SET amp owners thread

[AudioHR]

Hello
I am brand new on this forum but I have been a music lover and audiophile for over 50 years. Over the years it has been my pleasure to experience the reproduction of music through various components and technologies. The path has led me to the SET and high efficiency speaker domaine and I am enjoying the experience.

Presently I am using a Shindo Cortese 300b amp with Coherent Audio Neo 15 speakers. My preamp is a Shindo Monbrison, the most recent model.

At this point I have not fussed to much with tube selection although I have a pair of new WE 300b I plan to put in. My first SET amp was a MastersouD Compact 300b. It was a nice sounding amp and I rolled quite a few 300b tubes to get a feel for the differences. Another story perhaps.

My Coherent speakers are very high efficiency and IMHO sound lovely. Basically they are hand crafted and feature coaxial drivers, innovative interior cabinet design and custom crossover.

 

[charles1dad]

Hello
I am brand new on this forum but I have been a music lover and audiophile for over 50 years. Over the years it has been my pleasure to experience the reproduction of music through various components and technologies. The path has led me to the SET and high efficiency speaker domaine and I am enjoying the experience.

Presently I am using a Shindo Cortese 300b amp with Coherent Audio Neo 15 speakers. My preamp is a Shindo Monbrison, the most recent model.

At this point I have not fussed to much with tube selection although I have a pair of new WE 300b I plan to put in. My first SET amp was a MastersouD Compact 300b. It was a nice sounding amp and I rolled quite a few 300b tubes to get a feel for the differences. Another story perhaps.

My Coherent speakers are very high efficiency and IMHO sound lovely. Basically they are hand crafted and feature coaxial drivers, innovative interior cabinet design and custom crossover.

I have read very good things about the Canadian made Coherent Audio speakers. I bet that they sound splendid paired with the Shindo components.
Charles

 

[AudioHR]

I have read very good things about the Canadian made Coherent Audio speakers. I bet that they sound splendid paired with the Shindo components.
Charles

Thank you Charles! Yes they do sound really good. They punch way beyond their weight class $$$. I have heard some great speakers but nothing like these for the price.

 

[jeff1225]

Hello
I am brand new on this forum but I have been a music lover and audiophile for over 50 years. Over the years it has been my pleasure to experience the reproduction of music through various components and technologies. The path has led me to the SET and high efficiency speaker domaine and I am enjoying the experience.

Presently I am using a Shindo Cortese 300b amp with Coherent Audio Neo 15 speakers. My preamp is a Shindo Monbrison, the most recent model.

At this point I have not fussed to much with tube selection although I have a pair of new WE 300b I plan to put in. My first SET amp was a MastersouD Compact 300b. It was a nice sounding amp and I rolled quite a few 300b tubes to get a feel for the differences. Another story perhaps.

My Coherent speakers are very high efficiency and IMHO sound lovely. Basically they are hand crafted and feature coaxial drivers, innovative interior cabinet design and custom crossover.

Beautiful system, I really think the simplest systems are the best. Do you spin records or stream?

 

[charles1dad]

Beautiful system, I really think the simplest systems are the best. Do you spin records or stream?

Agreed.
Simplicity in many ways works well in audio endeavors.
Charles

 

[AudioHR]

Beautiful system, I really think the simplest systems are the best. Do you spin records or stream?

Thank you! Definitely modest compared to many in the forum.
I do stream but I am definitely a vinyl fan with a record collection dating back to the late 60's.

 

[the sound of Tao]

Great looking setup AudioHR, the whole system looks great and the Coherent speakers look very nice.Checked out their website and I like the approach very much.

Are there any speakers these remind you of to serve as some kind of reference point. Are they in any ways similar say in presentation to the Devore 0/96?

Plus had you any experiences or heard any thoughts from others on the Coherent Neo 18 inch speaker… both the 15 and 18 look to be very interesting speakers. 2 way high efficiency is definitely the go!

 

[morricab]

Hello
I am brand new on this forum but I have been a music lover and audiophile for over 50 years. Over the years it has been my pleasure to experience the reproduction of music through various components and technologies. The path has led me to the SET and high efficiency speaker domaine and I am enjoying the experience.

