[JoeDoe]

I'll share some early impressions of my week old Lyr+ (with Bifrost 2/64 and Lokius)

• I've owned several dozen headamps over my time in head-fi, including 4-5 Schiit products: Lyr 2 & 3, Jotunheim, Asgard 2, Vali 2, and Mjolnir 2. In the past, I've been more a fan of the Schiit DAC side of things than the amplification side. In my setup - usually comprised of multiple Grados, a tube amp, and a NOS or 'natural' sounding DAC - I've found many of the Schiit amps to have a bit of an upper midrange/lower treble hardness that caused listening fatigue. To my ears at this point, I haven't gotten a tick of that with the Lyr+.
• Both the SS and tube modes are quite well done and I've enjoyed both for a few hours a day over this past week.
• So far, I've like the MOSFETs with my Grado PS2000e's and a Westinghouse 6SN7 with my Grado GH1 and Mayflower v1. In my experience, most upper end Grados pair better with SS amplication, while the midrange line thickens up nicely with tubes.
• The ladder relay isn't an issue for me. Not sure if I'm a simpleton, or just not bothered, but most of the concerns about it's feel or response haven't popped up on my radar.
• I am a bit surprised at how far I go on the volume pot with such easy to drive headphones. A very comfortable listening level is dead noon and in most amps I've used in the past, no matter the topology, that'd be way to hot for the Grados!
• I have picked up the slightest background hiss using high gain with tubes. Not unacceptable, but noticeable nonetheless, especially when switching from MOSFETs.
• The remote is a nice touch and I think it's kind of cool to watch the knob turn by itself from across the room!
• It does get a bit toasty, but some 1/2" stick-on feet cool it more than a few degrees.

More to come, but you can count me a satisfied customer at this point!

 

[cgb3]

Anyone using this as a preamp to another headphone amp? Does it add enough of a tube sound?

Always (as a preamp to my Schiit Jotunhiem). Yes, tube sound. Great tubes (1k+), great sound.

 

[PoSR77]

Any impressions on how the sound stage is on this, particularly the width?

Average/medium or noticeably smaller or wider than the norm?

Thanks.

Edit: I found some discussion of this on the sbaf forum (hope it's not against the rules to link to this).

 

[hartphoto]

I'll share some early impressions of my week old Lyr+ (with Bifrost 2/64 and Lokius)

• I've owned several dozen headamps over my time in head-fi, including 4-5 Schiit products: Lyr 2 & 3, Jotunheim, Asgard 2, Vali 2, and Mjolnir 2. In the past, I've been more a fan of the Schiit DAC side of things than the amplification side. In my setup - usually comprised of multiple Grados, a tube amp, and a NOS or 'natural' sounding DAC - I've found many of the Schiit amps to have a bit of an upper midrange/lower treble hardness that caused listening fatigue. To my ears at this point, I haven't gotten a tick of that with the Lyr+.
• Both the SS and tube modes are quite well done and I've enjoyed both for a few hours a day over this past week.
• So far, I've like the MOSFETs with my Grado PS2000e's and a Westinghouse 6SN7 with my Grado GH1 and Mayflower v1. In my experience, most upper end Grados pair better with SS amplication, while the midrange line thickens up nicely with tubes.
• The ladder relay isn't an issue for me. Not sure if I'm a simpleton, or just not bothered, but most of the concerns about it's feel or response haven't popped up on my radar.
• I am a bit surprised at how far I go on the volume pot with such easy to drive headphones. A very comfortable listening level is dead noon and in most amps I've used in the past, no matter the topology, that'd be way to hot for the Grados!
• I have picked up the slightest background hiss using high gain with tubes. Not unacceptable, but noticeable nonetheless, especially when switching from MOSFETs.
• The remote is a nice touch and I think it's kind of cool to watch the knob turn by itself from across the room!
• It does get a bit toasty, but some 1/2" stick-on feet cool it more than a few degrees.

More to come, but you can count me a satisfied customer at this point!

What tube amp do you have, your reference to it in your first bullet point? Comparisons maybe?

