[jexby]

 
I have a Lyr and borrowed a friends Lyr2 to do a comparison.  I could not hear a difference, other then the Lyr2 being a little quieter at ridiculous vol (no music).  This has to do with the PS change from AC heating to DC and some additional PS filtering.  If you are obsessed with noise at unlistenable full vol - get the Lyr2.  Other wise the Lyr is a fantastic bargain - it also has a wider range of tubes it can use (although the Lyr2 has plenty to choose from).  Now if you have very low impedance HPs (like the 702's) or IEMs you need the gain switch - so the Lyr2 is the right option.
 
Otherwise the difference in price could be used for a nice set of better tubes - which would go a lot further in improving the sound.

+1 to all that.
 
only addition:  if anyone wants to completely remove that "small noise at full volume knob, with no music playing" - try putting a JK Audio Pureformer ($65) between your DAC and the Lyr 1or2.
makes it dead quiet at full volume knob, with no loss in sonic quality.
 
yes, the OCD in me requires the Pureformer.   

 

[rb2013]

 
+1 to all that.
 
only addition:  if anyone wants to completely remove that "small noise at full volume knob, with no music playing" - try putting a JK Audio Pureformer ($65) between your DAC and the Lyr 1or2.
makes it dead quiet at full volume knob, with no loss in sonic quality.
 
yes, the OCD in me requires the Pureformer.   

Could be a great 'cure' for those with ground loop hum issues as well. 

 

[Matro5]

   but there is some slight hum at insane levels with no music playing in High gain. I'd blow my ears up if I ever listened there, so I'm not worried about it, although I'll probably someone else's lead in this thread and buy the Schiit cables to see if that clears it up. 
 
Currently using Tidal --> Dragonfly --> Lyr2 --> Grado PS500. 
 

 
A quick update. It turns out the Dragonfly was not in the chain during my listening last night. I'd forgotten that I had removed it and was listening straight from the headphone jack on my iMac. 
 
With the Dragonfly installed, the hum is very much reduced and there is no cracking or static whatsoever at any volume.
 
The small amount of hum shows up at around 3pm on the volume dial in High Gain with my Grado PS500, which would be insanely loud with this amp and these efficient headphones. 

 

[Exacoustatowner]

 
I have a Lyr and borrowed a friends Lyr2 to do a comparison.  I could not hear a difference, other then the Lyr2 being a little quieter at ridiculous vol (no music).  This has to do with the PS change from AC heating to DC and some additional PS filtering.  If you are obsessed with noise at unlistenable full vol - get the Lyr2.  Other wise the Lyr is a fantastic bargain - it also has a wider range of tubes it can use (although the Lyr2 has plenty to choose from).  Now if you have very low impedance HPs (like the 702's) or IEMs you need the gain switch - so the Lyr2 is the right option.
 
Otherwise the difference in price could be used for a nice set of better tubes - which would go a lot further in improving the sound.

Thanks rb2013! I don't want  to obsess on 0.01 vs 0.1% THD. It is listening which is important-and as you say-the tubes will likely make more difference!
There are some Edgy/rough sounds when the full choir, Organ, and Soprano's belt out all at once on my Michael Tilson Thomas recording of Mahler's 8th Symphony. I'm going to take the disc to some High End stores and see if it's the AMP or the Recording. If AMP-it's going back-otherwise I'll keep it and roll tubes!
 
 
And I am comparing to my Yamaha A/V HP out-which is underpowered-but sounds clean.
 
I am using a Sabre 9018 32 bit DAC-which is highly regarded. 

 

[rb2013]

Thanks rb2013! I don't want  to obsess on 0.01 vs 0.1% THD. It is listening which is important-and as you say-the tubes will likely make more difference!
There are some Edgy/rough sounds when the full choir, Organ, and Soprano's belt out all at once on my Michael Tilson Thomas recording of Mahler's 8th Symphony. I'm going to take the disc to some High End stores and see if it's the AMP or the Recording. If AMP-it's going back-otherwise I'll keep it and roll tubes!


And I am comparing to my Yamaha A/V HP out-which is underpowered-but sounds clean.

I am using a Sabre 9018 32 bit DAC-which is highly regarded. 

The Sabre 9018 is a highly resolving DAC chip, depending on implementation. The issue with the lower cost tubes, is they tend to congest on loud complex passages. They hit the wall and turn muddy, losing the clarity and focus they have on normal passages. The best tubes are like power houses of seemingly endless reserves. See my recent comments on the Lyr Tube Rolling thread comparing the Russian 6n23p '75 Reflektor silver shield single getter post (my 'Holy Grail' tube, I refer to as the HG's) vs the legendary '60s Telefunken E188CC.

 

[Liu Junyuan]

The Sabre 9018 is a highly resolving DAC chip, depending on implementation. The issue with the lower cost tubes, is they tend to congest on loud complex passages. They hit the wall and turn muddy, losing the clarity and focus they have on normal passages. The best tubes are like power houses of seemingly endless reserves. See my recent comments on the Lyr Tube Rolling thread comparing the Russian 6n23p '75 Reflektor silver shield single getter post (my 'Holy Grail' tube, I refer to as the HG's) vs the legendary '60s Telefunken E188CC.

