faithguy19
500+ Head-Fier
if it’s any comfort my nozzles are firmly in place
As are mine
Campfire Audio Vega (and Dorado and Lyra II) - Head-Fi TV
- Thread starter jude
- Start date
As are mine
SeeSax
Headphoneus Supremus
@faithguy19 just noticed we have very similar setups with the DX200 paired with the Vega and a Triton8! So, hopefully this isn't off-topic for the thread, but specifically for the Vega do you find the Amp3 pairing to be better than the Amp1 pairing? Been thinking of getting the Amp3 and it seems like it might make the Vega just a tad more laid back sounding (good or bad depending on personal preference).
-Collin-
-Collin-
macdonjh
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2015
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Campfire Audio Lyra II
1. Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Campfire Audio. I purchased my Lyra II from a fellow Head-Fi’er.
2. Introduction: I’ve just started in portable audio. I’ve had my Astell&Kern Jr. for about a year, and my Westone W3s for the same period. I’ve been an audiophile for a long time, but been inactive in the hobby for a decade: kids, you know. Kids are the reason I stopped tweaking my home stereo, and kids are the reason I started experimenting with portable audio. As I write this, I’ve got my A&K Jr. and a pair of IEMs while my kids are watching TV. At least I’m in the same room…
3. Design: The Lyra II are universal fit IEMs with a single beryllium dynamic driver. They have a metal housing and a detachable cable. They are surprisingly heavy for as small as they are, at least compared to my W3s with their plastic housings. Not that a few grams is all that heavy in absolute terms.
4. Packaging: Campfire Audio’s packaging is pretty basic, at least compared to Astell&Kern, HifiMAN and Apple. A small, custom-printed cardboard box, velvet pouches for each monitor, and some zip-lock baggies with tips. Not much, but what do you really need? I have to admit the deluxe packaging of some of the other stuff I’ve bought is kind of cool, but in the end, it sits in my closet where it waits in case I sell that particular piece of gear.
5. What’s in the box? A pair of monitors, cable, several pair of tips, a lapel pin(!), a basic instruction manual, a hard case, a pair of velveteen pouches for the ear pieces and a wax cleaning tool. Of course, you know that already, since you’ve visited Campfire’s website.
6. RTFM: Not much in the manual. That seems to be a recurring theme with the audio gear I’ve bought recently. I must share a funny story from one of my other hobbies: a well-known optician who makes quite-sought-after telescopes was once asked why he doesn’t include owners’ manuals with his telescopes. “Because I don’t make telescopes for idiots.” Being able to say that in public must be one of the best parts of owning your own business.
7. Physicals:
7.1. Connector: Right-angle TRS, gold plated.
7.2. Cable: Thin, light, flexible wire. My only complaint is the memory wire at the monitor end. If I decide to keep these, I’ll end up cutting it out.
7.3. Monitor connector: MMCX.
7.4. Tips: Several come with the Lyra. I’m currently using the small Comply, which are still too big for me to be really comfortable. Changing to RHA W small is much more comfortable. I have Spiral Dots on the way, too.
8. Fit, Comfort, Isolation: The Lyra II are smaller than my Westone W3, so they fit within my ear (big word alert: pinnae) quite well. The sound tube, though, is much bigger, and I don’t yet have a comfortable tip to use. As you just read, I’m currently using a pair of Comply tips. The good thing about the small Comply tips is they isolate really well. When my wife tries to talk to me I have to take one monitor out; pausing or muting is not enough.
9. What I Listened to:
9.1. Source (mobile): Astell&Kern Jr., straight, no external amplification.
9.2. Source (home): Astell&Kern Jr., feeding my Schiit Mjolnir.
9.3. I noticed I had to goose the Lyra II a bit more than my W3 to get them to sound right. My normal level with my W3 is 25/75 straight out of my A&K Jr. With the Lyra II I often had the volume cranked to 50/75. Of course, some recordings are inherently louder, so I had to turn the volume down some.
