Schiit Lyr Tube Rollers

[rb2013]

  Just got a new Lyr 2 for Christmas to replace my Bravo Audio ocean amp.Needless to say I was not really impressed for the cost difference.I have replaced the stock tube in the Bravo with a Sophia Electric.Mullard, and Amperex Bugle boy.What a difference these tubes made,so I can relate to the difference a tube makes on an entry level tube amp.
With the Amperex the sound is warm across the spectrum,which is a sound I am looking for as I am a Basshead!The lyr was not as warm as the Bravo Audio, so I decided to upgrade the awful stock GE tubes on the Lyr.I purchased some Amperex orange labels from mercedesman for $40 and after about 40 hours of burn in the Lry  does sound better,but nit the low end punchy bass I am looking for.I realize you get what you pay for,but after reading your post these tubes sound like the solutuion.
 
Can you tell me where to find these and about how I would expect to pay for a set?
 
Thanks from a newbie poster.  

Try the 6n23p Voskhods!  The '75 gray shield is my top of the line there and my #3 overall.  They have amazing bass.  Even the '76's or '77's are pretty amazing.
 
Here is a link to my review of the Voshkod 6n23p tubes I posted over a year ago on the old thread - it'll give you my take on the different years.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/549508/schiit-lyr-the-tube-rolling-thread/8595  page 574 post #8606.
 
PS - See sfo1972's post and link - he has all the links to my reviews. The quick story after finding the Voskhods back a few yrs ago - I noticed some were better then others.  So I bought a bunch and sorted and ranked them (that's the original post on the old thread).  Some time after that I discovered a very rare and unique Reflektor (not the common dual getter post version) but with a single curved wire better post.  These were only made in '74 and '75 - gray and silver shield.  They blew me away.  The '75 silver became my all time favorite 6922 type tube - I call the 'Holy Grail' of HG for short.  The '74 silver is right behind it. 
 
Disclaimer: YMMV...these have not been widely reviewed - only the mediocre '80s and '90s Voskhods.  So you won't read much about them- except here.  I feel we have truly uncovered an amazing 6922 type tube here.
 
Happy Rolling!

 

[rb2013]

  Ok so I just got the 74 6n23p tubes Guidostrunk sent me, I'll just quote from my PM to him:
 
(short background: I was really digging LCD2.2 (unfazored) tone, but the guitar "bite" was severely lacking. Felt way too laidback and non-headbanging enducing -- I listen to lots of genres but I'm pickiest about how metal sounds -- I tried Mjolnir and LCD-X as a remedy but neither of them was giving me enough bite)
 
Extremely early impressions (literally like 15 minutes) are, and I almost still say this was a bit of hesitation because I was trying to not get my hopes up too much but...: this is EXACTLY what I was looking for in the guitar sound. I'm listening to an album right now that was particularly lacking in "chunk" through the stock tubes (an album I've very familiar with, Enslaved's "Below the Lights") but now it sounds perfect. I'd say even more aggressive than through my old (brighter) HPs. But still paired that awesome lushness from LCD-2 .
 
Turning up the volume now... lol I can literally feel it rattling my head a bit (not even that loud). 
 
Thank you so much man, this is exactly what was I needed, you saved me a LOT of time and money by PMing me about these things.
 
Needless to say I'm going to be going over the whole thread discussion about these Russian tubes, I think I'm going to want to get a few as back-ups just in case lol. 
 
---
It's affecting lots of other dimensions of the sound but I don't really have quite the vocabulary/experience to describe it, except it's "better" .
 
So ya huge thanks to him and all of you collectively who found these things. Just a couple quick newbie questions:
 
1) Where do I get more of these things? 
2) What the hell was their original purpose? Army radios? (I get a kick out of seeing the CCCP inscribed -- pretty strange world we live in where these things are now being bought by some guy because he wants to turn things up a notch on his headphones )
 
I'll be reading through this thread extensively for sure.
 
As an aside --- Is it ok to press fairly hard when you're pushing these things in? I had to and was kinda worried about breaking them. They're in place now far enough down (I think)

+1!  Nice post!  These 6n23p were used in the Soviet space program -  Voskhod factory in Kaluga actually have the Rocket stamp on them.  The Reflektors I believe you have, were also used in the space program and were made at the plant in Saratov.
 