 

[j0val]

I'll share some early impressions of my week old Lyr+ (with Bifrost 2/64 and Lokius)

• I've owned several dozen headamps over my time in head-fi, including 4-5 Schiit products: Lyr 2 & 3, Jotunheim, Asgard 2, Vali 2, and Mjolnir 2. In the past, I've been more a fan of the Schiit DAC side of things than the amplification side. In my setup - usually comprised of multiple Grados, a tube amp, and a NOS or 'natural' sounding DAC - I've found many of the Schiit amps to have a bit of an upper midrange/lower treble hardness that caused listening fatigue. To my ears at this point, I haven't gotten a tick of that with the Lyr+.
• Both the SS and tube modes are quite well done and I've enjoyed both for a few hours a day over this past week.
• So far, I've like the MOSFETs with my Grado PS2000e's and a Westinghouse 6SN7 with my Grado GH1 and Mayflower v1. In my experience, most upper end Grados pair better with SS amplication, while the midrange line thickens up nicely with tubes.
• The ladder relay isn't an issue for me. Not sure if I'm a simpleton, or just not bothered, but most of the concerns about it's feel or response haven't popped up on my radar.
• I am a bit surprised at how far I go on the volume pot with such easy to drive headphones. A very comfortable listening level is dead noon and in most amps I've used in the past, no matter the topology, that'd be way to hot for the Grados!
• I have picked up the slightest background hiss using high gain with tubes. Not unacceptable, but noticeable nonetheless, especially when switching from MOSFETs.
• The remote is a nice touch and I think it's kind of cool to watch the knob turn by itself from across the room!
• It does get a bit toasty, but some 1/2" stick-on feet cool it more than a few degrees.

More to come, but you can count me a satisfied customer at this point!

Looks like we have identical setups except for the Grados (I have the RS1x). I haven’t really spent any time listening to my Grados while on SS mode, but now I’m more curious after reading your impressions. To me, the SS mode had slightly flatter imaging when compared to my tube when listening through my Genelec desktop speakers, but that may be a testament to the Shug treasure.

Have you tried the old BF2 card with the Lyr+?

 

[ToddRaymond]

Thanks, @JoeDoe for your impressions.

If you have a free moment, I would love to get a sense of how you find it vs. the Mjolnir 2.

The Pro iCan Sig (or iCan Pro, or iPro Can, or whatever it's silly name is [I know, I'm just being silly]) is something I just don't think I can justify, particularly with its one year warranty. Hoping the Lyr 3+ has plenty of refinement, detail, transparency, expansiveness, yadda.

 

[keenerz]

I just set mine up, I'm having trouble getting it to recognize that a tube is in. I reseated them and tried different tubes but seems to just stay stuck in SS mode.

Edit: I figured it out

but I am now having some concern is the Gain button supposed to be clicky? cause mine is essentially rigid does work but feels like a static button with no give.

 

[JoeDoe]

Any impressions on how the sound stage is on this, particularly the width?

Average/medium or noticeably smaller or wider than the norm?

Thanks.

Edit: I found some discussion of this on the sbaf forum (hope it's not against the rules to link to this).

Average to me, but I also wouldn't call myself a connoisseur of soundstage haha. I don't feel like the presentation is particularly 'in' head like some closed backs or cheap chi-fi headphones, but I certainly don't get what I might call an 'artificially' large soundstage like HD800.

What tube amp do you have, your reference to it in your first bullet point? Comparisons maybe?

Current (before Lyr) was ampsandsound kenzie encore. For sale at the moment if you want to pick it up

Looks like we have identical setups except for the Grados (I have the RS1x). I haven’t really spent any time listening to my Grados while on SS mode, but now I’m more curious after reading your impressions. To me, the SS mode had slightly flatter imaging when compared to my tube when listening through my Genelec desktop speakers, but that may be a testament to the Shug treasure.

Have you tried the old BF2 card with the Lyr+?

Agreed on SS mode a bit, but I think some of that has to do with the tube in place. No experience with old card. I had a BF2 right after they were first released but don't think I could confidently offer any kind of comparison. Been too long!

Thanks, @JoeDoe for your impressions.

If you have a free moment, I would love to get a sense of how you find it vs. the Mjolnir 2.

The Pro iCan Sig (or iCan Pro, or iPro Can, or whatever it's silly name is [I know, I'm just being silly]) is something I just don't think I can justify, particularly with its one year warranty. Hoping the Lyr 3+ has plenty of refinement, detail, transparency, expansiveness, yadda.

It's been a minute since I've had the Mjo2, but I do remember thinking 1. It's not a tubey tube amp at all. 2. Gobs of power. 3. SE was noticeably not as good as XLR out.

I'd say the Lyr+, while not particularly gooey, does have a bit more 'tubey' quality - bit more harmonic richness and smoothness. Definitely feels like less power than the Mjo as well, but as I'm learning some of that may be more perception than actuality given the differences in volume controls.

 

[JoeDoe]

I just set mine up, I'm having trouble getting it to recognize that a tube is in. I reseated them and tried different tubes but seems to just stay stuck in SS mode.

