[pataburd]

The Lyr+ is here! Starting out with the Linlai E-6SN7. Only a few hours on it, but so far I love it. Did some A/Bing to my Asgard 3. Conclusion so far is that the Asgard is no slouch, but the Lyr+ is better in a few ways, including a wider soundstage, softer treble (which is good for my Hifiman HE1000 V2), and a warmer, slightly bloomy, bass.

I bought a socket saver from Amazon. It’s working but damn was it hard to get the tube in it. Can anyone recommend any socket savers that are a little more user friendly?

Which socket saver did you get? The ceramic ones sold on eBay and Amazon are pretty decent. I bought a pair of bakelite socket savers off eBay and--aside from them being a bit too short to work well in the LYR 3--I had a very difficult time getting the pins of my tubes into holes in the socket (saver), too.

Fellow head-fier, Deyan, makes some nice aluminum socket savers and tube adapters. I would gladly have purchased from him, but he only takes PayPal, and I closed my (PP) account well over a year ago.

Here is an overhead shot of the ceramic socket saver in the LYR 3:

 

[syr1990]

Which socket saver did you get? The ceramic ones sold on eBay and Amazon are pretty decent. I bought a pair of bakelite socket savers off eBay and--aside from them being a bit too short to work well in the LYR 3--I had a very difficult time getting the pins of my tubes into holes in the socket (saver), too.

Fellow head-fier, Deyan, makes some nice aluminum socket savers and tube adapters. I would gladly have purchased from him, but he only takes PayPal, and I closed my (PP) account well over a year ago.

Here is an overhead shot of the ceramic socket saver in the LYR 3:

This is what I got on Amazon: https://a.co/d/aE54m4Z

I placed an order for the ones @classfolkphile recommended. Hopefully they’re a bit easier to use.

 

[pataburd]

Same ones I just got from Amazon.
Odd, I had ordered a single socket saver from eBay of the exact same brand ["Amptata"] but the fit for my tube pins was too LOOSE with that one. After rolling tubes about a half dozen times, I was getting noise and cutting out from one channel.

 

[syr1990]

Same ones I just got from Amazon.
Odd, I had ordered a single socket saver from eBay of the exact same brand ["Amptata"] but the fit for my tube pins was too LOOSE with that one. After rolling tubes about a half dozen times, I was getting noise and cutting out from one channel.

Odd. Maybe there’s not much consistency in their manufacturing. There appear to be a few reviews on Amazon mentioning the fit was too tight.

 

[pataburd]

Odd. Maybe there’s not much consistency in their manufacturing. There appear to be a few reviews on Amazon mentioning the fit was too tight.

You got that right!

 

[classfolkphile]

This is what I got on Amazon: https://a.co/d/aE54m4Z

I placed an order for the ones @classfolkphile recommended. Hopefully they’re a bit easier to use.

I use four of the octals and five of the novals in my speaker amp and have found them easy to use and well suited to purpose. I have another - probably NOS - one (that I can't remember the origin of) that works well in my Lyr+.

 

[freddyknop]

Yes.

Just before letting the HEDDphone go (in hindsight, more from compulsion than desire/necessity) I was driving it directly from the speaker outputs of a Jeff Rowland Model 2.

The HEDDphone definitely made my "All-Time Top 3" list and I wish I still had them on hand to pair with the LYR+ and cross-reference notes with you. In fact, I would be interested in your current observations [i.e., HEDDphone + LYR+]. Are they on the HEDD thread?

The new and nicely polished HEDDphone TWO might be worth saving up for: https://hedd.audio/products/heddphone-two = "Quasi-affordable EndGame" for sure.

Thanks for the mention, Sir! If there are any questions reg HP ONE or TWO, please let me know. Cheers, Freddy // HEDD

 

[syr1990]

Enjoying a relaxing Sunday night with the Lyr+ playing a 1975 German pressing of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here.

 

[syr1990]

I just discovered something about the Lyr+ that I’m not too thrilled about. Granted, this scenario might be pretty unique to my setup. I have a turntable hooked up to an ifi zen phono stage which sends a signal out via RCA to my Lokius then to my Lyr+. The ifi lets you also run balanced xlr outs simultaneously with the separate RCA outs, so I had the idea to run long XLR cables to my speaker set up. It’s a really cool setup that lets me listen to records on my headphones or speakers, depending on my mood.

