which Pdreher misunderstood.

"honest A/B"

No such thing imho. A system is a system and needs to be tuned and set up carefully which takes time- more time than an A/B allows. Plus, in your system we'd only learn what your amps + pre-amp + speakers + source + cables + your room do... which might be helpful to you but not others with totally different variables. And I can't tell you how many times I've heard a component fail in comparison to a known lesser unit due to limitations of the system- even Shindo versus higher end Shindo. One can make the analogy to that of a plumbing system... if its draining slowly or clogged, sending more water through isn't going to make things better.

Slow and soggy isn't musical. Musical is often a misnomer for exactly that. Musical is when you forget about the system and hear the music. Gone is the thought process or descriptors. You're correct, 99% of the time people use musical to describe softness, overly warm etc. I would agree that this would be quite boring.