Shindo GM70

Mike

Mike

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This is an amp I've always had my eye on. Has anyone heard it? Can you compare the GM70 sound to say the 300b?

lafon-gm-70-parallax-fixed1.jpg
 
I own them. Maybe the last pair ever made. I have not heard the Shindo 300b.
 
I've heard them several times and prefer the Lafons to Shindo's WE300B. They are more objective with better bass, but don't have quite the seductive 300B mids. The GM70's disadvantage is not many output tubes to roll if that's your thing. My friend preferred the WE300B, so diff strokes for diff folks...

Probably my favorite Shindo amp is the Haut Brion as well as the Lafons - both discontinued I believe. The glow through HB smokey glass was amazing in person.
 
I've used the now discontinued Lafon GM70 for several years on several different types of speakers - Phy-HP based Musical Affairs, Tannoys, and Shindo 604. I've never heard the Shindo 300b, but interestingly I put Welborne 300b DRD in a few weeks back when I was running down a tube gremlin. On the low end 300b, the midrange magic was not a concern. The Shindo trounced it. The real surprise though was the difference in the presence and presentation. The Welborne, which I've loved in several systems, was absolutely flat and lifeless. No bounce, no touch, no "dimensionality" in comparison. I guess it goes to show that it ain't the tube, it's how you use it.


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I have the Lafon's, though they are currently out for servicing. I've also owned the Cortese and I'm currently using the Montille. Speakers are The ones in your pic, the Shindo 604's.

Kev nailed the biggest reason I love the Lafon's. Their 3Dimensional presentation is astounding. With the right source material, you will find yourself completely inside the music. It's intoxicating. Also, it's an amp that really rocks out. Bass is top notch.

The Cortese lacked that 3D presentation a bit, but made up for it by having this silky sweetness to the sound that made everything I threw at it sound beautiful. I haven't lived with the Montille long enough to make any firm judgements, but I'd say it's somewhere in between the Cortese and Lafon's on the sweetness and 3D scale.

I think it's most important to mate the amp with your speaker and room size. Which speakers will will you be using? How big is your room?
 
Avantgarde Duo Mezzo XD (107db, 18ohm). Room is 15 X 25.


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How do you like the new Duos? I used to listen to Avantgardes all the time but could get around the "bas.........s" issue. Always sounded like bass was playing from a different song. So poorly integrated. That was years ago tho.


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kev313 said:
How do you like the new Duos? I used to listen to Avantgardes all the time but could get around the "bas.........s" issue. Always sounded like bass was playing from a different song. So poorly integrated. That was years ago tho.


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Kev - I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THEM!! I agree about the older versions, but the XD series has completely eliminated that. Bass is completely in sync now thanks to the more powerful amps and the XD technology.


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I had the gm70's and now 300b's. As people have said the gm70's were very powerful but the 300b's better suit acoustical and voice, etc.
 
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