Ever since I put this setup together I noticed there was a hum coming out of my speakers that I can hear when a record isn‘t playing. I replicated the same hum on my headphones through the Lyr+ when I turned the volume to about 3 o’clock without playing anything on the turntable. I went a bit crazy trying to diagnose the issue and I finally found it. It‘s the Lyr+! When it’s out of the chain, the hum goes away. I made sure it wasn’t the Lokius by removing it from the chain and I tried several different RCA cables to the Lyr+ to make sure it wasn’t that. Anyone have any ideas as to why the Lyr+ creates the humming sound? Could it just be that the tube creates excess noise?

Edit: when the Lyr+ is powered off and I have the speaker setup on, most of the hum is gone (but there’s a very small amount left). When the Lyr+ is on and my speaker setup is on, that’s when the more significant hum happens. I guess I’ll make sure to have the Lyr+ off when I listen through my speaker system. Still interested as to why this hum is happening, though.

 

[pataburd]

Just swapped out the LYR 3 and reinstated the LYR+ w/2x RCA 6J5. As fine as the LYR 3 sounds--and, assuredly, it sounds very fine, one is struck immediately by the improvements in detail, refinement, control, coherency, tonality and dynamic balance wrought by the LYR+.

Tentatively*, although I decidedly prefer the Neumann NDH-30 with the LYR+, I think I might actually prefer the synergy of the Edition Eleven with the LYR 3(!).

[*Need to give the LYR+ (and my ears) some time to warm up. Plus, I just put in a brand new tube saver. Will revisit later.]

 

[nasty nate]

The Lyr+ is here! Starting out with the Linlai E-6SN7. Only a few hours on it, but so far I love it. Did some A/Bing to my Asgard 3. Conclusion so far is that the Asgard is no slouch, but the Lyr+ is better in a few ways, including a wider soundstage, softer treble (which is good for my Hifiman HE1000 V2), and a warmer, slightly bloomy, bass.

I bought a socket saver from Amazon. It’s working but damn was it hard to get the tube in it. Can anyone recommend any socket savers that are a little more user friendly?

Beautiful stack!!

 

[pataburd]

Am continuing to [very] much enjoy the LYR+ paired with the Neumann NDH-30.
The 2x 6J5 really make a difference with the + [and the 3].

 

[pataburd]

Am doing some comparative listening: Schiit LYR 3 v. Schiit LYR + v. Hagerman Audio Labs Tuba.

Budgetary musings follow:

Cost-wise, the [hybrid w/tube gain] Schiit represent exceptional value for the dollar/price-to-performance ratio. The option to use 2x 6J5 tubes, which are affordable and fine-sounding, further ups the value of having a LYR. The added flexibility of using a 6922 tube or going full solid state add still more value.

Ample power reserves for successfully driving harder-to-drive headphones would put the LYRs at yet another advantage.

[$599 amp (LYR+)/$45 2x 6J5 adapter ($20 for tubes)/$25 for 6922 adapter ($25 and up for tubes)] ~ $725 [ . . . well, a decent power cord at $125(?) can run a few dollars more . . . ], say, $850 . . . at the (near)end, $750 for the LYR 3.

***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

The Hagerman is a truly excellent [hybrid w/SS gain] amplifier in its own right and exceeds the LYRs in several areas [e.g. refinement, subtlety, dynamic range, etc.]. However, to reach/approach its maximum potential, the Tuba certainly benefits from a power supply upgrade. Adding something like the [$299] iFi iPower Elite almost becomes necessary. That, coupled with the typically more expensive EL84 tubes, make the Tuba costlier to establish and maintain.

[$789 amp/$299 power supply/$40 for tubes] ~ $1030 [ . . . again, add a decent power cord at $125(?) (for the Elite)], say, $1155 . . . when it's all(most) said and done.


The plan is to a/b: LYR 3 and/or +|2x RCA 6J5 v. Tuba|2x RCA 6BQ5.

 

[pataburd]

Now have the LYR+ and Mojo Mystique Gen.1 running with the Edition Eleven.

(Replacing the Wyred4Sound's stock power supply with the iFi Silent Power [a.k.a. iPower2] has made a decidedly positive difference.)

 

[pataburd]

Running the LYR+ with a 6922-to-6SN7 adapter and a mil-spec Sylvania 6DJ8.
. . . sounds as good as, or better than, many of the 6SN7 tubes I have tried so far. The presentation is surprisingly large and lush from this diminutive tube, while offering ample detail and remarkable delicacy.
This is the best I have heard from the Edition Eleven and the LYR+ so far.
[NOTE: Perceived benefit of tube alone may be confounded with recent addition of upgraded power supply.]