9.4. Rush, “Tom Sawyer”: My Lyra II did pretty well with this classic. Geddy Lee’s synthesizer and bass were deep and defined. Cymbals were airy, but not spectacular. By comparison, my W3 allowed the synthesizer to be deep, but down in level. Drums were similarly deep, but without impact, especially the drum runs after the guitar solo which were nearly MIA. To see what would happen, I goosed the volume by 20%, from 40 to 48 for my W3 and a bit higher, to 52 for my Lyra II. That freed up the drivers and brought some thunder and sparkle to the Lyra II presentation. Higher volume also helped my Westone pair, but not as much as it helped my Lyra II. Then there’s my home rig. More of everything: Bass is deeper and more detailed, cymbals are splashier and airier, vocals better defined.
9.5. Rush, “Limelight”: Like with “Tom Sawyer”, my Lyra II benefitted from higher volume than I’m used to using. Keeping the volume at 52 rather than 40 allowed the bass to rumble. Higher listening volume also allowed that high, nearly whistling note Alex Lifeson holds at the end of his guitar solo (right before, “Though his mind is not for rent…”) to open up, but still not enough compared to my big speakers. That note should be intense, it should almost hurt. My W3 were less satisfying, even at higher volume than normal. While drums and bass at the beginning had some weight, rumble and impact were both missing. The frequencies were there, it’s just that the extremes were down. Neal Peart’s drum runs after the guitar solo were nearly MIA. Listening to “Limelight” with my Mjolnir/ HE-500 pairing was different again. Geddy Lee’s bass and synthesizer were nearly subterranean, like listening to an earthquake (for those of you familiar with George Malley from “Phenomenon”). More, Geddy’s bass notes had detail, almost as if each time he hit a string there were two notes: one as the string vibrated up, and another when it vibrated down. Likewise, high hat cymbals were airier and crash cymbals splashier. All of this improvement while still keeping Geddy’s vocals and Alex Lifeson’s guitar intact and intelligible and in the center of the mix. Oh, and the near-whistle-note Alex plays; bright and strong, but still not as in-your-face as it is with speakers filling a whole room.
9.6. Bill Evans, “Peace Piece”: For something completely different, quiet solo piano. There isn’t much bass in this song, so I could concentrate on mid-range and treble. For this song I kept the volume high (for me), between 40-48. My Lyra II had good detail retrieval. The most prominent thing about the sound was the percussive high notes Evans hits throughout. Through my Lyra II, there were a little harsh. With my W3; howerver, those same notes were a bit painful, almost like those monitors were clipping. Also, compared to my Lyra II, my W3 didn’t retrieve the room sound or the decay of notes as well. My HE-500 did better on both counts. Those percussive high notes were still startling, but not painful. Pure and smooth. Notes decayed, sometimes seemingly forever, when Evans held the key.
9.7. Debussy, “La Mer I”: Strings sounded lush and full, with a bit of wood; woodwinds were pure. The lack of deep bass in the orchestration allowed the mids and highs to shine on their own.
9.8. Earth, Wind & Fire, “Dirty”: Love the bass drive in this song. Great funk in the rhythm. Lyra II allow that riff to bloom and swell to fill my head, providing a great foundation for the rest of the instruments.
9.9. Hank Levy, “Whiplash”: I was actually nodding off when this song started and the opening brass salvo scared the crap out of me. Dynamics and articulation were fantastic. This is another mid/ treble heavy track, but dynamics are on display. Plug here: The US Army Field Band Jazz Ambassadors recordings are quite good and well worth a listen.
9.10. Art Blakey, “Moanin’: String bass definitely not lost in the mix. The tenor sax is breathy and the trumpet pure and soaring. Imaging-wise, this recording is a little weird: the piano is hard left, horns balled-up in the center and Blakey’s drums arch over everybody way up front.
9.11. Pat Metheny Group, “It’s For You”: One of my favorite songs of all time, and one which has disqualified the purchase of lots of audio gear in the past. About two-thirds of the way through the song, Steve Rodby’s bass returns in a way that always gives me the shivers. None of my headphones went deep enough to make this satisfying, even my HifiMANs through the Mjolnir. A little disappointing, but what can you expect from tiny drivers in a volume measured in milliliters? Everything else about the presentation of this song by the Lyra II was wonderful.
