Lyr 3 - The new Coherence™ and Continuity™ hybrid amplifier from Schiit - Impression & discussion thread
May 20, 2018 at 10:55 AM Post #991 of 3,350
LOL. Some sweet milk chocolate.
The stock Tung-Sol is my point of reference and I think it sounds great.
So, compared to my stock Tung-Sol here's my notes after switching to that particular RCA yesterday afternoon:

RCA 1948 6SN7GT, Grey Glass, Black Plate, Short Bottle

Bass: Full, impactful, warm

Mids: Rich, warm, transparent

Highs: Soft, smooth, never harsh, maybe lacking a little sparkle when called for

Transients: Good, but not ultra-sharp

Air: Plenty, up and down the frequency range

Detail: The warmth and airiness may contribute to a very slight obscuring of very fine detail

Dynamics: Excellent, never gets congested, handles ffff with aplomb

Image: Stable

Sound Stage: Players at just the right distance from my ear, not recessed, not forward

Top to Bottom Balance: Weighted towards the bottom of the spectrum, sumptuous string and woodwind tone,

horns maybe not quite as brassy or bright as they should/could be.

Long Term Listen-ability: All day


Only 9 more tubes to go.
So when you write it is in comparison to the stock TS, and then write (for example):
"Bass: Full, impactful, warm"
Do you mean to say that the stock TS is less full, less impactful and less warm?!

I am asking because your description is very good but does not look like it is in comparison to the other tube.
 
May 20, 2018 at 11:25 AM Post #992 of 3,350
Stop it!! I swore if I purchased a Lyr 3 I would not fall into the 'tube-roll' trap!

(OK -- maybe just a Kenrad. Dammit!!! I must resist!!)

On a related matter: I've left the Lyr 3 powered on with the Tung Sol for approx. 24 hours and the music is opening up nicely. The sound stage is more open with instruments sounding less congested and bass is tightening up nicely. The Lyr 3 is just an amazing bit of kit! Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits have never sounded better!!
 
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May 20, 2018 at 11:36 AM Post #993 of 3,350
So when you write it is in comparison to the stock TS, and then write (for example):
"Bass: Full, impactful, warm"
Do you mean to say that the stock TS is less full, less impactful and less warm?!

I am asking because your description is very good but does not look like it is in comparison to the other tube.

Yes.

Also;
All my comments are in comparison to the stock Tung-Sol (I guess the underline didn't help) as it's the only other tube I've listened to at this point.
But I'm not picking a winner or a preference based on the comparison or suggesting that I have "the answer".
I'm just noting differences I hear in comparison to the stock Tung-Sol.
Don't give too much weight to my subjective terms, they are not absolutes except to me. And its very difficult to put into words the subtleties often involved in listening comparisons, I (we) end up using an axe when what we need is a scalpel.
I try and stay away from good/bad, yes/no, day/night conclusions. For me it's just about the differences, if any, I hear.This extends to any of the audio toys I own, or evaluate. Any conclusions I might draw are for my purposes and true for me only and should not be considered a recommendation, just possibly food for thought to add to your own decision making process.
You have to "pay to play" and put in some time to a certain extant and live the experience for yourself. I've never, to my remembrance, ever asked the question "what should I buy?". I may take a flyer (sound unheard) based on all the commentary I've been able to wade through and I accept that it's a crap shoot and I may not be getting what I want. A return policy of some sort is real important to me in those cases.
I can't hear with your ears or you with mine.
I will revisit the stock Tung-Sol at the end and put it thru the same process. Part of my enjoyment comes from not knowing what the results of the comparisons will be. And as usual for me there will probably more than 1 winner and for different reasons, and I'm okay with that..
 
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May 20, 2018 at 3:00 PM Post #994 of 3,350
LOL. Some sweet milk chocolate.
The stock Tung-Sol is my point of reference and I think it sounds great.
So, compared to my stock Tung-Sol here's my notes after switching to that particular RCA yesterday afternoon:

RCA 1948 6SN7GT, Grey Glass, Black Plate, Short Bottle

Bass: Full, impactful, warm

Mids: Rich, warm, transparent

Highs: Soft, smooth, never harsh, maybe lacking a little sparkle when called for

Transients: Good, but not ultra-sharp

Air: Plenty, up and down the frequency range

Detail: The warmth and airiness may contribute to a very slight obscuring of very fine detail

Dynamics: Excellent, never gets congested, handles ffff with aplomb

Image: Stable

Sound Stage: Players at just the right distance from my ear, not recessed, not forward

Top to Bottom Balance: Weighted towards the bottom of the spectrum, sumptuous string and woodwind tone,

horns maybe not quite as brassy or bright as they should/could be.

Long Term Listen-ability: All day


Only 9 more tubes to go.

Nice description. Thanks for the detail!