Edit: I figured it out

but I am now having some concern is the Gain button supposed to be clicky? cause mine is essentially rigid does work but feels like a static button with no give.

Yes for clicky. Mine clicks at minimal appropriate pressure.

 

[PoSR77]

Average to me, but I also wouldn't call myself a connoisseur of soundstage haha. I don't feel like the presentation is particularly 'in' head like some closed backs or cheap chi-fi headphones, but I certainly don't get what I might call an 'artificially' large soundstage like HD800.

Thanks, that helps! I don't want a sound stage that is exaggerated (in width, depth, or height), but I also don't want one that is closed in to where I feel claustrophobic when listening, or to the point where separation, layering, and imaging suffers. Just a sound stage that sounds realistic, natural, believable.

Has anyone used IEMs with this or did I forget any mention of those in here? It would be nice to have a black background for IEM use if I decide to use this amp in my 2nd bedroom setup (where I can't have open back headphones playing with my significant other next to me in bed).

 

[JoeDoe]

Thanks, that helps! I don't want a sound stage that is exaggerated (in width, depth, or height), but I also don't want one that is closed in to where I feel claustrophobic when listening, or to the point where separation, layering, and imaging suffers. Just a sound stage that sounds realistic, natural, believable.

Has anyone used IEMs with this or did I forget any mention of those in here? It would be nice to have a black background for IEM use if I decide to use this amp in my 2nd bedroom setup (where I can't have open back headphones playing with my significant other next to me in bed).

I've been listening at the workstation this morning with my Lime Ears Aether R IEMs and on low gain MOSFET mode, and I don't detect any background noise until 2 o'clock on the pot (which is really the threshold of my volume comfort anyway). Definitely hiss on hi gain but I don't think anyone would choose that over lo for most IEMs.

 

[wushuliu]

Just received a Lyr 3+. I am not a Schiit fanboy but I do own an Asgard 3, which I love and consider a great bang for the buck. I considered focusing on a diy build since I diy a lot of gear but time has become too precious these days so I took a leap for the Lyr. The main reasons I took the leap for the Lyr are the SS/tube switching option, the DC-coupling, and most of all the ladder relay Volume. I'm not aware of any other amps in this price range that offer relay volume or similar. My previous experience has taught me DC coupling and Volume pot are two upgrades always worth doing. What I hear with the Lyr 3+ continues to confirm this. Anyone who has tried out different volume pots and volume types knows what I'm talking about. Moving up to stepped attenuators and ladder relays does wonders for clarity, inner detail, and realism. Same with DC coupling (of course YMMV in the seemingly infinite range of amp options and designs). The Asgard is of course not even in the same ballpark.

Don't want to go on except to put it this way: This is the first time I've felt no desire to tweak or just build my own.

Current chain: M1 Air, AF200, Assemblage DAC 2.0, Lyr+, modded HD6XX.

 

[PoSR77]

I've been listening at the workstation this morning with my Lime Ears Aether R IEMs and on low gain MOSFET mode, and I don't detect any background noise until 2 o'clock on the pot (which is really the threshold of my volume comfort anyway). Definitely hiss on hi gain but I don't think anyone would choose that over lo for most IEMs.

Thanks again, helpful!

I only use low gain when listening to IEMs with full sized amps too. Both my Burson Funk and Cayin iHA-6 are silent with IEMs in that setting.

I don't suppose you had either of those amps/brands before? It'd help for a comparison with the Lyr+, even from your memory.

Thanks again, and I'll stop bugging you now.

 

[allans]

Edit: I found some discussion of this on the sbaf forum (hope it's not against the rules to link to this).

Jason also chimed in with some comments including why the tube heater remains on. I don’t understand how the topography is different than the Freya+ where the tubes are turned off in SS and passive modes. I’ve been on the fence but am not going to hold my breath waiting on tube shutdown.

 

[PoSR77]

Jason also chimed in with some comments including why the tube heater remains on. I don’t understand how the topography is different than the Freya+ where the tubes are turned off in SS and passive modes. I’ve been on the fence but am not going to hold my breath waiting on tube shutdown.

Yea, I saw that...and frankly I like the idea of the tube always glowing! I like the aesthetics of tubes (just like edison lights) and won't be using the amp enough (10 hours or so a week? and maybe I'll use the tube stage most of the time anyway) to worry that much about tube burn out anyway. It sounded to me like he was (fairly strongly) defending that choice and any change to this feature would be awhile away and probably not at all.