9.12. Cowboy Junkies, “I Don’t Get It” and “Workin’ on a Building”: instrumentally, both of these are fairly simple: Margot Timmins’ voice, two guitars, bass, drums, and a harmonica for “I Don’t Get It”. The volume of Trinity Church made this an audiophile favorite when released. Both my Lyra II and HE-500 let Timmins’ voice breathe in a throaty, sultry way. Guitar tone was pure and cymbals were shimmery even if understated. One of my favorite parts of “Workin’…” is the way the guitar seems to weave in and out between the other instruments. Well portrayed by Lyra II.
10. Soundstage: My reaction to most headphones is they don’t image well. I should refine that opinion. I paid more attention to imaging when first listening to the Lyra II than I did when I first listened to the HifiMAN ES100 (I posted my impression in that thread). To my ear, there isn’t any extension of the image outside my head, which is what I always hear with headphones. However, that doesn’t really mean they don’t image at all. On tracks like the title track to Chris Rea’s “Auberge”, the footsteps and the kicked bottle at the beginning of the song move across the space in my head quite well. The weird ‘60s ping-pong effects in Jeff Beck’s “Air Blower” from “Blow by Blow” made my eye jump back and forth.
11. Highs: My first impression was of recessed highs. But, recessed may not be the best description. Perhaps “distant” is better. High frequencies are extended and well-balanced, but they seem to be coming at you from farther away than the rest of the frequency spectrum. Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” and “Limelight” were two of the first tracks I listened to after opening the box. I was so blown away by the bass, I noticed that the cymbals, and especially that nearly-whistling note Alex Lifeson holds in “Limelight” were almost not there. However, that turns out to be a consequence of how “Moving Pictures” was mixed, more than how the Lyra II is tuned (turning up the volume helps, too). The next day I listened to Hovhaness’ “Tzaikerk” and the flute was high and pure. Sure, that’s upper-mid, but Warren Zevon’s “Backs Turned Looking Down the Path” had good cymbal sound that rode on top of the rumble of the bass.
12. Mids: Again, when it’s not overwhelmed by a composition with strong bass, the midrange is VERY satisfying. David Gilmour’s guitar on “The Wall” simply sings. Stevie Ray Vaughn’s “Riviera Paradise” almost breaks my heart, while “Rude Mood” is a very poor, muddy recording of a fun song. Acoustic instruments (horns in the Blakey and Mingus tracks, strings in Beethoven and Hovhaness) were reproduced with subtly when called for and dynamics when required.
13. Lows: If the Lyra II are supposed to be a baby Vega, I don’t know how Vega owners survive. When cranked up a bit, that dynamic driver gives a weirdly visceral punch in the bass. I say weirdly because when a kick drum hits I expect to feel it in my chest, but I don’t. I do FEEL it inside my head, though. The Lyra II gives me deep, round, tuneful bass with much more nuance than either my HifiMAN ES100 (OK, those are ear buds, so forgive them) or my Westone W3s. Where the ES100 is a little one-notey, the Lyra II give me lots of shades of deep. They also reproduce overtone details that my ES100 and W3 miss. Rather than simply give me the cello or string bass note, the Lyra II also let me hear the bow and the resonating wood body.
14. Gestalt, Zeitgeist, Fahrvergnugen (and other German words meaning “the whole enchilada”): The Lyra II is resolving enough to allow good recordings to sound really good. Bad recordings sound, well bad. Stevie Ray Vaughn’s “Rude Mood” is an example of a fun song that is recorded poorly. No detail, muddy sound overall, but a great rhythm and good pace. However, detail retrieval on recordings like “The Legacy of Hank Levy”, “The Doctor” (Doc Powell), the Hovhaness and Mingus was such that I could be continually surprised and impressed by Lyra II capabilities.
