Schiit Audio Lyr: My First Impressions - Page 2

Quote from Jason in Six Moons review: On 6N1Ps: "No problem with using the Valhalla's 6N1Ps.The transformer will easily supply the heater current. The amp will just run a bit warmer.

Appreciate the First Impressions.

Post is mostly for the site generated email backlink. 

>... very low-level 60-Hz hum.

Can be found with the HE-6's but I suspect it's in the air not the Lyr. 

Nice review as always, Jude.  I am looking forward to getting my review loaner of the Lyr.  I have a LOT of nice 6DJ8/6922 variants to try in it...

I'm curious about the noise floor Jude mentioned.  Anyone else experiencing this?  Is it detectable with HD800's?

Thanks for the impressions Jude! It really is a great time to be in headphone audio.

Thanks Jude how do you think it compares to the Asgard if I can only buy one amp? I have never had a headphone amp but I need a starting place right now I can only get the Asgard or the LYR. I will be using Denon AH-D5000 to start with.

headphone4me - I know you addressed this to Jude but I thought I might be able to provide some perspective. I have the D2000's and an Asgard (a wonderful combo by the way). I definitely prefer listening to my D2000's with the Lyr; more dynamic and musical. It seems that even with very efficient (low ohm) cans, the power and dynamics help.

Thank you misterrogers anyone that had both is fine. That helps a lot. I kind of thought that but really needed someone to confirm for me. I actually probably will own both eventually but now I only get one. Thanks so much.

Great review...I got to hear this amp and thought it was a wonderful piece of equipment

Quote:

Originally Posted by openreel 

Quote from Jason in Six Moons review: On 6N1Ps: "No problem with using the Valhalla's 6N1Ps.The transformer will easily supply the heater current. The amp will just run a bit warmer.

Great, I am thinking seriously about this amp. I have some very, very nice 1965 black plate 6N1P's that are very different from any other 6N1P of later origin with the grey plates. 

Nice review Jude. I am loving my Lyr too. I am looking forward to you more "tube savvy" folks giving us your tube recc's.

Try a Siemens 6922. They were often reboxed by RCA. The pins are gold plated and to me, they are one of the better sounding varieties. There are so many to choose from this should be a fun amp. Then there is the GE grey glass, that is sold for a fairly cheap price and many like the sound. You could look up Joe's tube lore on the 6DJ8 types. So many, so much variety, so much fun, though it can get expensive. I am glad I have a few hundred NOS of these types. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by jude 

One of the best amps I've so far heard with the HE-6 was Head-Fi'er musicman59's carefully tubed, maxed-out Woo Audio WA5-LE (one of my dream amps)--it was simply sublime, and, on balance, maybe the best I've yet heard the HE-6 sound. In my brief listen to musicman59's rig, what captivated me was the texture, the microdynamics, and a warmth of tone that the HE-6 benefits from beautifully. Does the Lyr, at probably $3500 less than that big, tricked-out Woo, do the same? Well, no.

However, what the Lyr does do better than maybe any other headphone amplifier I've heard the HE-6 through is incite peals of macrodynamic thunder, which, given the HE-6's amp-devouring nature, is certainly no mean feat. In fact, I'll go so far as to venture that a good number of HE-6 owners may not know just how lively and charged the HE-6 can be. I was listening to the finale from Stravinsky's Firebird (Eiji Oue, Minnesota Orchestra, available at HDTracks.com), and literally kept re-playing the track--over and over and over. I've heard this piece many times through the HE-6, but not like that.

That's not faint praise. I also got to hear the HE-6 through muscman59's setup at the January meet, and for the $450 Lyr to compare this well to it is truly impressive. (I hope musicman59 chimes in on this thread).

Maybe there should be an ortho amp shootout at the next area meet; There are a variety of approaches being taken to power the HE-6 and it'd be fun to compare them side-by-side.

I loved the Lyr with my custom Orthos.

I tried it at the Bay Area Meet and it blew me away. It really made me realize that my Matrix mini I is not sufficient enough to drive something with a t50rp driver in it.  

Oh and thanks for the review Jude! I agree with your findings. I've tested both the He-6 and the LCD-2 on some nice amps and the Lyr really stood it's ground.