[quimbo]

I am not sure if you have a tester, but I would be a bit careful with untested tubes.

I do not have one. the price was worth the gamble. I usually buy my tubes from AZTubes http://arizonatubesupply.com/

 

[Wildcatsare1]

I know I will love it. I have had one in my Lyr 3 for weeks now. This is my 5th backup. I could not pass up a perfectly balanced "Bad Boy", from Brent Jesse. This 1 is going in the amp and the other 5 are backups.

So you are telling us you are horrifying Bad Boys, that’s just sounds wrong .

 

[Wes S]

So you are telling us you are horrifying Bad Boys, that’s just sounds wrong .

Yes! This tube is it for me. I love the warm and weighty, yet resolving sound, with a wide 3d soundstage. Using my Alpha Prime headphones.

 

[bcowen]

.

 

[ItsAllInMyHead]

Subject to the exact details of the pooch screwing, that may not be entirely true. Paraphrasing Schiit's own comments, putting a bad (ie: shorted or leaky) tube in the Lyr could result in a very bad day. Although it's lots of fun looking for the screamin' deal of the day on Ebay, I'd highly recommend that at least initially you purchase from a reputable vendor that performs thorough testing. You'll pay more (sometimes a little, sometimes a lot), but you minimize the risk of a self-inflicted bad day.

In your post a little further forward on the hum, I can't speak for high sensitivity 'phones but I have Aeon Opens that are very similar in impedance and sensitivity to your Ethers. With only one exception (marginal tube) I don't get any audible hum even with the volume cranked wide open, and my Lyr has seen more tubes rolled through it than it ever signed up for. I have my whole stack of Schiit plugged into a pair of Shunyata Hydras which may help or preclude the problem altogether, but in my experience the tube itself is usually at the bottom of the list of suspects for a hum problem. Look first at what your gear is plugged into being careful to avoid ground-induced hum with interconnected components plugged into different wall outlets, etc. The tube itself is more prone to noise (hiss, microphonics, etc) than hum, but fortunately for us octal tubes are far less susceptible to that issue than 9-pin tubes like 6922's, 12Ax7's, 396A's, etc.

Thank you very much. That is extremely helpful. Of specific note, no other components use AC (battery from laptop). Overall, it is very, very quiet. The primary reason I was associating it with the tube is that when I switch to the LISST, there's no noise. It really is no bother at all. Just learning a bit re: tubes and what to look out for.

I've now caught up from page one on the thread... With @Ripper2860 over here, I knew it would be interesting, but you guys are a blast (and very helpful). I am actually going to try and buy some less expensive tubes of ill-repute (maybe I'll find a GE) along with one or two more highly-regarded tubes, just to see if I can hear the difference. In hindsight, I should have had Schiit ship both tubes (bought a spare) along with the LISST so I could try listening to the difference between tubes.

 

[bcowen]

.

 

[Wildcatsare1]

^^^^

 

[Ripper2860]

I suspect it's an image from an eBay seller and not his stash, but ...

Hmmmm. He doth protest too much about GE tubes. Perhaps they are truly excellent tubes and he wants us to think they're really crappy tubes so he can buy them all up and hoard them only to reveal the fact that they are really excellent tubes and not really crappy tubes so then we all go looking for the really excellent and not really crappy GE tubes we will find that he owns all of the really excellent and not really crappy tubes and is selling them at a ridiculously high prices so he can buy a private island and retire while laughing at all of us that bought his really crappy GE tubes that we all thought were really excellent tubes.

I'm onto your antics @bcowen.

 

[buonassi]

Having gone through the rounds again - I'm gravitating toward the WH halo getter (the one that accompanied the D getter I was initially after). Turns out to be so good, in fact, it's the only tube I've purchased a second time. Got me a verified NOS as backup.

I know, I'm in the minority here.... and I'll be the first to admit that if you like bass slam this tube won't quell your desire. It has pretty linear bass, but not as prevalent or solid as the D getter. I suspect that pairing it with the Elear has something to do with my liking it. The Elear retains enough punch regardless.

stage, treble extension and resolution are why this tube just does it for me. Very much like a foton with its stage - resolution a hair better (maybe, so close I can't tell) - bass a touch lighter and airier. It's got a delicateness to it and a finesse that I just can't get enough of. It goes well with a non-oversampling DAC that tends to be warmer in the first place.

 

[IceAero]

Hi!

So, I just ordered a NOS KR VT231 off ebay and I think that means I can officially join this ridiculous (ly awesome) thread.

My humble setup:

 

[Ripper2860]

A Lyr 3, Gumby, and the new v2 HE-560s? Very nice, indeed!

Let me be the fist hypocrite to tell you that the KR VT-231 is an excellent tube and all you'll need. All you'll need -- Yes. All you'll want -- Not Likely. Welcome aboard and welcome to your new addiction.

 

[Ripper2860]

Having gone through the rounds again - I'm gravitating toward the WH halo getter (the one that accompanied the D getter I was initially after). Turns out to be so good, in fact, it's the only tube I've purchased a second time. Got me a verified NOS as backup.

I know, I'm in the minority here.... and I'll be the first to admit that if you like bass slam this tube won't quell your desire. It has pretty linear bass, but not as prevalent or solid as the D getter. I suspect that pairing it with the Elear has something to do with my liking it. The Elear retains enough punch regardless.

stage, treble extension and resolution are why this tube just does it for me. Very much like a foton with its stage - resolution a hair better (maybe, so close I can't tell) - bass a touch lighter and airier. It's got a delicateness to it and a finesse that I just can't get enough of. It goes well with a non-oversampling DAC that tends to be warmer in the first place.

You're just not going to stop until I buy one, are you?

 

[IceAero]

A Lyr 3, Gumby, and the new v2 HE-560s? Very nice, indeed!

Let me be the fist hypocrite to tell you that the KR VT-231 is an excellent tube and all you'll need. All you'll need -- Yes. All you'll want -- Not Likely. Welcome aboard and welcome to your new addiction.

Thank you!

And I doubt I'll stop at one, but first I'm very intrigued to compare it to the stock TS tube.

Worse, I recently learned my father has 'literally thousands' of tubes tucked away somewhere that I'm welcome to sort through. My grandfather was a tv and radio repairman in the 40s and 50s, and he apparently amassed quite a collection. I don't know how many are likely to be 6SN7, but I may be running to this thread with some interesting 'What is this' questions.

 

[earnmyturns]

And I doubt I'll stop at one, but first I'm very intrigued to compare it to the stock TS tube.

What I wrote when I got my KR VT-231 (smoked glass, staggered plates) a few months ago: "It sounds more spacious and full-bodied than the stock new Tung Sol, which might correlate with dark, but overall it does not sound dark to me." I've been listening to the KR exclusively since then.

 

[buonassi]

You're just not going to stop until I buy one, are you?

haha. ok, I've said enough about it.

but fair warning - the bass is subdued and light compared to other tubes - I'm being serious, not trying to dissuade folks from snatching them up. I'm all for sharing a good thing - just be sure you're OK with the sound I described.

So my top four (cause that's a thing? )

• halo get
• foton
• D get
• northern electric