Help an old guy decide- EF5 or LYR for my new HE 5LE's??

[eclein]

Long story short, I was able to excellent prices on all three items 
 1) HE 5LE Headphones--they are keepers!!!
 
 2) EF5 Headphone Amplifier
                  or
 3) Schiit LYR Headphone Amplifier w/GE Tubes (The ones that everyone recommends)
 
The situations is that I WILL NOT be able to audition them before I must decide on which of these two amps I will finalize and take delivery on. The situation is what it is and thats fine, I just need the head-fi communities help to pick the one I should keep. Please vote what YOU feel is the best combo not what everybody says it should be. If you've heard them please let me know your thoughts..NO arguments please as there is no point. I'm just asking for a general idea of what would be good. 
 
I'm a retired drummer, played and listen to mostly instrumental Jazz fusion but love Steely Dan, Al Dimeola, Pat Metheny, Radiohead, Death Cab For Cutie, Dave Mathews, I'm 53 and grew up on 70's, 80's music but I also dig Electronic music..all over the lot musically.
 
 Thanks!!!!

 

[kstaken]

 
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I haven't heard either of those amps so I can't vote but looking at the list of gear at the bottom of your post I see you have a Virtue Audio amp. Have you tried simply running the HE-5LE off the speaker taps of that amp? The Virtue Audio is supposed to be pretty good as long as you use a balanced adapter cable (i.e. a speaker pigtail with a 4pin female XLR on the end, just don't tie the grounds together on that amp).  I've had very good success with the HE-5LE off the speakers taps of the various speaker amps I've tried (10 or so at this point). The only amp I've found that didn't really work was a Nuforce icon which had too much noise.
 
So far, every headphone amp I've heard has been too underpowered to really get the full potential out of the HE-5LE but I think the Lyr should be the exception and I've definitely been tempted to try one too.
 
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[ZorgDK]

Congrats with the HE-5LE. I think kstaken has a good point, I would try the speaker amp first.
 
Between the two amps - I haven't heard the EF-5 but I can recommend the Lyr. The Lyr adds a nice amount of bass and punch to the sound, which I like with the HE-6, which I think doesn't have too much attack with drums etc.    
 

 

[Happy Camper]

Yep, the speaker amp would be your better route. Hiflight has given excellent reviews matching the HEs.

 

[eclein]

I hear ya, and I agree with most of what you guys said but the situation is pretty cut and dried....I'm taking delivery on the headphones and one of the amps. I have not heard the headphones at all ever or either of the amps. I'll probably not have a chance to before I mus make this choice so pick one folks. Its not a trick or anything wierd, I just need some help in deciding which combo to take delivery off.
 
Just so everybody understands I'm definitely getting the cans and I'm so psyched I can't even put into words my excitement and right now I'm leaning toward the Lyr as the amp so I'm sure either way will sound/drive them well as my friend who is selling me this combo also got one and says both amps drive the phones fine with the EF5 sounding slightly smoother than the Lyr. So I want more than his opinion on it. 
Its all good!!!!

 

[eclein]

OK now we are swinging....LOL...we got 2 votes and my buddy sent me an email telling me that the LYR is sounding smother by the minute!!! 
 Thanks to everybody that voted so far, keep voting, remain anonymous-nobody has to post why they voted for whatever they voted for this is just a poll to help me decide on which amp to get, thats it.
 Keep'em coming!!!!

 

[Happy Camper]

I've not heard it but the Lyr will be the more powerful of the two. So I vote for the Lyr.

 

[eclein]

Thanks for the input, I appreciate it!!!  

 

[zhunter]

The Lyr will be ideal for orthos/planar magnetic phones, I voted for it since Im using the Lyr with my LCD2, this combo is terrfic with CCa tubes.
 
Cheers,

Alex

 

[sphinxvc]

Quote:

...and says both amps drive the phones fine with the EF5 sounding slightly smoother than the Lyr...

Hmm, the last time I heard both with 5LEs I thought the opposite.  

 

[Gradofan2]

Well... it all depends on whether you intend to use the amp with efficient phones as well as the HE-5LE's. 
 
If so, you may find the EF-5 mates with those better than the Lyr, which has much higher power output.  Schitt cautions that the Lyr is intended for the orthos, and other inefficient phones... that the noise floor is too high and the POT too sensitive for efficient phones. 
 
If you intend to use it only with orthos and inefficient phones, then the Lyr gets lots of good press. 

 

[1974]

Originally Posted by sphinxvc /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Quote:

Hmm, the last time I heard both with 5LEs I thought the opposite.  
 

 
Yeah, we heard both amps with the 5LE at the last PA mini-meet. I didn't notice any difference in smoothness. Both amps are superb, and you'd be happy with either. There's not a whole lot of difference to be honest. The Lyr definitely has a little more power.

 

[sphinxvc]

Quote:

 
Yeah, we heard both amps with the 5LE at the last PA mini-meet. I didn't notice any difference in smoothness. Both amps are superb, and you'd be happy with either. There's not a whole lot of difference to be honest. The Lyr definitely has a little more power.

I thought the EF5 was a little grainier, which is why I preferred the Lyr then.  But the second time I heard your EF5 w/ LCD-2s it was as smooth as butter.  Burn-in?  Phone?  Too many variables to know exactly what was going on there.

 

[eclein]

Thanks everybody for your input and observations, I'm taking delivery on the Lyr I've decided with your help but I have read alot of opinions that share what many have said here that the 2 amps are pretty evenly awesome sounding.
 Thanks again!!!!!
 
 
 
LYR It Is!!!

 

[grokit]

Both would be good choices, but the Lyr has a better power curve for the 5LE's. If you had an HE-500 I would go with the EF5 though.