Just set up the RS-08 today and did a quick a/b between it and the LYR+ running [SS] with "depletion mode MOSFETs".
See brief a/b as part-and-parcel with my first hearing of the Lake People amplifier:
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Am running the LYR+ on "depletion mode MOSFETs" for starters.
Very respectable ss performance from the LYR+, although I usually prefer it in hybrid mode [with a 6DJ8/6922 tube]. Upper mids/lower treble can be a little bit sharp in ss mode; soundstage is a bit shallower as well.
Have the Lake People RS-08 on hand for comparisons.
. . . later . . .
>Initial reaction: Lake People RS-08,
single-ended, 0dB pre gain, volume at 11:30 [running "cold" w/very little to no warm-up]
This amp is surprisingly(!) compact.
The RS-08, compared with the LYR+, exhibits/sounds: Quieter background. More/finer resolution. Bass goes deeper and is a bit more present. Vocals are not as forward [but can sound a little hard/constrained on some tracks/recordings]. Everything seems in better balance/truer proportion. Definitely smoother in the treble, more listenable/less fatiguing. Soundstage is very well sorted out [imaging and layering are excellent] but not particularly wide/deep/high.
. . . later still . . .
>After about an hour:
[still running in SE mode] Wow! This amp thumps [w/the Clear OG]. Exceptional macro- [and micro-] dynamics. Imaging has perceptibly improved. Individual elements assume larger respective scale(s) within a greater overall expanse [along all three axes]. The LP's touted "holography" is coming into unmistakable realization. That vocal edginess is gone, in a word:
resolved.
[changing to balanced mode: 0dB pre gain, volume at 10:00 ] Flatter [in a
good way] and more neutral balance. More to my liking, driving the Clear, than SE mode [though not as full-sounding and perhaps a touch shallower in soundstage depth]. Better imaging and differentiation of elements. Bass is not as pronounced but is better controlled/resolved. Everything is quicker, tighter, more tonally and dynamically focused with an arresting vitality and musicality.
This [unassuming] little amp is VERY impressive! The Lake People RS-08 claims my decided preference for SS mode vis-à-vis the Schiit LYR+.
Associated Equipment:
Clear OG, SMSL D400EX, Lenovo G50|Apple Music . . . and a bunch of "in-betweens" . . . [open Spoiler for the nitty gritty].
Music:
I enjoyed each one of these recordings with the RS-08.
