While recovering from a recent surgery I set up a little "nest" at home with a boombox, headphones and some CDs. I'm now back to work and my recovery is basically complete but the nest remains. Why? Because I have been enjoying music more with this setup than anything else in recent memory. I'm not just talking about the convenience of being able to switch out CDs at ease, or having a comfy chair to sit in while listening. No, I mean the actual sound quality too.

I'm as surprised by this as anyone. The boombox is a small Sony (CFD-S01) that I had previously used in the office or kitchen, and music played through it's built-in speakers sounded okay at best. The headphones are an inexpensive pair of Sony "street" phones (MDR-G45) that I picked up a few months ago to use with a portable. But somehow these headphones plugged into that boombox make for surprisingly great sound. I'm hearing musical details and presence that I've simply never heard before, even on more expensive equipment.

Last night I was listening to The Best of Holly Cole and again I was blown away by the sound quality, especially on the tracks featuring just Cole and a jazz trio. Would it sound even better on some system costing thousands of dollars? No doubt! But I'm impressed and pleased with the sound I'm getting out of this modest little setup.

Great story! Don't ya love when things like this happen? Well, not the surgery part. I had a similar situation after back surgery in 2005. It involved a Discman and a pair of Grados. Enjoy!