[attmci]

I'm listening to a Marconi B65 (with "Made in Holland" on the glass) this morning and it is sounding fantastic. Here's a tip on getting tubes like this on eBay (that's where I found mine): sometimes the seller doesn't bother putting "6SN7" in the description, so make sure you search for B65 and/or Marconi also (that's how I found the one I have, and it was a pretty good deal considering it seems to be an extremely rare tube). Unfortunately quite a few sellers put "B65" in their description for tubes that aren't B65 tubes.

This?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/B65-Marcon...779698?hash=item56b2ca2532:g:EgEAAOSwZXlbR513



https://www.ebay.com/itm/Matched-Pa...=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

[Scrith]

What about these?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Marconi-B6...=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MARCONI-B6...=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

[m17xr2b]

B65 needs to be made by MOV. Those are philips rebrands 6SN7.

 

[Deaj]

If you like 7N7's, try the tall bottle Sylvania-made version with the Frankentube attributes. They are getting hard to find, but there's a pair on Ebay now:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-NIB-GE-7...h=item41f8460eda:g:glIAAOSw7C5cO9RO:rk:7:pf:0

Ok - wow. ....WOW!

There are too many new factors here for me to consider so I'll try to keep this as conservative as possible until I have some time to sort through everything. I received my Lyr 3 earlier today along with the pair of 'frankentubes' linked above (I just added an EITR and I haven't done any meaningful comparison between it and the S/PDIF coax out from my PC. I noted some positive change, most notably in the lower frequencies, and left I left it at that. The Lyr 3 and the frankentubes are new and I don't have a lot of time listening with them yet.)

I installed a 'frankentube' using a 7N7-6SN7 adapter. Powered up the Lyr 3, give the tube 15 minutes to heat up. From the first 30 minutes listening time I can tell you that this amp is very much in line with my listening preferences. Very clear, great separation between instruments / vocal harmonies, and treble is so ....natural is the word that comes to mind.

For reference the signal chain is: Window 10 PC / Foobar2000 /various tracks in FLAC -> EITR -> Mimby -> Saga (passive) -> Lyr 3 -> beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro -and- custom Grado build (mahogany cups w/ Symphones Magnum V8 drivers).

I dropped a '60 tall bottle Sylvania in the Saga, my current favorite for the Saga's buffer, just to get a first listen to the Saga's active buffer in front of the Lyr 3. I can't yet quantify the difference but I like what I'm hearing! It's been a good day for my ears.

 

[Ripper2860]

Congrats!!! The Frankie is AWESOME!!!!

 

[Deaj]

Congrats!!! The Frankie is AWESOME!!!!

Thanks! ...and agreed

After a few hours of listening with the frankenstein I decided to pop a reissue Tungsol 6SN7 into the Lyr 3 and have a listen. It sounds damn good! Again, I have no meaningful comparison to offer at this point - just my first impressions. If the Tungsol 6SN7 reissue were the only tube available for the Lyr 3 I'd still be jazzed about the amp.

I'm listening through a 250 ohm beyerdynamic DT250 headphone and it's sounding really good! I have sleeping kids in both adjacent rooms to my music room so closed headphones are a must at night, and the DT250 is my only closed headphone. This headphone has been a favorite of mine for years. Generally speaking it doesn't do anything special. It just does everything right. Here, though, the bass is something to behold, especially with soul, Mowtown, and old school R&B. Total toe-tapper!

 

[Yviena]

Just got my lyr 3, what's the consensus on the best sounding.tubes.to roll, i see psvane uk-6sn7 mentioned.a lot is it any good?

 

[earnmyturns]

Just got my lyr 3, what's the consensus on the best sounding.tubes.to roll, i see psvane uk-6sn7 mentioned.a lot is it any good?

It is very good, for me cleaner, more impactful bass than several NOS (new old stock) tubes I also own (including KenRad VT-231 1944, Sylvania Bad Boy two-hole 1951). Psvane 6SN7-SE is even better, but pricier. But I prefer a relatively neutral sound that goes well with my non-oversampling Metrum Onyx DAC and MrSpeakers Ether C Flow 1.1 headphones. I suspect that listeners/source materials that favor warmer renderings would put the NOS tubes higher in the ranking.