Presently I am using a Shindo Cortese 300b amp with Coherent Audio Neo 15 speakers. My preamp is a Shindo Monbrison, the most recent model.

At this point I have not fussed to much with tube selection although I have a pair of new WE 300b I plan to put in. My first SET amp was a MastersouD Compact 300b. It was a nice sounding amp and I rolled quite a few 300b tubes to get a feel for the differences. Another story perhaps.

My Coherent speakers are very high efficiency and IMHO sound lovely. Basically they are hand crafted and feature coaxial drivers, innovative interior cabinet design and custom crossover.

Very nice system! I think the driver used in the Coherent speakers is from Radian? How does the Shindo compare to what you had before? That Monbrison is supposed to be a truly special preamp but I have never heard it before. What do you use for a source?

 

[bonzo75]

Monbrison is a good value preamp and phono in one box, at that price difficult to get something equivalent apart from EAR.

More comments on this thread https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/shindo-lab-preamplifier.36195/

 

[KevinO]

Hello
I am brand new on this forum but I have been a music lover and audiophile for over 50 years. Over the years it has been my pleasure to experience the reproduction of music through various components and technologies. The path has led me to the SET and high efficiency speaker domaine and I am enjoying the experience.

Presently I am using a Shindo Cortese 300b amp with Coherent Audio Neo 15 speakers. My preamp is a Shindo Monbrison, the most recent model.

At this point I have not fussed to much with tube selection although I have a pair of new WE 300b I plan to put in. My first SET amp was a MastersouD Compact 300b. It was a nice sounding amp and I rolled quite a few 300b tubes to get a feel for the differences. Another story perhaps.

My Coherent speakers are very high efficiency and IMHO sound lovely. Basically they are hand crafted and feature coaxial drivers, innovative interior cabinet design and custom crossover.

Great system. I have some idea of how it might sound ; I have the same Cortese 300B , with a Vosnee-Romanee pre. I suspect you're quite content

 

[jeff1225]

Thank you! Definitely modest compared to many in the forum.
I do stream but I am definitely a vinyl fan with a record collection dating back to the late 60's.

Tell us about the rest of your system.

 

[adamaley]

View attachment 81809
View attachment 81810
Very happy with this move. The WE300Bs really have brought in a big chunk of magic. I was toying for going with another amp for the main system but I doubt that it would have bought the kind of step up that went with these WE300Bs.

$1500 usd a pair is a good chunk of cash but nothing in the scheme of the high end and what this upgrade has brought with it. I’ve heard plenty of top end amps and what I’m now getting out of this current setup may not necessarily be universally better than all but very definitely is competitive and more on point for what I really love. This WE300B balance fits beautifully with all upocc silver signal cables and brings with them a lovely fleshy balance, full lively dynamics and a real sense of effortless musical ease and flow.

The Linlai moly 805s will likely be the next change up for this amp. Each step is just moving closer again to where I would like to get it. Based on what I am hearing I’ll likely get in a few pair of the WE300Bs this year. One pair as back-up for this system and the other to run in the LM Set for the Harbeth 40.2s. The new WE is way good

When I used this amp in my system, throwing in some NOS RCA 805s prevented me from selling it. I also tried Amperex 805s, which weren't as good as the RCAs, but better than the stock tubes, and the upgraded 805s from Psvane. For 300bs, I tried EML XLS, KR 300Bs, Elrog 300bs among others. Psvane Acme 300bs were my favorites.

 

[AudioHR]

Great looking setup AudioHR, the whole system looks great and the Coherent speakers look very nice.Checked out their website and I like the approach very much.

Are there any speakers these remind you of to serve as some kind of reference point. Are they in any ways similar say in presentation to the Devore 0/96?

Plus had you any experiences or heard any thoughts from others on the Coherent Neo 18 inch speaker… both the 15 and 18 look to be very interesting speakers. 2 way high efficiency is definitely the go!

Thank you for the compliment!

An interesting question on which speakers remind me of the Coherent 15. There are a limited number produced and I would say it would be difficult to audition them unless you live in southern Ontario, Canada. As I feel these speakers are quite remarkable I will do my best to answer your question.