I don't have any 40's/50's RCA's (gray or clear glass) to play with. The ones in the stash are all mid-60's or later. I've tried a couple of them and didn't begin foaming at the mouth over their sound. Ran across this one on Ebay this morning. Was listed at $68, I offered $50 and the seller accepted. Seller's test results showed both triodes very close and above the average NOS values (on their tester), so we'll see how it does in mine. Unusual color for the base -- not black, not brown, not the redder-red of an RCA 5692. Don't know anything about this tube other than the 1951 manufacture date. Anybody have any more info?

rca.jpg

rca2.jpg
 
May 20, 2018 at 3:02 PM Post #995 of 3,350
Stop it!! I swore if I purchased a Lyr 3 I would not fall into the 'tube-roll' trap!

(OK -- maybe just a Kenrad. Dammit!!! I must resist!!)

On a related matter: I've left the Lyr 3 powered on with the Tung Sol for approx. 24 hours and the music is opening up nicely. The sound stage is more open with instruments sounding less congested and bass is tightening up nicely. The Lyr 3 is just an amazing bit of kit! Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits have never sounded better!!

Resistance is futile. Don't feel bad. :stuck_out_tongue:
 
May 20, 2018 at 3:04 PM Post #996 of 3,350
Nice description. Thanks for the detail!

I don't have any 40's/50's RCA's (gray or clear glass) to play with. The ones in the stash are all mid-60's or later. I've tried a couple of them and didn't begin foaming at the mouth over their sound. Ran across this one on Ebay this morning. Was listed at $68, I offered $50 and the seller accepted. Seller's test results showed both triodes very close and above the average NOS values (on their tester), so we'll see how it does in mine. Unusual color for the base -- not black, not brown, not the redder-red of an RCA 5692. Don't know anything about this tube other than the 1951 manufacture date. Anybody have any more info?


Is it labeled gtw or vt231?
 
May 20, 2018 at 3:12 PM Post #997 of 3,350
Is it labeled gtw or vt231?

The seller's text description is only 6SN7-GT. The octagon silkscreen on the glass is not visible in any of the photos provided, unfortunately.
 
May 20, 2018 at 7:36 PM Post #998 of 3,350
I was reading an Alex Ross (New Yorker) review of new Goldberg Variations performances on harpsichord, and the reviewer mentioned one of his favorite versions, Jory Vinikour's on Delos. Looking at my Bach collection, I felt that I owned at some point an harpsichord Goldberg, but I can't find it. So, thanks to Presto Classical's digital downloads, listening to the Vinikour version through my ever more engaging Lyr 3 + Ken-Rad VT-231. Vinikour's tempos are way slower than the (in)famous first Glenn Gould (1h25m vs 38m), closer to András Schiff's 2001 piano version (1h10m). I find the slower tempos much more compelling, bringing out the stately dance rhythms that were turned into a mad (if very entertaining) whirl by early Gould. Anyway, this another example of what the Lyr 3 can bring out, this little amp is making me listen more more often than I expected.
 
May 20, 2018 at 8:59 PM Post #999 of 3,350
I gotta figure out how to block access to Ebay from my laptop. :confounded:


rca4.jpg


rca3.jpg
 
May 20, 2018 at 9:19 PM Post #1,000 of 3,350
Better you than I ...


BTW -- it's better if you block via your router. That way wireless, wired, computer, phone -- doesn't matter; you're not getting there. Works for me ...

until I drive to the nearest Starbucks and sit in their parking lot using their WiFi to get my eBay fix!! :frowning2:
 
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May 21, 2018 at 12:03 AM Post #1,002 of 3,350
It irks me he put bad boy in the title of that tube.
 
May 21, 2018 at 12:19 AM Post #1,003 of 3,350
Why? I thought it was just the lister talking smack. Is that an actual Sylvania thing?
 
May 21, 2018 at 3:06 AM Post #1,004 of 3,350
Why? I thought it was just the lister talking smack. Is that an actual Sylvania thing?
Yeah, it's an actual Sylvania thing. There are very specific criteria which make a Bad Boy what it is. It's such a popular tube that a ton of Ebay sellers will put Bad Boy in the title on any 6SN7 just to get suckers to buy the tube. It's basically false advertising.

Furthermore, that tube is an RCA. Only Sylvania made the "Bad Boys".

So... It's like saying "GERMAN AUTOMOBILE, MILITARY "LAMBORGHINI" MFG 1944 WITH TINTED WINDOWS" when trying to sell this car:

VW_Museum_Wolfsburg_2009_24.jpg

(That is a 1944 VW Schwimmwagen, on display at the VW museum. Clearly, not a Lamborghini.)


It's just irksome.
 
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May 21, 2018 at 3:10 AM Post #1,005 of 3,350
Also, don't get me wrong - that RCA is probably a very good and smooth sounding tube. Nothing wrong with it. I just hate false advertising.

Edit: I just checked every Sylvania tube on eBay that was a 6SN7 and labeled "Bad Boy". None of them were real bad boys.
 
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