The Lyra II took some getting used to. As everyone else on this thread has said, the bass is surprisingly (I’ll save “incredibly” for the Vega) deep and impactful. So much so that it was all I noticed for a few hours. However, as I listened more, I got accustomed to the bass and heard the mids and treble more and more. Overall I find the Lyra II sound non-fatiguing and smooth. Bass IS elevated, but after some time to acclimate, it’s not annoyingly so; more “weighty, impactful” than “bass-head”. So far, I’ve found the performance of my W3 pretty close to that of the Lyra II, even so, I keep reaching for the Lyra II. I think the reason is more capable bass performance coupled with slightly airier highs. By more capable bass, I don’t intend to limit your thoughts to deeper, louder, more impact, although those are all accurate. More than that, though, there is more information retrieved from the foundation of your music. Where my Westone W3 thumped, my Lyra II rumbled, rolled and vibrated. At the other end, treble simply has air I’m missing with my W3.
Then, again, there is my home rig. Until I upgrade my source, I’m going to attribute the major differences in sound to the nearly infinite power capability of my Mjolnir (something like 5,000 mW at 50 Ohms) and the balanced configuration. I can’t wait to try my Lyra II balanced (I can’t go balanced with my W3, the cables are fixed and I’m not having them rewired).
15. Conclusion: I think I’m going to like the Lyra II. The cable is light and flexible and looks like proper understated audio bling. The weighty metal housings feel solid and durable, more so than my Westone W3. The bass-heavy tuning is fun on most rock recordings, and elevates the low frequency content of jazz and classical recordings in a way I find pleasant and useful. I sometimes find myself straining to hear the acoustic bass, especially plucked, in jazz recordings. Not so with the Lyra II. Perhaps not 100% accurate, but pleasing nonetheless. Objectively, the difference between my W3 and the new-to-me Lyra II might be small, but those differences have a big impact on how much I enjoy listening to my music. Isn’t that what this is all about?
1. Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Campfire Audio. I purchased my Lyra II from a fellow Head-Fi’er.
2. Introduction: I’ve just started in portable audio. I’ve had my Astell&Kern Jr. for about a year, and my Westone W3s for the same period. I’ve been an audiophile for a long time, but been inactive in the hobby for a decade: kids, you know. Kids are the reason I stopped tweaking my home stereo, and kids are the reason I started experimenting with portable audio. As I write this, I’ve got my A&K Jr. and a pair of IEMs while my kids are watching TV. At least I’m in the same room…
3. Design: The Lyra II are universal fit IEMs with a single beryllium dynamic driver. They have a metal housing and a detachable cable. They are surprisingly heavy for as small as they are, at least compared to my W3s with their plastic housings. Not that a few grams is all that heavy in absolute terms.
4. Packaging: Campfire Audio’s packaging is pretty basic, at least compared to Astell&Kern, HifiMAN and Apple. A small, custom-printed cardboard box, velvet pouches for each monitor, and some zip-lock baggies with tips. Not much, but what do you really need? I have to admit the deluxe packaging of some of the other stuff I’ve bought is kind of cool, but in the end, it sits in my closet where it waits in case I sell that particular piece of gear.
5. What’s in the box? A pair of monitors, cable, several pair of tips, a lapel pin(!), a basic instruction manual, a hard case, a pair of velveteen pouches for the ear pieces and a wax cleaning tool. Of course, you know that already, since you’ve visited Campfire’s website.
6. RTFM: Not much in the manual. That seems to be a recurring theme with the audio gear I’ve bought recently. I must share a funny story from one of my other hobbies: a well-known optician who makes quite-sought-after telescopes was once asked why he doesn’t include owners’ manuals with his telescopes. “Because I don’t make telescopes for idiots.” Being able to say that in public must be one of the best parts of owning your own business.
7. Physicals:
7.1. Connector: Right-angle TRS, gold plated.
7.2. Cable: Thin, light, flexible wire. My only complaint is the memory wire at the monitor end. If I decide to keep these, I’ll end up cutting it out.
7.3. Monitor connector: MMCX.
7.4. Tips: Several come with the Lyra. I’m currently using the small Comply, which are still too big for me to be really comfortable. Changing to RHA W small is much more comfortable. I have Spiral Dots on the way, too.
8. Fit, Comfort, Isolation: The Lyra II are smaller than my Westone W3, so they fit within my ear (big word alert: pinnae) quite well. The sound tube, though, is much bigger, and I don’t yet have a comfortable tip to use. As you just read, I’m currently using a pair of Comply tips. The good thing about the small Comply tips is they isolate really well. When my wife tries to talk to me I have to take one monitor out; pausing or muting is not enough.