PM me as a have some spare pairs of these '74's and some of the '75's available.
 
PSS - No worries on pushing these tubes - they were made to take it.  The glass is thicker then the Euro or US made tubes.
 
Sonically - You'll see in my posts - that best of these have a great trait - they have much 'headroom' and don't lose their clarity, focus and sound staging when the going gets loud and complex.  Some tubes just hit the wall and turn muddy.

 

[sfo1972]

 
LOL!  They finally hit the burnin marker! 
 
FYI - For those new here - the HG's refer to my #1 tube the 'Holy Grail' 6N23P '75 Reflektor Silver Shield with SWGP.
 
Cheers!

Oh yeah....they hit that mark all right buddy. My marathon ran for several hours on both HPs and Speakers and I have a lot to digest as far as depth, layers, and complexity. I actually need a couple of days to wrap my head around this. Definitely compare it to other tubes to be able to articulate why they are so damn good.
 
Stay tuned boys and girls and I will give you impressions in a couple of days.
 
Cheers

 

[rb2013]

 
Oh yeah....they hit that mark all right buddy. My marathon ran for several hours on both HPs and Speakers and I have a lot to digest as far as depth, layers, and complexity. I actually need a couple of days to wrap my head around this. Definitely compare it to other tubes to be able to articulate why they are so damn good.
 
Stay tuned boys and girls and I will give you impressions in a couple of days.
 
Cheers

Can't wait

 
How many hours?  They keep getting better out past 200.
 
It takes a little time for your mind to adjust - it's such a change.  That holographic projection effect can really play tricks on you.  On my HD800's it freaks me out sometimes - the sounds coming from behind you.  I have to take the HPs off and turn around - I sometimes think its my wife calling me.
 
FYI New Black Keys 'Turn Blue' is especially freaky in the mixing/recording 360 degree effect is awesome (so is Auerbach's guitar).  I bought the LP and then digitalized it at 32bit/176k Wave.  Wowzer!
 
Cheers!

 

[Oskari]

  Reading about the German made CCa's (Siemens and Tele) on the Brent Jesse website - he mentions they had 'carefully controlled frame grid windings' …

 
One could say that this is true for any frame grid tube by design.
 
See http://www.jogis-roehrenbude.de/Roehren-Geschichtliches/ECC88-Familie/ECC88-Familie.htm in German but with nice pictures.

 

[Guidostrunk]

Bro. This pic is priceless. I was in tears from laughing so hard. Best descriptive post to date. I totally saved it. Hilarious man.

@rb2013.....HGs marathon started rocking the house....currently playing 'Hotel California' as I write this, reaction so far on every single track played....

 

[rb2013]

   
One could say that this is true for any frame grid tube by design.
 
See http://www.jogis-roehrenbude.de/Roehren-Geschichtliches/ECC88-Familie/ECC88-Familie.htm in German but with nice pictures.

As my German is a little rusty - what BJ is implying that the CCa was 'special' in terms of the winding isn't unique to the CCa - but applies to all frame grid tubes?

 

[HK_sends]

  *snip*
 
re: the socket savers, they gave up a lot of crap on a wooden cotton swab soaked in 99% isopropyl alcohol.  After a couple passes they were clean enough to re-treat with DeoxIT Gold (from the Tube Survival Kit).  I also used the thinnest wire brush tool to clean out all the sockets (inside the Lyr, too), and a healthy dose of compressed air.  All that before I rolled the CCas four days ago.
 
*snip*

 
Hey guys, every now and again the fine folks at Tubemonger as me to post some information in response to something they see in the thread.  They keep an eye on it so they can provide helpful responses to questions/issues and because they want us to enjoy our tube experience.
They asked me to pass this along in response to the above:
 
"Never a good idea to soak socket saver in any solvent. What he has done has caused the silicone to dissolve and that is what he is assuming is the gunk.
Again, please do not try to clean socket savers with any solvent."
 
Hope that helps...
 
Disclaimer: I am not an employee of TubeMonger and have no connection with them other than being a long time customer.
Cheers!

-HK sends

 

[rb2013]

   
 

Thanks for the input guys. Well someone already beat me to it...Brent Jessie had a pair of Teles E88CCs Germany for $95/pr tested good a few days back, now gone. 
 
