I'm comparing my Lyr 2 with top of the line tubes: 75 Reflectors HG with Vali and the Vali is about 90-95% of the Lyr 2 with those tubes.
The difference is the Lyr 2's bass goes lower and has more presence and treble is a little more extended and airy while the Vali is more mid centric, more mid bass punch and slightly more lively and upfront.
Overall the Lyr 2 is slightly more well balanced, smoother and refined and it's mostly because of the 75 Reflectors that it's more detailed and layered. Hence the Lyr 2 is very immersive. You can get lost in the layered details. But again the Vali gets your toe tapping and head bopping and sucks you into the music. It's a fun little amp.
But dang, when you consider that the tubes on the Lyr 2 cost more than the Vali itself, you can't help love the Vali more. I mean, the sound signature of the Lyr 2 with 75 Reflectors and Vali are very scary similar... too close. Of course throw in different tubes on the Lyr 2 and they sound completely different, but with these Russian Voskhod and Reflectors, they share a very similar sound signature.
This is all with LCD-2F with Uber Bifrost. To give some background, in the past, I had the Vali and sold it to get the Lyr 2 but recently repurchased it. Back then when I purchases the Lyr 2, I was initially very disappointment and what I thought was a downgrade from Vali. I mean the Vali kills the Lyr 2 with stock tubes. But it was only when the Lyr 2 had the Top of the Line tubes that the Lyr 2 surpassed the Vali. And it was only by a small amount, at least to my ears. I say small also because I prefer the sound signature of the Vali over the Lyr2. It's a preference thing.
The difference is the Lyr 2's bass goes lower and has more presence and treble is a little more extended and airy while the Vali is more mid centric, more mid bass punch and slightly more lively and upfront.
Overall the Lyr 2 is slightly more well balanced, smoother and refined and it's mostly because of the 75 Reflectors that it's more detailed and layered. Hence the Lyr 2 is very immersive. You can get lost in the layered details. But again the Vali gets your toe tapping and head bopping and sucks you into the music. It's a fun little amp.
But dang, when you consider that the tubes on the Lyr 2 cost more than the Vali itself, you can't help love the Vali more. I mean, the sound signature of the Lyr 2 with 75 Reflectors and Vali are very scary similar... too close. Of course throw in different tubes on the Lyr 2 and they sound completely different, but with these Russian Voskhod and Reflectors, they share a very similar sound signature.
This is all with LCD-2F with Uber Bifrost. To give some background, in the past, I had the Vali and sold it to get the Lyr 2 but recently repurchased it. Back then when I purchases the Lyr 2, I was initially very disappointment and what I thought was a downgrade from Vali. I mean the Vali kills the Lyr 2 with stock tubes. But it was only when the Lyr 2 had the Top of the Line tubes that the Lyr 2 surpassed the Vali. And it was only by a small amount, at least to my ears. I say small also because I prefer the sound signature of the Vali over the Lyr2. It's a preference thing.