9. What I Listened to:
9.1. Source (mobile): Astell&Kern Jr., straight, no external amplification.
9.2. Source (home): Astell&Kern Jr., feeding my Schiit Mjolnir.
9.3. I noticed I had to goose the Lyra II a bit more than my W3 to get them to sound right. My normal level with my W3 is 25/75 straight out of my A&K Jr. With the Lyra II I often had the volume cranked to 50/75. Of course, some recordings are inherently louder, so I had to turn the volume down some.
9.4. Rush, “Tom Sawyer”: My Lyra II did pretty well with this classic. Geddy Lee’s synthesizer and bass were deep and defined. Cymbals were airy, but not spectacular. By comparison, my W3 allowed the synthesizer to be deep, but down in level. Drums were similarly deep, but without impact, especially the drum runs after the guitar solo which were nearly MIA. To see what would happen, I goosed the volume by 20%, from 40 to 48 for my W3 and a bit higher, to 52 for my Lyra II. That freed up the drivers and brought some thunder and sparkle to the Lyra II presentation. Higher volume also helped my Westone pair, but not as much as it helped my Lyra II. Then there’s my home rig. More of everything: Bass is deeper and more detailed, cymbals are splashier and airier, vocals better defined.
9.5. Rush, “Limelight”: Like with “Tom Sawyer”, my Lyra II benefitted from higher volume than I’m used to using. Keeping the volume at 52 rather than 40 allowed the bass to rumble. Higher listening volume also allowed that high, nearly whistling note Alex Lifeson holds at the end of his guitar solo (right before, “Though his mind is not for rent…”) to open up, but still not enough compared to my big speakers. That note should be intense, it should almost hurt. My W3 were less satisfying, even at higher volume than normal. While drums and bass at the beginning had some weight, rumble and impact were both missing. The frequencies were there, it’s just that the extremes were down. Neal Peart’s drum runs after the guitar solo were nearly MIA. Listening to “Limelight” with my Mjolnir/ HE-500 pairing was different again. Geddy Lee’s bass and synthesizer were nearly subterranean, like listening to an earthquake (for those of you familiar with George Malley from “Phenomenon”). More, Geddy’s bass notes had detail, almost as if each time he hit a string there were two notes: one as the string vibrated up, and another when it vibrated down. Likewise, high hat cymbals were airier and crash cymbals splashier. All of this improvement while still keeping Geddy’s vocals and Alex Lifeson’s guitar intact and intelligible and in the center of the mix. Oh, and the near-whistle-note Alex plays; bright and strong, but still not as in-your-face as it is with speakers filling a whole room.
9.6. Bill Evans, “Peace Piece”: For something completely different, quiet solo piano. There isn’t much bass in this song, so I could concentrate on mid-range and treble. For this song I kept the volume high (for me), between 40-48. My Lyra II had good detail retrieval. The most prominent thing about the sound was the percussive high notes Evans hits throughout. Through my Lyra II, there were a little harsh. With my W3; howerver, those same notes were a bit painful, almost like those monitors were clipping. Also, compared to my Lyra II, my W3 didn’t retrieve the room sound or the decay of notes as well. My HE-500 did better on both counts. Those percussive high notes were still startling, but not painful. Pure and smooth. Notes decayed, sometimes seemingly forever, when Evans held the key.
9.7. Debussy, “La Mer I”: Strings sounded lush and full, with a bit of wood; woodwinds were pure. The lack of deep bass in the orchestration allowed the mids and highs to shine on their own.
9.8. Earth, Wind & Fire, “Dirty”: Love the bass drive in this song. Great funk in the rhythm. Lyra II allow that riff to bloom and swell to fill my head, providing a great foundation for the rest of the instruments.
9.9. Hank Levy, “Whiplash”: I was actually nodding off when this song started and the opening brass salvo scared the crap out of me. Dynamics and articulation were fantastic. This is another mid/ treble heavy track, but dynamics are on display. Plug here: The US Army Field Band Jazz Ambassadors recordings are quite good and well worth a listen.