To provide some context to my answer I will begin by saying I was fortunate to attend the Munich Hi

Great looking setup AudioHR, the whole system looks great and the Coherent speakers look very nice.Checked out their website and I like the approach very much.

Are there any speakers these remind you of to serve as some kind of reference point. Are they in any ways similar say in presentation to the Devore 0/96?

Plus had you any experiences or heard any thoughts from others on the Coherent Neo 18 inch speaker… both the 15 and 18 look to be very interesting speakers. 2 way high efficiency is definitely the go!

Great looking setup AudioHR, the whole system looks great and the Coherent speakers look very nice.Checked out their website and I like the approach very much.

Are there any speakers these remind you of to serve as some kind of reference point. Are they in any ways similar say in presentation to the Devore 0/96?

Plus had you any experiences or heard any thoughts from others on the Coherent Neo 18 inch speaker… both the 15 and 18 look to be very interesting speakers. 2 way high efficiency is definitely the go!

Thank you very much for the compliment!

An interesting question on which speakers remind me of the Coherent 15. These are not easy speakers to audition as the production is limited. As I find them quite remarkable I will do my best to answer your question because I believe many would love these speakers.

To provide some context to my remarks I will start by saying I attended the Munich High End 2022 Show. It was a great experience. The best sound for me was the Wolf Von Langa/Air Tight/Primary Control Turntables- Tonearm system. What did the Wolf Von Langa Son speakers sound like, well they and the system enabling them sounded very musical, lifelike and alive. Clearly what I value most in a speaker is its ability to sound real.

More specifically to your question. They actually share many similarities with the Devore O/96. Visually they are both attractive well crafted boxes. Although I have only had limited listening time with the Devore I quite liked them and found that they shared many of the qualities I admire in the Coherent 15. Both speakers present a wide and deep soundstage with a natural and nicely textured midrange. The highs on both are airy and clean without excess brightness. The Devore bass is full and natural, the Coherent's bass is also natural but is tight and quick while the Devore were slightly warmer. Both speakers have image specificity so there is lots of air around instruments and performers. The Coherent are perhaps a touch more open and dynamic but both speakers have that quality. They both are, above all, musical and lifelike

Another speakers that I would mention as similar sounding is the Odeon La Scala. A very nice speaker that fits in the musical and lifelike category.

I have not heard the Neo 18. Frank Fazzalari the designer put me in touch with another customer who had upgraded to the Neo 18 from the 15. We had a great conversation and as much as he liked his 15's he loves the 18". Although the Neo 18 go deeper with more authority it is the huge and open soundstage that really impresses. This was already a strong point of the 15" so I can only imagine

 

[Solypsa]

I've heard / used both 8" and 15" Radian Coax's. Very nice drivers. In fact back some over 15 years. At that time everyone was like ' not Radian that's the bottom' well they proved themselves over time.


For my own present diy 15 coax build I picked RCF ( another underdog )

 

[AudioHR]

Very nice system! I think the driver used in the Coherent speakers is from Radian? How does the Shindo compare to what you had before? That Monbrison is supposed to be a truly special preamp but I have never heard it before. What do you use for a source?

Thank you morricab!

Yes the driver is from Radian. Known more as a commercial driver but with the proper crossover, who knew.

I am very impressed with the Shindo , it is dead quiet and just so right. Over the years I have had many preamps. I had the Audible Illusions Modulus 3 for many years and felt that with proper tubes it was very satisfying. More recently I had an Icon Audio LA 4 Mk 3 signature which quite frankly is outstanding and an incredible value. I haven't had a solid state pre for quite sometime.

I use an Antipodes server/ Ayre DAC for streaming. At the moment I am using a VPI Classic table with 11" memorial arm and a Hana ML for vinyl playback. The Hana is routed through an Icon Audio SUT.

 

[AudioHR]

I've heard / used both 8" and 15" Radian Coax's. Very nice drivers. In fact back some over 15 years. At that time everyone was like ' not Radian that's the bottom' well they proved themselves over time.


For my own present diy 15 coax build I picked RCF ( another underdog )

The proof of the pudding is in the tasting or in this case the listening, lol!

