[441879]

Lyr 3 with stock Tung-Sol, and even more with Ken-Rad VT231, keeps up with a digital chain I've selected carefully (see my sig) and cost several multiples of the Lyr 3. Always with lossless (PCM FLAC) music.

I'd not bother upgrading the digital side of the chain if you are committed to Spotify. More expensive sources and DACs only make sense for lossless sources.

Thanks for confirming what I suspected. I noticed a significant improvement in SQ (bass control and detail especially) moving from portable DAC/Amps to the Schiit Modi /Loki / Magni chain, especially with current hungry planars and phones with very low and variable impedance. Hopefully I will notice improvement with the Lyr 3 as well, but if not then I maxed out the cost benefit and I can rest easy knowing I have all the amp I’ll ever need. I find the sound of my current system mesmerizing and have no problem if this is as good as it gets.

 

[ProfFalkin]

Question 3: I’ve limited my tube purchases to the budget end of the spectrum with the most expensive being a true Sylvania “Bad-Boy”. Is it worth going beyond that with my current setup or should the money be better spent elsewhere?

We've done quite a bit of tube rolling, and some of the less expensive tubes have been real gems with the Lyr. I'd say listen to the ones you have, pick a favorite, and go from there. If there is a sound quality you want to improve upon after that, we can probably make some good suggestions tube wise. And, as always, post impressions of tubes and stuff. It helps us all.

 

[Wes S]

We've done quite a bit of tube rolling, and some of the less expensive tubes have been real gems with the Lyr. I'd say listen to the ones you have, pick a favorite, and go from there. If there is a sound quality you want to improve upon after that, we can probably make some good suggestions tube wise. And, as always, post impressions of tubes and stuff. It helps us all.

Listen to this guy. He knows his stuff!

 

[441879]

We've done quite a bit of tube rolling, and some of the less expensive tubes have been real gems with the Lyr. I'd say listen to the ones you have, pick a favorite, and go from there. If there is a sound quality you want to improve upon after that, we can probably make some good suggestions tube wise. And, as always, post impressions of tubes and stuff. It helps us all.

Looking forward to doing exactly that. So far I’ve added a 1950s NOS Tung Sol 6SN7GT, an RCA 6SN7GTB (chrome top, year unknown), and a 1952 NOS Sylvania two hole bad boy plus the two tubes Schiit sells. Pictures to accompany impressions though that’s a week away at least. I figure I’ll start with the NOS Russian, then the new Tung Sol, etc.

 

[Wildcatsare1]

Sorry if I seem terse in my responses today - I'm suffering from Lyr 3 separation anxiety.

I'm so happy to have a new one in the house, Schiit Customer Service is fantastic (as usual).

 

[441879]

So Lyr 3 arrived at my office today and I parked it in a corner to burn in the Russian NOS tube.

Now I’m home and listening. Probably 3 hours max burn in and maybe 1/2 hour of listening to the String Cheeze Incident Rhythm of the Road. First impressions compared to the Magni:

HE400i: Bass is really solid and controlled. Clarity is as good as the Magni, but a little smoother. Soundstage is still settling but moving towards placing you front and center about 10-20 feet away from the musicians in a live music venue. Which is probably close to the actual conditions of the recording. Already it’s pretty obvious the Lyr 3 + Russian is a better amp for my HE400i than the Magni.

MrSpeakers Aeon Flow Closed: This combination works better than anything I’ve ever heard before. Defiritely a new high bar for me. The sound is compelling. The 400i showed improvement, but not like this. I don’t know if the Magni was seriously holding back the AFCs or if it’s just a great synergy. Anyway, soundstage currently feels like I’m 10’ away and quite deep. Sound not particularly punchy but very easy to listen to with no fatigue. Clarity is crystal with no sharp edges. Realism is excellent. No complaints at all. Bass goes very deep with no bloat.

Edit: with more listening I’m hearing a tiny bit of grain, but only because the clarity is so good.

2nd Edit: grain went away after another hour of listening.

3rd Edit: comparing HE400i to AFC: 400i is dryer and thinner. Mid-range isn’t as energetic and top end a little sharper. I’m thinking the 400i would like a warmer tube.

 

[Zachik]

lol buy a second one. thats what i would do and then have a backup and or sell it later haha.

I was tempted to do so, but running out of desk space (already got 4 amps total)... I wish I could use one to burn in while another to listen to music
Also, I have an A/B switch setup, so I can connect 1 headphone to 2 amps and flip back and forth while music playing. Would have been great to have 2 Lyr3s, so I can A/B compare tubes in real time (as opposed to use memory from 5-10 minutes ago, or longer if tube is given time to warm up).......
If only I could stack those...