9.10. Art Blakey, “Moanin’: String bass definitely not lost in the mix. The tenor sax is breathy and the trumpet pure and soaring. Imaging-wise, this recording is a little weird: the piano is hard left, horns balled-up in the center and Blakey’s drums arch over everybody way up front.
9.11. Pat Metheny Group, “It’s For You”: One of my favorite songs of all time, and one which has disqualified the purchase of lots of audio gear in the past. About two-thirds of the way through the song, Steve Rodby’s bass returns in a way that always gives me the shivers. None of my headphones went deep enough to make this satisfying, even my HifiMANs through the Mjolnir. A little disappointing, but what can you expect from tiny drivers in a volume measured in milliliters? Everything else about the presentation of this song by the Lyra II was wonderful.
9.12. Cowboy Junkies, “I Don’t Get It” and “Workin’ on a Building”: instrumentally, both of these are fairly simple: Margot Timmins’ voice, two guitars, bass, drums, and a harmonica for “I Don’t Get It”. The volume of Trinity Church made this an audiophile favorite when released. Both my Lyra II and HE-500 let Timmins’ voice breathe in a throaty, sultry way. Guitar tone was pure and cymbals were shimmery even if understated. One of my favorite parts of “Workin’…” is the way the guitar seems to weave in and out between the other instruments. Well portrayed by Lyra II.
10. Soundstage: My reaction to most headphones is they don’t image well. I should refine that opinion. I paid more attention to imaging when first listening to the Lyra II than I did when I first listened to the HifiMAN ES100 (I posted my impression in that thread). To my ear, there isn’t any extension of the image outside my head, which is what I always hear with headphones. However, that doesn’t really mean they don’t image at all. On tracks like the title track to Chris Rea’s “Auberge”, the footsteps and the kicked bottle at the beginning of the song move across the space in my head quite well. The weird ‘60s ping-pong effects in Jeff Beck’s “Air Blower” from “Blow by Blow” made my eye jump back and forth.
11. Highs: My first impression was of recessed highs. But, recessed may not be the best description. Perhaps “distant” is better. High frequencies are extended and well-balanced, but they seem to be coming at you from farther away than the rest of the frequency spectrum. Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” and “Limelight” were two of the first tracks I listened to after opening the box. I was so blown away by the bass, I noticed that the cymbals, and especially that nearly-whistling note Alex Lifeson holds in “Limelight” were almost not there. However, that turns out to be a consequence of how “Moving Pictures” was mixed, more than how the Lyra II is tuned (turning up the volume helps, too). The next day I listened to Hovhaness’ “Tzaikerk” and the flute was high and pure. Sure, that’s upper-mid, but Warren Zevon’s “Backs Turned Looking Down the Path” had good cymbal sound that rode on top of the rumble of the bass.
12. Mids: Again, when it’s not overwhelmed by a composition with strong bass, the midrange is VERY satisfying. David Gilmour’s guitar on “The Wall” simply sings. Stevie Ray Vaughn’s “Riviera Paradise” almost breaks my heart, while “Rude Mood” is a very poor, muddy recording of a fun song. Acoustic instruments (horns in the Blakey and Mingus tracks, strings in Beethoven and Hovhaness) were reproduced with subtly when called for and dynamics when required.
13. Lows: If the Lyra II are supposed to be a baby Vega, I don’t know how Vega owners survive. When cranked up a bit, that dynamic driver gives a weirdly visceral punch in the bass. I say weirdly because when a kick drum hits I expect to feel it in my chest, but I don’t. I do FEEL it inside my head, though. The Lyra II gives me deep, round, tuneful bass with much more nuance than either my HifiMAN ES100 (OK, those are ear buds, so forgive them) or my Westone W3s. Where the ES100 is a little one-notey, the Lyra II give me lots of shades of deep. They also reproduce overtone details that my ES100 and W3 miss. Rather than simply give me the cello or string bass note, the Lyra II also let me hear the bow and the resonating wood body.
