# Nobsound tube amp impression



## roguepp88

Has anyone used the Nobsound series of tube amps,
 they can be found in Amazon for a reasonable price,,
 similar to little dots.
  
 Can anyone give an impression of their product?


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## Oskari

roguepp88 said:


> Has anyone used the Nobsound series of tube amps,
> they can be found in Amazon for a reasonable price,,
> similar to little dots.
> 
> Can anyone give an impression of their product?


 
  
 The Nobsound MS-10D or is there more of this sh¡te around?
  
 The Nobsound MS-10D aka Jaycar AA0474 is basically a scam. See:
  

http://members.iinet.net.au/~cool386/jaycar/jaycar.html
  
 Save your money.


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## sumit3175

200$ for a tube amp it cant be that bad and it has bass controll and headphone out some thing tube amps need now a days.


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## Karllin

The previous post with the link to the article makes it very clear this amp is misleading. For those that have not read the article, it is basically a solid state amp using 4558 and FL1875 chips . The tubes might be involved with the preamp stage, but they are likely decorative more than anything. Just to put things in perspective, these are selling for about $60 USD on amazon china. So you are looking at an amp that likely costs less than $30 to make. If you can get one for $60 might be worth it for use as a night light.


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## fjrabon

It's a pretty decent hybrid amp, similar to a more powerful starving student hybrid.  I think it's reasonably priced, given the build quality is actually pretty good.  The issue of the tubes being overfed the above link notes has been fixed, as they're now fed a more tube-healthy 6.3.  Essentially the tubes act as a pre-amp, which gives it the "tube sound" people are after: a small mid-bass bump and a small lower/mid treble bump (depending on which tubes you use).  But it gains the benefit of a solid state power stage.  Switching the tubes around, it does noticeably change the sound of it, so the tubes are more than decorative.  
  
 Essentially this is an amp you could build, if so inclined, for about $100.  Given that it sells for $179, that's pretty reasonable as a construction cost IMHO.  As somebody who has built a Millett SSHM, it was fun for me personally, but if building an amp wasn't something I was interested in personally as a hobby, it's absolutely something I'd have paid $79 for somebody else to do.
  
 Yes, places that simply call it a "tube amp" are misleading.  It's a hybrid amp.  But that doesn't in and of itself make it bad.  In fact, if you're after the "tube sound" I think hybrid is the way to go.


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## krowle

thanks for that ive read a few reviews and all say this amp sounds good I can see that its a hybrid but it seems the valves do something good to the sound


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## stephennic

Hi,
 I was skeptiical when I first bought the Jaycar version. I have had mine for 6 years and still going strong. A couple of mods and its one of the most musical budget amps I have heard. It does have a bit of a tube sound - warm, rich, natural sound with a bit of depth. Listen for hours without fatigue. I am very pleased got mine for $100, they were originally $299. I listen to this more than more large system.
 Cheers
 Steve


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## Kevin Sinnott

Maybe at $179, it's seems a poor value, but at its current $50 on Amazon and other sites, it's a comparative bargain. I own AKG k501 phones, which are finicky about how they're driven, and it sounds very, very good, punching well above its class. It's also been reviewed on various sites and gotten high marks. 
  
 No, it's not in the same league as my Pete Millett-designed Wheatfield headphone amp, but it's much smaller and in fact its stepped volume control has better low-level channel matching!
  
 I haven't gotten into tube rolling with it, but there are several NOS 6688 tubes that are reported to take it to a different level. All I can say is I'm satisfied. I was turned onto it by a recording engineer friend who's using it to monitor remote classical concert recordings. He was quite smitten by it.
  
 It's definitely not a rip-off or scam. It's a value-driven version of something audiophiles have done for years... used a tube pre-amp to feed a solid state power amp. At its current price point I don't think I could build an equally-good sounding model.


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## techboy

The amp doesn't use tubes. Not even in the preamp stage. They are only for decoration. 

The thing is that most people can't tell tube from SS sound, this is the prank the founder pulled off well. 

It is a solid state amp. Not a hybrid. The tubes are only for decoration. 
Read about it on google.


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## fjrabon

techboy said:


> The amp doesn't use tubes. Not even in the preamp stage. They are only for decoration.
> 
> The thing is that most people can't tell tube from SS sound, this is the prank the founder pulled off well.
> 
> ...




why would I read about it in google when I've taken one apart? It's a hybrid circuit. It's basically the same topology as a starving student, just with different particular parts. Also, it's fairly easy to hear the difference between tubes in sound. The tubes don't add much in the way of power in this circuit, but are instead designed to basically act as a tube filter more than anything. Further, if the tubes were decorative, then why would them being fed wrong impact the sound, as the early versions of this amp did?


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## Kevin Sinnott

techboy said:


> The amp doesn't use tubes. Not even in the preamp stage. They are only for decoration.
> 
> The thing is that most people can't tell tube from SS sound, this is the prank the founder pulled off well.
> 
> ...


 
 Thank you for your response. You hold an Interesting point of view. I have not done any tube rolling yet, but according to this view, upon swapping tubes I should hear no difference. As it is, it sounds pretty darn good, so I haven't been eager to swap. At the end of the day, it's all about sound isn't it? I've got other amps, tube and solid state, that don't sound as good. So, it's not a rip off or scam, which is my point. It is a very good unit.


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## stephennic

I disagree, the valves do influence the sound, I have had both the jaycar version and the nobsound version. I have tube rolled and certainly does make a difference with different tubes in the circuit. Mods have been done on my Jaycar version and that also made a difference too.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



 Cheers
 Steve.


