Preliminary stuff re the Nobsound: at first listen with my SONY headphones, it sounded fuzzy, left centered, fed by either a laptop or the iphone. After a couple hours, I rotated the tubes (they both look the same), and tried again. This time, WOW! Did the tube rotation make a difference? The burn in time for the tubes? A better connection with the tubes? Not a clue.

This second time around, I love the sound! And I'm comparing it to a very nice Audioquest Dragonfly Red that I listened to all summer, at 4 times the price. The Nobsound is the real deal.

Impressions: the Nobsound is some more open, velvety, richer (some of my favorite words!). The SQ is closer to my GEt system. Really clean, natural and rich.

So, yes, my first impression of TOOBS is, Ricky likes it! Not a clue what that means for future decisions for the GEt system at this point, but the Nobsound is my new source for headphones. Wayne and Anthem, you're onto something with the "tube thing"!

Rick

Another note re Nobsound: I just played one of my wife's favorite songs, Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac, for her into the Nobsound/SONY headphone combo (she had heard it hours earlier on the GEt's).

She loved it, toe tappin' and all. I asked her to compare it to what she heard on the GEt's. "Pretty close, but the GEt's sounded best", Now THAT'S amazing company for the Nobsound/SONY! T1's/T2's/SCXXL/Invisa's the best, but Nobsound/SONY in the same breath?? WOW.

HMMM. TOOBS....

Rick

Watch out Rick, you will get hooked on TOOBS!!!
God Bless,
Wayne

Some additional (final?) thoughts on the Dragonfly Red vs. the Nobsound 6J9 powering my Sony MDR1A's:

To be fair to both DAC/amps, I played more music through both and compared SQ. The Dragonfly can reach deeper in the bass range, and sounds some more detailed in mid range and treble. The Nobsound is "softer", richer throughout the range. Maybe that's true of the "tube sound" in general? Anthem and Wayne would be the experts here.

Both are great amps. Nothing at all shabby with how either sounds. For now, I have the Nobsound attached to my laptop, and use the Dragonfly with the iphone because of it's mobility (no power cord and I can put the phone and Dragonfly in my pocket and move around).

If I could only have one, which would it be? Hard choice. Dragonfly for mobility and harder hitting bass, Nobsound for some sweeter, richer SQ, better for "mellowing out". I"m happy having both. (My wife loves the SQ she heard with the Nobsound playing Rhianna by Fleetwood Mac, guess she'd vote for the Nobsound...).

YMMV.

Happy listening!

Rick

Thanks Rick,
There may be a reason TOOBS rhymes with BOOBS!!!
Just sayin'
God Bless,
Wayne

WayneWilmeth wrote: I am back home now with a stent in my heart helping clear the path for the blood to flow to the beat!!!

Hey Wayne, nearly two weeks ago I also joined the "stent" club when I had that procedure done to clear a graft from my open-heart surgery done 5+ years ago. I was out the next day since neither event lead to a heart attack, though doc did say I was close. I new something was not right, but as before, it took a while to figure out why I could not focus at work and got tired quickly. I just thought I hated working .

It took a while to get back on here even though I felt alive again. I had a charity poker tournament for the American Royal Barbecue competition the Thursday evening after the procedure, which I had committed to, and really wanted to attend. The year before I came in third and won $750 against ~230 players, which I put towards my Triton 1 purchase. This time I was bubble-bubble-bubble boy to the final table finishing 12th out of ~150 players and out of the money. I did meet my goal which was to be the last person in my poker league standing two years in a row. So when the young lads start bragging on their poker prowess, I can correct them. Our league host this annual poker tournament.

The next evening, I went to my normal, weekly Friday poker tournament at my local VFW. This was a special, Halloween party as well and I came dressed as David Bowie in his death bed from the song "Lazarus" on his final album, "Darkstar" and in the corresponding video. The idea for the costume came to me while the doc was signing my hospital release papers and I had my roommate stop off at a local Halloween store for a Bowie wig and old, English-stye long pajamas, the rest I made using bandages and grommets in lieu of buttons for the eyes. It was more of a tribute to that fine album.