14. Gestalt, Zeitgeist, Fahrvergnugen (and other German words meaning “the whole enchilada”): The Lyra II is resolving enough to allow good recordings to sound really good. Bad recordings sound, well bad. Stevie Ray Vaughn’s “Rude Mood” is an example of a fun song that is recorded poorly. No detail, muddy sound overall, but a great rhythm and good pace. However, detail retrieval on recordings like “The Legacy of Hank Levy”, “The Doctor” (Doc Powell), the Hovhaness and Mingus was such that I could be continually surprised and impressed by Lyra II capabilities.
The Lyra II took some getting used to. As everyone else on this thread has said, the bass is surprisingly (I’ll save “incredibly” for the Vega) deep and impactful. So much so that it was all I noticed for a few hours. However, as I listened more, I got accustomed to the bass and heard the mids and treble more and more. Overall I find the Lyra II sound non-fatiguing and smooth. Bass IS elevated, but after some time to acclimate, it’s not annoyingly so; more “weighty, impactful” than “bass-head”. So far, I’ve found the performance of my W3 pretty close to that of the Lyra II, even so, I keep reaching for the Lyra II. I think the reason is more capable bass performance coupled with slightly airier highs. By more capable bass, I don’t intend to limit your thoughts to deeper, louder, more impact, although those are all accurate. More than that, though, there is more information retrieved from the foundation of your music. Where my Westone W3 thumped, my Lyra II rumbled, rolled and vibrated. At the other end, treble simply has air I’m missing with my W3.
Then, again, there is my home rig. Until I upgrade my source, I’m going to attribute the major differences in sound to the nearly infinite power capability of my Mjolnir (something like 5,000 mW at 50 Ohms) and the balanced configuration. I can’t wait to try my Lyra II balanced (I can’t go balanced with my W3, the cables are fixed and I’m not having them rewired).
15. Conclusion: I think I’m going to like the Lyra II. The cable is light and flexible and looks like proper understated audio bling. The weighty metal housings feel solid and durable, more so than my Westone W3. The bass-heavy tuning is fun on most rock recordings, and elevates the low frequency content of jazz and classical recordings in a way I find pleasant and useful. I sometimes find myself straining to hear the acoustic bass, especially plucked, in jazz recordings. Not so with the Lyra II. Perhaps not 100% accurate, but pleasing nonetheless. Objectively, the difference between my W3 and the new-to-me Lyra II might be small, but those differences have a big impact on how much I enjoy listening to my music. Isn’t that what this is all about?
Attachments
Outstanding review! Spot on IMHO.
While I agree with much of the review of Lyra 2. I personally think the mid/vocals sounds fantastic. I feel vocals are a little forward and outside the front of my head. I think the highs are not focus but nicely detailed and easy to listen too
I really like the soundstage but it could be a little bit
By the way, I think the review was excellent. That’s what I love about this place. Obviously everybody’s perspective is a little different but that also makes it enjoyable to see others perception
I really like the soundstage but it could be a little bit
By the way, I think the review was excellent. That’s what I love about this place. Obviously everybody’s perspective is a little different but that also makes it enjoyable to see others perception
Last edited:
macdonjh
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2015
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Thank you for your comments. I'm glad you found my comments interesting and informative.
HeartOfSky
100+ Head-Fier
Having listened to both, Vega -> Lyra II -> Vega, compared to the Vega, the Lyra II might as well not have any bass at all. Then, after letting my ears adjust to Lyra II, Vega sounds so freakishly dark and deep. It is insane how much bass Vega can deliver... in the most perfect way possible.
macdonjh
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2015
- Posts
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- Likes
- 9,333
I got the Spiral Dots I ordered.
Good: The mediums squeeze securely into my ear, quite stable. The bore seems a bit wider than the RHA dual density, although I haven't measured it. My impression, based on just a couple of hours' listening (and no A/B comparison) is the Spiral Dots sound a bit more open and unrestricted.
Bad: The medium are too big and I have a hard time getting them seated properly. Once seated they are slightly uncomfortable. Before deciding I will try some Oto-Ease or something to make them slide into my ear easier.
What I really want is a large bore version of the Westone Star tip (red).
Good: The mediums squeeze securely into my ear, quite stable. The bore seems a bit wider than the RHA dual density, although I haven't measured it. My impression, based on just a couple of hours' listening (and no A/B comparison) is the Spiral Dots sound a bit more open and unrestricted.