Wow, I really agree with this post. For fun, I bought some relatively cheap GE-Smokies, which are just lovely on my HD-650s and with less complex music, but they really do sound muddy when listening to some Beethoven or Bach symphonies.

 

[rb2013]

Wow, I really agree with this post. For fun, I bought some relatively cheap GE-Smokies, which are just lovely on my HD-650s and with less complex music, but they really do sound muddy when listening to some Beethoven or Bach symphonies.

Thanks Liu!  I'm about to start a Grand Lyr Tube Shootout - and have so far assembled 20 of the best 6922/6n23p tubes ever made.  The difference on these complex passages is one of my major litmus tests - these top end tubes really shine.  It's quite thrilling to hear their amazing dynamic capabilities.
 
The other thing I noticed on those loud complex passages - as the tubes hit the wall and turn muddy the sound stage turns flattish.  Think staggered cardboard cutouts vs true 3 dimensional holographic point sources project in the sound field.
 
Besides all the other qualities of the better tubes - like rich natural tone, smooth musicality, deep detail retrieval, bass extension and definition.  The Lyr/Lyr2 responses especially well to better tubes.
 
I think many folks give up on the Lyr/Lyr2 without hearing nearly what it's capable of...a quick 2 day demo with stock tubes doesn't give it justice.  The tubes and caps need 100-200 hrs to sound best.  Often they are comparing it to the fully burnt in amp they are currently using.  Better to buy a used one, that is at least burnt in, and maybe comes with some better tubes.  Then sell it for little difference in price after a fair evaluation.

 

[ghostchili]

My Lyr 2 and Uber BiFrost are only 2 months old and I think I will be selling them. I didn't expect to have an upgraded Amp/Dac so soon. I just got done burning all of the tubes in so I will give them some time and decide. Send me PM if anyone has interest. I can give you details on the tubes. Everything might end up in the classifieds soon. I will not sell tubes separately.

 

[money4me247]

My Lyr 2 and Uber BiFrost are only 2 months old and I think I will be selling them. I didn't expect to have an upgraded Amp/Dac so soon. I just got done burning all of the tubes in so I will give them some time and decide. Send me PM if anyone has interest. I can give you details on the tubes. Everything might end up in the classifieds soon. I will not sell tubes separately.

what tubes do u have and are you sure u dont want to sell em separately? i may be interested

 

[crixnet]

My Lyr 2 and Uber BiFrost are only 2 months old and I think I will be selling them. I didn't expect to have an upgraded Amp/Dac so soon. I just got done burning all of the tubes in so I will give them some time and decide. Send me PM if anyone has interest. I can give you details on the tubes. Everything might end up in the classifieds soon. I will not sell tubes separately.

So, why are your selling? I can't tell from your statement, "I didn't expect to have an upgraded Amp/Dac so soon."

 

[rawrster]

I'll probably do the same eventually. I'm probably purchasing a new amp soon but SS, balanced and much more expensive. I'm not sure yet since I haven't had the amp for that long.

 

[ghostchili]

So, why are your selling? I can't tell from your statement, "I didn't expect to have an upgraded Amp/Dac so soon."

I just got the PS Audio DirectStream DAC and Violoectric V-281 amp. Unfortunately I haven't touched my Schiit since.

 

[crixnet]

Yeah, RAAS (Rapid Audio Acquisition Syndrome) can be an insidious affliction.
 
However, the Bitfrost Uber/Lyr 2 sale will likely be a gift from heaven for some lucky folk. This Schiit stack is a seriously badass performance package, especially with some great vintage tubes. Night and day difference from stock tubes.
 
As Bob has mentioned before, some sellers of this stack opt to part with their gear before fully burning in the components and good tubes. Again, the circle of audio life, and great deals for others to jump on.
 
Happy sales!

 

[reddog]

Yeah, RAAS (Rapid Audio Acquisition Syndrome) can be an insidious affliction.

However, the Bitfrost Uber/Lyr 2 sale will likely be a gift from heaven for some lucky folk. This Schiit stack is a seriously badass performance package, especially with some great vintage tubes. Night and day difference from stock tubes.

As Bob has mentioned before, some sellers of this stack opt to part with their gear before fully burning in the components and good tubes. Again, the circle of audio life, and great deals for others to jump on.

Happy sales!

+1 What he said. I would love to hear a vioelectric amp. Hope it puts a smile on your face.

 

[ghostchili]

what tubes do u have and are you sure u dont want to sell em separately? i may be interested

Both are Voskhod Rockets 6n23p Kaluga factory matched pairs bought from rb2013.. 
 
1975 Gray Shields
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/549508/schiit-lyr-the-tube-rolling-thread/8595 Bob's #1 tube from last year.
 
And '74 Reflektor SWGP Silvers which I think Bob likes even better. Bob?
 
Selling everything together to one lucky person!