 

[AudioHR]

Great system. I have some idea of how it might sound ; I have the same Cortese 300B , with a Vosnee-Romanee pre. I suspect you're quite content

Thank you!
What 300b tubes are you using? I haven't had a chance to try much in my Cortese so far. The dealer felt that the Cortese sounded great with just about any 300b.

 

[AudioHR]

Monbrison is a good value preamp and phono in one box, at that price difficult to get something equivalent apart from EAR.

More comments on this thread https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/shindo-lab-preamplifier.36195/

Thank you for the link.

 

[KevinO]

Thank you!
What 300b tubes are you using? I haven't had a chance to try much in my Cortese so far. The dealer felt that the Cortese sounded great with just about any 300b.

Pvanne. Not felt the need to try anything different yet. That will come I suspect, but I'm still learning what my Vosnee Romanee can do. When I have a handle on that, I may try a few then.
Interesting point you made about the O.96's. I tried them as well, really enjoyed them and would have been quite happy with them. I went another direction but the O's are pretty special.

 

[the sound of Tao]

Thank you for the compliment!

An interesting question on which speakers remind me of the Coherent 15. There are a limited number produced and I would say it would be difficult to audition them unless you live in southern Ontario, Canada. As I feel these speakers are quite remarkable I will do my best to answer your question.

To provide some context to my answer I will begin by saying I was fortunate to attend the Munich Hi


Thank you very much for the compliment!

An interesting question on which speakers remind me of the Coherent 15. These are not easy speakers to audition as the production is limited. As I find them quite remarkable I will do my best to answer your question because I believe many would love these speakers.

To provide some context to my remarks I will start by saying I attended the Munich High End 2022 Show. It was a great experience. The best sound for me was the Wolf Von Langa/Air Tight/Primary Control Turntables- Tonearm system. What did the Wolf Von Langa Son speakers sound like, well they and the system enabling them sounded very musical, lifelike and alive. Clearly what I value most in a speaker is its ability to sound real.

More specifically to your question. They actually share many similarities with the Devore O/96. Visually they are both attractive well crafted boxes. Although I have only had limited listening time with the Devore I quite liked them and found that they shared many of the qualities I admire in the Coherent 15. Both speakers present a wide and deep soundstage with a natural and nicely textured midrange. The highs on both are airy and clean without excess brightness. The Devore bass is full and natural, the Coherent's bass is also natural but is tight and quick while the Devore were slightly warmer. Both speakers have image specificity so there is lots of air around instruments and performers. The Coherent are perhaps a touch more open and dynamic but both speakers have that quality. They both are, above all, musical and lifelike

Another speakers that I would mention as similar sounding is the Odeon La Scala. A very nice speaker that fits in the musical and lifelike category.

I have not heard the Neo 18. Frank Fazzalari the designer put me in touch with another customer who had upgraded to the Neo 18 from the 15. We had a great conversation and as much as he liked his 15's he loves the 18". Although the Neo 18 go deeper with more authority it is the huge and open soundstage that really impresses. This was already a strong point of the 15" so I can only imagine

Very helpful info thanks AudioHR… gives a great sense of them. I’ve always liked the Devore 0/96 and trialled them out for some time once (especially elegant and beautiful looking design as well) but a more immediate and spirited version of that would fit the balance of what I find lifelike as well. 102db sensitivity would be very useful as well! Be nice maybe with a 300B drives 300B amp

I very much like the upgraded parts spec in the Eighteen Reference… am using similar kinds of spec in my OB horn and was thinking of going to the Mundorf Feron foil coil in the next crossover for the radian 951 beryllium compression drivers in my current new build at any rate... would be nice to have a 18 inch Coherent Radian coaxial version of my OB horns … though I best stay the course with what I’m working on… I’m fairly slow (or perhaps slack ) and also just a touch audio attention deficit at any rate… and these look all too tempting!!!

Eighteen Reference Drivers

• 18 " co-axial
• 3 " high frequency dom with wave guide Reference : Neodynum-Beryllium
• 150kHz Piezo Super Tweeter

Crossover Coil & Cap
Reference : MUN/JUP/Duelund TriCap

with Mundorf Feron Foil Coil