Bad: The medium are too big and I have a hard time getting them seated properly. Once seated they are slightly uncomfortable. Before deciding I will try some Oto-Ease or something to make them slide into my ear easier.
What I really want is a large bore version of the Westone Star tip (red).
Stranger Than Fiction
100+ Head-Fier
Well these puppies are back in the running for my attention.
I’ve been looking at the Noble Encore and Katana, and actually auditioned the K10s, I’m more confused than ever.
I do want an upgrade from my SE846. I was impressed by the Vegas stonkingly good bass, detail and soundstage that skirted well into the peripheries. But I’m not sold on the Vegas’ midrange7 and overly dark presentation. Would an aftermarket cable do the trick in livening things up?
Good thing I have five weeks to decide.
I’ve been looking at the Noble Encore and Katana, and actually auditioned the K10s, I’m more confused than ever.
I do want an upgrade from my SE846. I was impressed by the Vegas stonkingly good bass, detail and soundstage that skirted well into the peripheries. But I’m not sold on the Vegas’ midrange7 and overly dark presentation. Would an aftermarket cable do the trick in livening things up?
Good thing I have five weeks to decide.
supervisor
500+ Head-Fier
this is absolutely crushing on Vega (through MojoPoly) right now:
ceiji
Head-Fier
- Joined
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Anyone who has Lyra 2 and Harmony 8.2 please weigh in between the two? Or should the H8.2 be compared to Dorado or Vega?
supervisor
500+ Head-Fier
just got my Triton8 Hybrid Cable for the Vegas. love it so far! but I thought there was no dreaded memory wire on these?!
EDIT: i guess it's not a memory wire, per se... definitely more comfortable than the ALO cable.
EDIT: i guess it's not a memory wire, per se... definitely more comfortable than the ALO cable.
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faithguy19
500+ Head-Fier
Sorry for the late reply. Just got back from vacation. I would say you are on the right track in regards to the Vega being a little more laid back and a little bit more controlled. Twister compared the Vega with the different amps as well. Here is what he said. "AMP3 (v53) – wider soundstage; the sound has more natural body without sacrificing retrieval of details; sub-bass comes alive with more textured rumble and higher quantity, mid-bass has the same authorative impact, but overall the bass sounds tighter and more controlled, lower mids are a little north of neutral and upper mids are more organic with a little smoother retrieval of details, very natural but a little pushed back due to low end impact; treble is crisp and detailed, but not harsh or splashy. This amp module really pushed VEGA bass performance to the next level in comparison to AMP1 pair up, with a sound leaning a little more toward L-shaped signature."
supervisor
500+ Head-Fier
@faithguy19 can you tell me of your experience owning both Vega and Andromeda and how you use them? currently have Vega but was curious about that limited edition blue Andromeda they were selling
Roscoeiii
1000+ Head-Fier
I think that you can find other comments on Andro vs Vega earlier in this thread. In fact, I may have commented earlier on this. From having both, I can say that they are very complementary to each other. Vega is rooted in that glorious foundation of bass, giving a bottom-up presentation, without sacrificing the treble (like the 846 does) or bleeding into the mids (common prob for bass heavy headphones). Andros on the other hand, give you a real top-down perspective. They aren't lacking in bass (and I found the bass to get better over time), but the bass is BA bass, without that visceral impact that a DD driver gives. And it's treble is something special. There's a good reason that the word "special" is associated with Andros so much. The treble and a freq response that is very appealing to most audiophiles (overcame my general pref for a more bass heavy signature for example). Vega is more polarizing. Some love the sound signature, others find the bass too much (some Vega fans also EQ the bass down a smidge if they love the overall sound and effect but want a freq response with less of a boost to the bass freqs). For tracks and genres where treble really shines, or when that air and treble are what I'm in the mood for, I go Andro. For tracks and genres with bass emphasis, or when I want that foundational bass, I go Vega. But in general, either is enough of an all-rounder for me that I'm generally happy with either with about any genre. Just presents each genre a bit differently both due to freq response differences and the difference between BA and DD drivers.
Both are fantastic. Glad I'm lucky enough to have both.
Both are fantastic. Glad I'm lucky enough to have both.
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