[punkaroo]

Hi everyone,
 
I have a pair of K1000s that sound good through my vintage Marantz and my vintage Rotel...but I love my tube headphone amp, and I think I'd like my K1000s even more with one!
 
I've done a ton of reading on both the nOrh se9 and the Almarro 205a mkII...I just can't decide on which one to buy. The Almarro is more expensive...and considering I haven't even heard either one, which one do I get?
 
I'd appreciate if you folks who've heard both can chime in. If the nOrh is awesome sauce, and I don't "need" whatever the Almarro can provide, then I'm done. I like it's price point too.
 
Thanks all!

 

[elrod-tom]

I owned a nOrh SE-9 for about two years and I thought that it did a nice job driving the K1000.  At $400 shipped it's a really incredible value, and a lot of folks really like the E34 tube sound.  I can't recommend it highly enough, though it sure would be nice if it had a single ended headphone jack on the front.  Oh well....
 
I've not heard the other amp, so I can't comment on it...sorry.

 

[punkaroo]

elrod, did you order your amp directly from nOrh? Their ordering page looks a little sketchy...LOL

 

[elrod-tom]

I did...and it arrived impecably packaged.  I could have beat on this thing with an aluminum bat and not harmed what was inside.  No concerns there...well, as of 2005 or so anyway.