Thanks for the review. It looks pretty high powered. One thing I noticed is you would not be able to make emulsified things like salad dressing and mayo because the cover keeps you from drizzling in the oil even though the blender jar has a removable cap.
I used the Vitamix this weekend to make hummus and the sound was very loud. It had been a bit and I forgot how loud it is. Anyway, I like the sound cover idea. Hearing is becoming an issue as time progresses.