 

[Th3Drizzl3]

lol. i have a sort of shelf / rack i keep in my room where my audio equipment resides. its about 6ft vertical and i can move the shelves up or down. it makes it easy when its right next to my desk i can leave the glass door open on it for venting and the back is open i never put the "backing" on it. im tempted to grab a second one honestly if i can find a good deal on a used one.

 

[441879]

lol. i have a sort of shelf / rack i keep in my room where my audio equipment resides. its about 6ft vertical and i can move the shelves up or down. it makes it easy when its right next to my desk i can leave the glass door open on it for venting and the back is open i never put the "backing" on it. im tempted to grab a second one honestly if i can find a good deal on a used one.

Sounds like a lot of space. Small scale here.

 

[441879]

An eBay package showed up today so I decided to make it the second tube I’ll try. Currently burning in:

 

[Wes S]

An eBay package showed up today so I decided to make it the second tube I’ll try. Currently burning in:

Nice pics! And down the rabbit you go. . .let the fun begin

 

[441879]

Ok, so The 1953 TS 6NS7GT has been been burning in for about 6 hours so. My impressions are as follows:

HE400i: Brightens up this headphone a lot compared to the stock Russian. Bass is there and deep. Sound profile feels U shaped with the mids taking a step back. Could be a little fatiguing with extended use, but sound is engaging. Detail not on par with Russian tube. Soundstage feels large and deep.

AEON Flow Closed (AFC): upper bass / mids feel recessed compared to the stock Russian NOS. High frequencies are more noticeable but clarity is not as good and it’s missing the holographic character of the Russian. Still sounds good, but not knocking my socks off. It’s kind of boring and not something I would feel like listening to for hours. It’s not particularly fatiguing but that’s probably thanks to the phones. Soundstage feels like you’re standing in amongst the instruments. Detail retrieval is unimpressive.

This tube doesn’t really do it for me, but it could just be that it takes longer to break in than the Russian. I’m going to give it a full 24 hrs before I decide if it’s worth keeping. It does sound a lot better now than it did when I first fired it up.

 

[ProfFalkin]

Ok, so The 1953 TS 6NS7GT has been been burning in for about 6 hours so. My impressions are as follows:

HE400i: Brightens up this headphone a lot compared to the stock Russian. Bass is there and deep. Sound profile feels U shaped with the mids taking a step back. Could be a little fatiguing with extended use, but sound is engaging. Detail not on par with Russian tube. Soundstage feels large and deep.

AEON Flow Closed (AFC): upper bass / mids feel recessed compared to the stock Russian NOS. High frequencies are more noticeable but clarity is not as good and it’s missing the holographic character of the Russian. Still sounds good, but not knocking my socks off. It’s kind of boring and not something I would feel like listening to for hours. It’s not particularly fatiguing but that’s probably thanks to the phones. Soundstage feels like you’re standing in amongst the instruments. Detail retrieval is unimpressive.

This tube doesn’t really do it for me, but it could just be that it takes longer to break in than the Russian. I’m going to give it a full 24 hrs before I decide if it’s worth keeping. It does sound a lot better now than it did when I first fired it up.

I noticed that most of my tubes settled in pretty well after 40 hours or so. Some faster, like my Raytheons, others longer like the WH-D.

I have a TS as well, and I wish I could remember how long it took. Not sure I'd it's the same exact tube as yours though.

 

[441879]

I noticed that most of my tubes settled in pretty well after 40 hours or so. Some faster, like my Raytheons, others longer like the WH-D.

I have a TS as well, and I wish I could remember how long it took. Not sure I'd it's the same exact tube as yours though.

Thanks for the advice Professor. I thought about the sound while I was walking the dog- the only real problem with the tube is the high end (where the high hat sits). It’s a little bright and sharp and it’s overwhelming the mids. If it mellows out over the next day or two it will have a really nice sound.

EDIT: Sound has continued to evolve. Much more impact on the bottom. Top has smoothed out and become sweeter. Can’t say the Russian tube sounds better anymore, which is another way of saying it sounds fantastic now. I also reactivated my tidal membership so I can experience some of my favorites lossless.

 

[441879]

I figured tube comparisons should probably be in the tube rolling thread so I put my opinions there:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/schiit-lyr-3-tube-rolling-thread.876016/page-57#post-14388046