[Ripper2860]

It wouldn't have been so bad if you hadn't posted and then gone radio silent while I agonizingly and frantically Googled 'KEN-RAD T-plates' while awaiting a reply to my post.

 

[Rhamnetin]

I'm such a jerk. I feel bad. I was messing with you. Don't kill me.

The flat plates do sound slightly different than the t plates, but from what I've gathered they're both very good sounding tubes.

Mine are flat plates. Very resolving, lots of impact, and a nice sweet tone.

You're fine.

Crisis averted.

LOL you had me questioning some Ken-Rad I had just ordered too. Though another part of my brain was saying, "How can any 40s Ken-Rad 6SN7GT be bad?" I got it for cheap though, black glass with US Navy labels and staggered plate.

 

[ProfFalkin]

It wouldn't have been so bad if you hadn't posted and then gone radio silent while I agonizingly and frantically Googled 'KEN-RAD T-plates' while awaiting a reply to my post.

I was driving home from work.

Also, I don't think there is a smoked glass T plate Ken-Rad VT231... Just flat plate.

I could be wrong.

 

[earnmyturns]

I was driving home from work.

Also, I don't think there is a smoked glass T plate Ken-Rad VT231... Just flat plate.

I could be wrong.

What I got from Brent Jessee and lives up to billing: Ken-Rad VT-231, staggered plates, smoked glass. Listening to Charles Lloyd flute solo in "Tagore on the Delta" ("Passin' Thru" album), the physicality of Lloyd's flute (he plays flute as well as sax) is palpable; now onto the title track, starting with a fantastic duet between Reuben Rogers (bass) and Eric Harland (drums). I've heard these guys live playing this same music from front-row seats, and except for the volume (trying to protect my remaining hearing) I don't find much missing dynamically, tonally, or in transients. Sound stage is another matter, but I doubt there's a way to get SFJAZZ front row staging on planar headphones.

 

[silverbot01]

All this 6SN7 rolling is giving my DarkVoice vibes. I hope I get a chance to try the Lyr 3 myself though I won't be buying it just because I'm pretty set with what I have.

The only suggestion for tubes I can make is Sylvania. They are a bit pricey but you only need one so no matching is required. Specifically brown base Sylvanias labeled 6SN7WGTA (or GTB).

 

[bcowen]

GE = not great. I bought a whole bunch of the damned things when I was tube rolling on the Elise.

I wouldn't exactly describe the GE tube sound as akin to someone neutering a cat with no anesthesia while their 6 year old practiced on trumpet for the first time in a dank mountain cave... but I'd believe it if somebody said it.

ROFL! But you're being kind.

 

[FLTWS]

Somehow I missed that brand (GE) when purchasing my collection.

 

[bcowen]

Oh crap! There's more than one?? ...

The one I'm getting has narrow, flat, black plates that are somewhat at an angle from each other. Not T plate. Should I cancel the order?

. I have both a staggered plate version and a non-staggered flat plate version (which is 1960's production AFAIK). The non-staggered sounds very good, but the staggered is much better. Never had a T-plate to listen to.

Oh crap! There's more than one?? ...

The one I'm getting has narrow, flat, black plates that are somewhat at an angle from each other. Not T plate. Should I cancel the order?

Now you're getting me confused. I have 2 versions, both with clear glass and flat plates that are parallel to each other. The plates in one are offset in location respective to each other, and directly mirroring each other in the other (but again are parallel to each other in both cases). Your plates are angled in relation to each other? And now there's a T-plate and smoked glass to throw into the mix? Yikes. I'm going back to my Fotons.

I will say that both of mine sound really good (as in top-5 good), giving the nod to the offset plate version sounding a bit better.

 

[Ripper2860]

The way I described is the way the seller described them in his listing. I suspect what he meant is that the plates are slightly offset, but parallel. I'll post up pics once I receive the tube.

I had the choice of clear or black, but chose clear.

 

[Valens7]

Has anyone done a comparison of the Lyr 3 with the Torpedo III? If not, I may have to do one myself...

 

[Ripper2860]

The Torpedo III is over 2x the cost of a Lyr 3, but it would be cool to see how it stacks up against a costlier amp from a value proposition and performance standpoint.

 

[Wes S]

Somehow I missed that brand (GE) when purchasing my collection.

Has anyone done a comparison of the Lyr 3 with the Torpedo III? If not, I may have to do one myself...

Seems like quite a difference in price, between the two, but could be interesting. . .

The Torpedo III is over 2x the coast of a Lyr 3, but it would be cool to see how it stacks up against a costlier amp from a value proposition and performance standpoint.

I was thinking the same thing. . .

 

[Valens7]

@Ripper2860 My thoughts exactly. The Torpedo III is no longer available for retail sale, so it’d be nice to know if the Lyr 3 is capable of offering competitive performance at a more affordable price point. I don’t expect the amps to offer directly comparable performance with the same headphones or even sound especially similar. In fact, I’d expect the Lyr 3 to be notably more capable with less sensitive headphones or those which respond favorably to a healthy supply of current. The TIII is clearly optimized for relatively sensitive dynamic headphones, particularly high impedance ones.

 

[bcowen]

Has anyone done a comparison of the Lyr 3 with the Torpedo III? If not, I may have to do one myself...

Does a Foton Torpedo count?

Oh nevermind....

 

[GoodRevrnd]

What's the difference between running a Bimby and getting the Lyr3 with the Multibit addon? USB filter?

Thinking of picking up an AFO and might want to switch out my Jot for Lyr, but maybe I should just AIO the Lyr and dump my whole stack.