 

[bcowen]

.

 

[Yviena]

It is very good, for me cleaner, more impactful bass than several NOS (new old stock) tubes I also own (including KenRad VT-231 1944, Sylvania Bad Boy two-hole 1951). Psvane 6SN7-SE is even better, but pricier. But I prefer a relatively neutral sound that goes well with my non-oversampling Metrum Onyx DAC and MrSpeakers Ether C Flow 1.1 headphones. I suspect that listeners/source materials that favor warmer renderings would put the NOS tubes higher in the ranking.

Hmm i see is there a big difference in sound between the SE and UK variant, or is it a side upgrade?

I ideally would want a tube that plays to the strengths of my 2hz IIR filter modded soekris dac1541, and HD800.

 

[attmci]

What about these?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Marconi-B65-6SN7-/254008629469?hash=item3b241818dd:gUkAAOSwosdcA-n5&nma=true&si=Vf9W2xUZ057I6oLa8J154lXvqV4%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MARCONI-B65-6SN7-NEW-IN-BOX-BLACK-BASE-MADE-IN-HOLLAND-/332903480909?hash=item4d8297fe4d:g6gAAOSwUfVb-8G6&nma=true&si=Vf9W2xUZ057I6oLa8J154lXvqV4%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Nice tubes.

 

[Deaj]

Just got my lyr 3, what's the consensus on the best sounding.tubes.to roll, i see psvane uk-6sn7 mentioned.a lot is it any good?

If you don't already have one the current production reissue Tungsol 6SN7 sounds very good. It's a great place to start.

 

[earnmyturns]

Hmm i see is there a big difference in sound between the SE and UK variant, or is it a side upgrade?

I ideally would want a tube that plays to the strengths of my 2hz IIR filter modded soekris dac1541, and HD800.

Not a big difference. I've not had the SE on the Lyr for a while, it's's been on my vintage Apex Peak amp, but my memory is that maybe the SE is just a bit faster and more balanced. But this is not a high confidence judgment since I'm not able to compare the two side-by-side.

I don't know the HD800. I have a dac1541 with standard filters, but it's at work so I haven't really tried to evaluate how it matches the Lyr I have at home. It would be a fun test for when I have the time.

 

[earnmyturns]

After 50h or so of burn-in, the combo

Metrum Ambre>Metrum Onyx>Lyr+Psvane UK-6SN7>Ether C Flow 1.1​

is killing it for small ensemble jazz and chamber music. Hard to pull myself away. There's something about a good NOS DAC with a good tube hybrid headamp that is hard to define but very engaging. A kind of instrument presence, materiality together with instrument separation that calls our attention to instrumental details and their relationships over time. Very satisfying.

Update: This setup seems to be made for ECM, separating instruments with their timbral subtleties and individually different attack-decay characteristics, complementing the label's canonical house style of pinpoint instrument pickup and a slight reverb/crossfeed mix to create the sense of a clean, wide playing space. Listening to my two most recent ECM purchases -- Ralph Alessi's Imaginary Friends and Tord Gustavsen's Extended Circle.

 

[Yviena]

Not a big difference. I've not had the SE on the Lyr for a while, it's's been on my vintage Apex Peak amp, but my memory is that maybe the SE is just a bit faster and more balanced. But this is not a high confidence judgment since I'm not able to compare the two side-by-side.

I don't know the HD800. I have a dac1541 with standard filters, but it's at work so I haven't really tried to evaluate how it matches the Lyr I have at home. It would be a fun test for when I have the time.

Well for one i find that removing the 2hz iir filter on the dac1541 makes it more dynamic, and i hear transients/soundstage better, coupled with software oversampling via HQplayer poly-sinc-xtr/closed-form-M that even further increases SQ.

I would say with the filter mod/software oversampling it beats the gumby that i auditioned once, soren/soekris weakness has always been software in my opinion.

Other people on diyaudio filter brewing thread reported the same improvements by removing the 2hz dc blocking filter.