Next time, I won't wait and just jump on it. 
 

 

I've been eyeballing these Telefunken E188CC's for $425/pr.  That's actually not a bad price.  I did just pay $320 for a pair but they are coming from an Eastern European Ebay dealer - my experience is that buying there can certainly be hit or miss.  I want a good pair for the Grand Lyr Tube shootout.
 
Might grab these from BJ.  Will have to call him as his listing shows E188CC and his description shows E88CC.
 

 

E188CC / 7308 Telefunken, white label, gold pins.MATCHED PAIRS

New Old Stock white Box. Fabulous vintage white label German made Telefunken E88CC tubes. Ultra low noise, matched triode sections, heavily plated gold pins. Carefully matched to within 2 percent. SINGLE TUBES, WHEN AVAILABLE, ARE $200.00 EACH. These have been rated by audiophiles as as good if not better than the famous Amperex 6922, and rivalling the famed Amperex 7308 white label tubes!

$425.00 per pair

1 pair, 1 single

 
PS I'm intrigued by these as they beat out the $1000/pr Tele CCa's that I have always been curious about.  The HK tube club shootout - blind test of 14 top 6DJ8 type tubes.  These Tele's came in a close second to the Siemens CCa's gray shields.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/673709/schiit-lyr-tube-rollers/5205#post_11338105

 

[sfo1972]

 
Can't wait

 
How many hours?  They keep getting better out past 200.
 
It takes a little time for your mind to adjust - it's such a change.  That holographic projection effect can really play tricks on you.  On my HD800's it freaks me out sometimes - the sounds coming from behind you.  I have to take the HPs off and turn around - I sometimes think its my wife calling me.
 
FYI New Black Keys 'Turn Blue' is especially freaky in the mixing/recording 360 degree effect is awesome (so is Auerbach's guitar).  I bought the LP and then digitalized it at 32bit/176k Wave.  Wowzer!
 
Cheers!

They crossed the 50+ hours mark on the Isotek CD with the spectrum sweep - drove me nuts for days, but I didn't want to listen to them until they hit 50 hours. So I started around the 50 hours mark and ran the marathon for about 10 hours so they stand at 60+ hours now.
 
I ran through a varying battery of albums: Dire straits, beatles, eagles, knopfler, daft punk, sting, krall, etc. I even pumped some george winston through to see how they performed with Piano. Knocked my socks off...
 
I will try those tracks you mentioned.
 
Simply awesome man!

 

[sfo1972]

Bro. This pic is priceless. I was in tears from laughing so hard. Best descriptive post to date. I totally saved it. Hilarious man.

Hahahaha....you guys will have to excuse my whacky sense of humor.... 

 

[Guidostrunk]

I seriously can't stop laughing at that pic. It's priceless bro. Pretty much sums it up. Lol

Hahahaha....you guys will have to excuse my whacky sense of humor.... 

 

[rb2013]

 
They crossed the 50+ hours mark on the Isotek CD with the spectrum sweep - drove me nuts for days, but I didn't want to listen to them until they hit 50 hours. So I started around the 50 hours mark and ran the marathon for about 10 hours so they stand at 60+ hours now.
 
I ran through a varying battery of albums: Dire straits, beatles, eagles, knopfler, daft punk, sting, krall, etc. I even pumped some george winston through to see how they performed with Piano. Knocked my socks off...
 
I will try those tracks you mentioned.
 
Simply awesome man!

Oh - you are in for a treat!  Wait until hour 100...better setup an IV line - you may not want to get up for the next hundred.

 

[Oskari]

  As my German is a little rusty - what BJ is implying that the CCa was 'special' in terms of the winding isn't unique to the CCa - but applies to all frame grid tubes?

 
Mine was an additional viewpoint. I can't speak for him.
 

1. https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=&sl=de&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jogis-roehrenbude.de%2FRoehren-Geschichtliches%2FECC88-Familie%2FECC88-Familie.htm

 
In short, frame grid is very fine wire wrapped around a rigid frame and positioned very close to the cathode.

 

[sfo1972]

 
Oh - you are in for a treat!  Wait until hour 100...better setup an IV line - you may not want to get up for the next hundred.

 
Will keep you posted