[Semper HiFi]

Thanks Ripper.

Upon further thought, I think the headphones are likely the issue. When I plugged my IEMs into the Lyr they sounded horrible but I listened to them with another good source and, well, they just sound like shiit normally. The amp appears to work properly as far as I can tell, but I have no other headphone to test the amp with since I loaned out my only other pair. I don't have another amp that I can test the Atticus with either. If I get a 1/4" Female TRS to 3.5mm Male TRS I could test the Atticus out on my DAP which probably has enough juice to power them. I have a sinking feeling though that the pop blew out the drivers on the Atticus...

 

[Ripper2860]

Sorry to hear that. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

If the amp is fine, it sounds like maybe a bum tube. Do you have a tube tester to test the tube that was in the amp when it happened? If you don't and would like me to test it for you, I'll be happy to do so if you want to send it my way. PM me if that is something you want to do.

 

[tcellguy]

Maybe a problem with the muting relay? I thought that was designed to prevent large voltage (or current) outputs? I read somewhere a blown tube or a short can overload the muting relay though maybe.

 

[Semper HiFi]

Strange thing is I had already ran all of the tubes and the one that it made the pop with (the Westinghouse) was shaping up to be my favorite. I let it burn in for a good while and then spent several more hours listening to it. Killer sounding tube. I was comparing the halo getter with the d-getter when it popped after the muting relay kicked it in. The tube seems to work normally after the incident, but I don't really have any spare gear to do any real testing with and I do not have a tube tester either.

 

[Rowethren]

I had my Lyr 3 blow drives in 2 headphones when the RCD tripped for unrelated reasons. No idea why it happened but it shouldn't have. Schiit ended up replacing the main board under warranty and it hasn't done it since despite numerous RCD trips (use it on my work setup which is in a building site office so the power is a bit iffy).

I got the drivers in one pair of headphones replaced under warranty but the other pair I had were out of warranty so I was stuck with that one. Luckily ZMF have lifetime warranty on drivers so if that is what is gone contact Zach and I am sure he will sort you out.

 

[Semper HiFi]

I got my other set of headphones back from loan today and was able to borrow an amplifier to test with as well. Turns out that the Lyr 3 is fine but the drivers on the Atticus are blown. The tube I was using when the Lyr 3 went pop I'm pretty sure is bad because it is now very noisy when I plug in my headphones (no source) but I'm afraid to do any more for fear of damaging them. I purchased this tube from a reputable Ebay seller who specializes in tubes, and it was sold with full test data from an Amplitrex AT-1000. The tube was excellently packaged for shipping as well. I had no warning that this was going to happen and the tube sounded great earlier, except for being slightly microphonic.

Now I don't know much about tubes so perhaps someone else could chime in here. Can a tube fail like this without warning? And if it does fail, is there really nothing in the Lyr 3 to keep it from blowing my headphones out? Could the problem have originated with the Lyr 3 and the tube failure be a consequence of that? I really want to know what went wrong here because I would like to be able to trust this amplifier with my headphones again.

As far as the blown headphones, ZMF is going to replace the drivers thanks to the lifetime warranty, even though I am not the original owner. I feel incredibly lucky to own a set of headphones from ZMF, talk about top notch customer service!

 

[KoshNaranek]

I got my other set of headphones back from loan today and was able to borrow an amplifier to test with as well. Turns out that the Lyr 3 is fine but the drivers on the Atticus are blown. The tube I was using when the Lyr 3 went pop I'm pretty sure is bad because it is now very noisy when I plug in my headphones (no source) but I'm afraid to do any more for fear of damaging them. I purchased this tube from a reputable Ebay seller who specializes in tubes, and it was sold with full test data from an Amplitrex AT-1000. The tube was excellently packaged for shipping as well. I had no warning that this was going to happen and the tube sounded great earlier, except for being slightly microphonic.

Now I don't know much about tubes so perhaps someone else could chime in here. Can a tube fail like this without warning? And if it does fail, is there really nothing in the Lyr 3 to keep it from blowing my headphones out? Could the problem have originated with the Lyr 3 and the tube failure be a consequence of that? I really want to know what went wrong here because I would like to be able to trust this amplifier with my headphones again.

As far as the blown headphones, ZMF is going to replace the drivers thanks to the lifetime warranty, even though I am not the original owner. I feel incredibly lucky to own a set of headphones from ZMF, talk about top notch customer service!

Please take what I say with a large pinch of salt. I don't consider myself to be a tube expert but I think that what happened was that you had an arc between the grid and the plate. This usually happens when someone is using a noval tube in an octal socket and inadvertently runs the plate voltage too high for a noval tube.

If there was mechanical damage to the grid, a tube that was running in spec could still arc. Grid damage would not be visible because it is enclosed by the plate.

I would love to hear what the tube experts think.

 

[reddasher]

@Ripper2860 , Is your WH tube have any visible glow? Im testing mine and cant see any.. but tube is hot..
My guess if tube is not working I would not hear anything from the amp at all right?

 

[Ripper2860]

The center metal tip between the copper rods extending slightly from the plates through the top mica should glow slightly. It is pretty hard to see in bright light. If the tube was a bad tube you would hear nothing, noise, or an imbalance, I would imagine.

 

[domes]

Gone is my disappointment in a Ken Rad I recently picked up. After several more hours of use, it sounds awesome. Now I wish I had a second as backup.

 

[animefreeks]

Newbie/lurker here so I hope I can learn much. Headphones I'm using are the Sennheiser HD 700's. I just got back from the audio store after being disappointed with the stock JJ 6SN7 that Schiit included. The person there sold me a Tung Sol (USA) CTL-6SN7GT VT-231 black round plates for $200. The Tung-Sol tube tested at 93/98. I wondered why the price is so high, but then I saw that it fell right in line with what everyone else is offering online. Anyone have experience with this particular tube, especially with the Lyr 3?

For me, I immediately noticed that the highs were more forward and much more dynamic than the JJ6SN7. I was able to "feel" the music a lot better with the Tung Sol's. The JJ's were too smooth for me and lacked texture. I've also read mixed comments about whether to burn in tubes or not since I've only had the Lyr 3 for 2 days so far so the JJ's may open up with more use?

 

[LoryWiv]

I just purchased a pair of TS black glass round plate from another head-fi user, and won't disclose the price BUT if yours is from the 1940's or so, in good condition: you got a sweet deal.

 

[animefreeks]

I'm also test driving a Sylvania JAN-CHS 6SN7W as well. Pics for reference. Not sure if the tubes are from the 1940's.

Initial impression of the Sylvania is similar to the JJ 6SN7. The Sylvania's are a tad bit clearer and presented a similar sound signature of recessed highs. I would say it's on the neutral side. I still prefer the TS over the Sylvania, but nonetheless are a fun tube to listen to.

 

[Ripper2860]

Yep -- 6SN7W are definitely 40's. Top of the tube should have a code that will identify the year (ex: B5). Mine are all 1945, at least the tall bottle versions. Not sure about the short bottles, but they are 40's, as well. Short bottle are supposed to have greater detail while tall have a wider sound-stage and more bass slam. I concur, but I guess it really depends on the amp.

 

[bcowen]

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