The fact that Schiit sold them as "tube-options" is completely understandable, and that they plug into tube sockets was out of necessity.
But both of those points are what killed that product, if you ask me, because this created a certain set of expectations that missed the point of what those LISST are.
I admire Jason's marketing skills, but this one time, a product failed not because it wasn't a good product, but because the marketing kinda set it up for failure.
LISST kind of look like tubes, and they were sold as something like a tube, but they aren't tubes. Maybe I'm wrong with this and LISST (v1) existed only because Jason explicitly wanted to design a solid-state circuit that sounded as close to a tube as possible. If that's the case, then the marketing was on point and the product failed on its own merit.
But here's how I see LISST (v1):
They aren't tubes. And they're not meant to replace them. They're also not supposed to sound exactly like them. Because why would they?! They aren't tubes! If you want tube sound, buy tubes! *
They also don't sound like your usual solid-state. They're not supposed to sound like your usual solid-state, either. And why should they?! If you want that classic solid-state sound, buy a solid-state (pre-)amp!
I see LISST as a
third product category.
They offer a third kind of sound that sits in between solid-state and tubes. They're dead-quiet, they don't suffer from microphonics, they're not nearly as susceptible to RF interference as tubes are, their performance characteristics remain stable even over a long time of use, there's no need for matching, and they cost just a fraction of what a good tube costs.
They also sound more pleasant than solid-state. They're warmer, not as harsh; there's no hint of that "pins and needles" level of detail that I know a lot of people love about solid-state, but that I can't stand. They also offer a much fuller bass response and a
much richer holographic soundstage than almost all of the solid-state (pre-)amps that I've listened to.
To me, they are in almost every regard a superior product to both, solid-state
and tubes. They sit in a third, separate category for me. And I truly believe that if they had been marketed as such, they would have been more successful. Their product page didn't explicitly state that you should look at them as tubes, of course, but it certainly didn't try to establish them as a (founding) member of that third category either. The fact that they (by necessity) looked like tubes and dropped into tube sockets didn't help with this misconception, either. And so people bought them expecting them to be more or less exactly like tubes – and were (understandably) disappointed that they weren't.
LISST are no tubes. And they aren't solid-state. (Technically, they are, of course. But I'm talking sound profile here.) They sit in their own little corner. And if they can be marketed as such, I think they will turn into one of Schiit's most successful products. Especially if they, some day, can come in flavors. Then you could buy a Schiit (pre-)amp that comes with a proprietary LISST socket that can be licensed by third party LISST makers, and you roll your own sound, much as you do today with tubes, but with none of the "downsides" (for me) of real tubes, but a much more euphonic sound and oodles more flexibility than you get from classic solid-state.
* Granted, buying tubes gets more difficult with time. It's sad that that's what it took to get LISST a second shot in the market. Also: More LISST for the likes like me means more tubes left on the market for you. Win-win.