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## stephennic

I have both solid state gear and valve. The Nobsound tends more towards the valve sound - warm, natural and smooth especially with slower music  (jazz, pop, blues etc) and the human voice. It certaintly performs way above its price range for sound. It beats my $1000 Marantz receiver for sound. 
 Cheers
 Steve


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## Kevin Sinnott

Airwaves Recording Engineer/Founder John McCortney and I spent last evening comparing recordings played back alternatively through both a $50 Nobsound and a $500 Heed Canamp, recently upgraded with an LM4562 Dual Opamp. While the Heed Canamp performed beautifully and displayed more clean high frequency openness and drive, to be expected given its comparative girth and well-regarded inner parts quality, the tiny Nobsound definitely held its own ground, plus its tubes definitely added the warmth we'd expect when using a tube preamp combined with a solid state power amp.
  
 From a consumer point of view, it was just amazing to note the two sounds shared more than they differed. Perhaps this is causing some to conclude that the tubes are merely decorative. But, comparison to a well-designed larger solid state amp helps highlight the Nobsound's tube character.
  
 We did our comparisons using the following two recordings, A-B'ing one and then the other over the course of two hours:
  
 Corelli Violin Sonatas Op5 - Elizabeth Wallfisch, Richard Tunnicliffe, Paul Nicholson, Hyperion Records
 Time Out - The Dave Brubeck Quartet Columbia Records 1997 remaster
  
 Surprises? I was surprised the soundstage appeared equally huge with either amp.


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## Subhakar

Gentlemen, is this a product worth the $42 I paid for?
 https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Music-Hall-6J9-Vacuum-Tube-Integrated-Amplifier-Mini-Audio-HiFi-Stereo-Headphone-amp-DIY-Free-Shipping/32443111524.html


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## fjrabon

subhakar said:


> Gentlemen, is this a product worth the $42 I paid for?
> https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Music-Hall-6J9-Vacuum-Tube-Integrated-Amplifier-Mini-Audio-HiFi-Stereo-Headphone-amp-DIY-Free-Shipping/32443111524.html


 

 looks like a starving student build, but with TRS input instead of RCA.  It will all come down to build quality, which is impossible to tell from the picture and included info.  SSHM amps can be very good and a great value with a good build and quality parts.  The TRS input makes me feel a bit uneasy, but could be fine.


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## Subhakar

fjrabon said:


> looks like a starving student build, but with TRS input instead of RCA.  It will all come down to build quality, which is impossible to tell from the picture and included info.  SSHM amps can be very good and a great value with a good build and quality parts.  The TRS input makes me feel a bit uneasy, but could be fine.


 

 Thanks.


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## Pawn

I'm dying for these budget amp to be the next giant killer like little dot.


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## Jeff Kok

should be a different topic maybe, but yes. It is a decent, high power, well sounding headphone amp. Only disadvantage I know, I have one myself, is that it is highly sensitive for interference, for example, keeping my iPhone closer then 50 cm's from the amp, makes that I can hear the iPhone.


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## Gaikotsu

I just got the Nobsound 08-SE and rolled the tubes for JAN 6688s from 1970.  It is a near ridiculous improvement over the stock tubes. Not only is the sound richer and broader, but the power output has to be near triple.  Why?  First of all, if I turn the knob ALL the way down to the end, effectively turning the sound off, the music continues at a reasonable hearing level. 8 clicks in on the knob and I am at well beyond normal listening level.  That could be due to the very real fact that the unit wasn't rated for these tubes...but even more so...old and powerful tubes.  When they say, "they don't make them like the used to" they weren't kidding.

 The other thing I notice is that with the stock tubes there was an annoying crackle every now and again. This is gone with these vintage tubes. The ringing when you create any vibration was louder on the stock tubes.  These tubes are shorter and have a BIG fat chunk of metal in the core vs the stock tubes.  Also the posts are more solid.

 I couldn't be happier with the investment. 42 bux for the amp plus 24 for the 6688s.  Still under 100.


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## Jeff Kok

where did you buy the old tubes?


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## Gaikotsu

eBay

 From this guy:

 www. ebay .com/usr/thetubecenter?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2754


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## Vinyltap

I'm sold on the amp thanks to you guys.
  
 Quick question, how is the sound quality when playing thru the USB? I don't plan on using bluetooth. Are there any pops, clicks or digital artifacts? I had an MUSE S7 which clipped (or other digital noise) when the eq was engaged. Thanks in advance for any help! James


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## hoanguyen

I started with one MS-10D and now I have 5 of them.  I don't use the headphones on them directly but to drive the speaker adapter (similar as Hifiman HE Adapter).  This setup has power to drive any headphones I have (more than 30 that include Hifiman HE-6, HE-1000, Audeze LCD-3, LCD-X, LCD-XC, AKG 1000, AKG K812, Grado PS1000, PS1000e, Sennheiser HD800, HD800S....)  I like the sound from this setup much more than several full-size headphone amplifiers.  Specially, the MS-10D has tone control that most headphone amplifiers do not have.
  
 The speaker adapter is easy to build.  I got the information on the internet and built several of them for less than $10 each.
  
 HN


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## VGoghs earfrmsc

hoanguyen said:


> I started with one MS-10D and now I have 5 of them.  I don't use the headphones on them directly but to drive the speaker adapter (similar as Hifiman HE Adapter).  This setup has power to drive any headphones I have (more than 30 that include Hifiman HE-6, HE-1000, Audeze LCD-3, LCD-X, LCD-XC, AKG 1000, AKG K812, Grado PS1000, PS1000e, Sennheiser HD800, HD800S....)  I like the sound from this setup much more than several full-size headphone amplifiers.  Specially, the MS-10D has tone control that most headphone amplifiers do not have.
> 
> The speaker adapter is easy to build.  I got the information on the internet and built several of them for less than $10 each.
> 
> HN


Hi hoanguyen, would you mind telling me where this speaker adapter info is please


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