[8761454]

Pretty much the same as my `58`s. Different from the "stock" Heerlen sound of the 60`s (O-getter). Increased detail, depth, tight bass, not quite the 60`s midrange, excellent from top to bottom, especially the highs. Very different from my PW pairs and my 60`s-70`s Heerlen`s. Heerlen done right.

Missed the delivery, won't be able to pick up until Friday.... More waiting...

 

[Gibson59]

I've had my Lyr 2/Bimby stack for about five months now.  Been through a few tubes at the recommendation of a friend who knows tubes via his guitar amp interests.  I thought i'd both share here a bit and ask for some insight.  I really didn't like the stock Lyr tubes right off the bat so i was quick to do some rolling
 
Here's how I rank what i've got to play with:
 
RCA 6BZ7 - 1st place (by far!)
Sylvania 6922 - 2nd
Schiit LISST - 3rd
RCA 6DJ8/ECC88 - 4th
Stock Lyr tubes - 5th place
 
And here are my thoughts on each:
 
RCA 6BZ7
I'll start with my favorite tubes so far.  I have yet to pay big $$$ on Telefunkens or any E88CC CCa's and the like, but i enjoy these tubes so much i honestly never feel any strong inclination to try anything else (aside form pure curiosity).  Not claiming they are the holy grail (i'm new to tubes so i don't know what i don't know), but to my ears they are just wonderful.  Vast soundstage and airy, but they retain some meat to the music.  They are warm and smooth but not at the detriment of resolution and separation of instruments and layered sound.  Not heavy but full bass when it's expected, not bloated at all.  For me these just do all my genres of music well (mostly classic rock, jazz and classical).
 
Sylvania 6922 
These sound a bit clinical to me.  They are pretty resolving but they lack much if any warmth.  Really tight bass, to me their best attribute.  Satisfactory soundstage, not super wide, but not disappointing either.  Just not much energy to these which i missed with them.
 
Schiit LISST 
I gotta say i have mixed feelings about them.  They don't overtly doing anything poorly, they're just kind of transparent and don't have much presence, which i suppose in some situations can be valuable.  To me they narrow the soundstage quite a bit and sound a little lifeless.  I know they won't be warm like tubes, it's not that, there's just nothing special about them to my ear.  They'r also a bit dry sounding.  They've only been used for about 5-6 hours so maybe they need to be burned in to open up a bit?  I won't return them, it's nice to always have a backup, something solid state for the right headphones, or at least something kinda cool and novel to let friends listen to who may have never heard "tubes" like this.
 
RCA 6DJ8/ECC88
The first tubes i rolled in the Lyr.  EXTREMELY warm and syrupy, to the detriment of a lot of my music.  Some of the notes just sound like they almost fall apart.  I don't know how to articulate exactly which notes or what frequency, but it tends to be in the treble region, like on certain guitar notes.  When i first heard these i kind of assumed that to achieve this lush warm sound I would have to sacrifice other sound characteristics i was hoping for... this changed when i finally heard the RCA 6BZ7.
 
Stock Lyr tubes 
Not to sound super picky and i was just getting into tubes for my first time, but from the moment i put these in I was disappointed.  Smallish soundstage, thin, boring.  Immediately i wanted to try other tubes in hope that the lackluster sounds was the tubes and not my new amp.  Thankfully it wasn't the amp
 
I was fortunate enough to be given all of these tubes for free with the exception of the LISST.  The problem is, i really don't know anything about the tubes, their history, how they are received by others etc.  I have done some searching online and really can't seem to locate any of these exact tubes anywhere.  Are any of them sought after and/or valuable or are they just run of the mill?  Not that i need to justify my enjoyment of them, but i'm curious if my favorite RCA 6BZ7s will be $200 or $20 to replace for instance.  Thanks in advance for any insights!
 
Here are some photos for reference...

 

 

 

 

 

[billerb1]

 

 

  Got my Valvo 7L4 `59 Heerlen d-getters in, hard to do a comparison with my other d-getters since I changed tubes in my dac and different cans, sounds very good. No noise or microphonics on MJ2. 

 


Screw the comparison then TK, how do they sound ? Curious if your take is the same or different from mine.

Pretty much the same as my `58`s. Different from the "stock" Heerlen sound of the 60`s (O-getter). Increased detail, depth, tight bass, not quite the 60`s midrange, excellent from top to bottom, especially the highs. Very different from my PW pairs and my 60`s-70`s Heerlen`s. Heerlen done right.

 
Yeah that's it.  Figured they'd be very similar or the same as your '58's.  They are really a special find.

 

[Charente]

  ...
 
Here's how I rank what i've got to play with:
 
RCA 6BZ7 - 1st place (by far!)
Sylvania 6922 - 2nd
Schiit LISST - 3rd
RCA 6DJ8/ECC88 - 4th
Stock Lyr tubes - 5th place
 
And here are my thoughts on each:
....

Interesting and informative impressions on sound...your music preferences are similar to mine. What headphone did you use ? I have LISST as well.  I agree they are better (on my headphones) than the stock tubes....they helped to lift some of the HD-650 'veil' with quite a bit of detail but not enough instrument character coming through. IMO the stocks gave a hint of what's possible with tubes but they muddied the sound further in some frequencies on HD-650. 

 

[spyder1]

  Interesting and informative impressions on sound...your music preferences are similar to mine. What headphone did you use ? I have LISST as well.  I agree they are better (on my headphones) than the stock tubes....they helped to lift some of the HD-650 'veil' with quite a bit of detail but not enough instrument character coming through. IMO the stocks gave a hint of what's possible with tubes but they muddied the sound further in some frequencies on HD-650. 

​Just a suggestion, you are dealing w/ 2 variables in using Lyr 2, and Sennheiser HD650's. With the Lyr 2, it is tube rolling, and the Senn 650's, aftermarket headphone cables.

 

[Charente]

 
​Just a suggestion, you are dealing w/ 2 variables in using Lyr 2, and Sennheiser HD650's. With the Lyr 2, it is tube rolling, and the Senn 650's, aftermarket headphone cables.

Thank-you...I take your point about cables, but equally I acknowledge that tubes can have an influence on how headphones sound.

 

[TK16]

   
Yeah that's it.  Figured they'd be very similar or the same as your '58's.  They are really a special find.

Expecting a package today??

 

[billerb1]

 
 


Yeah that's it.  Figured they'd be very similar or the same as your '58's.  They are really a special find.

Expecting a package today??

 


Am picking up the yggy at my local FedEx location at 5:00. Was all prepared to blow out of work when I got notice that it was delivered and was hoping it'd be a lot earlier. Finally called them and they killed all the suspense, saying the earliest it would be there would be 4:00 (Pacific). So now the plan is to blow off work tomorrow and make it a Yggy kind of day. Feel like a kid at Christmas.

 

[winders]

Am picking up the yggy at my local FedEx location at 5:00. Was all prepared to blow out of work when I got notice that it was delivered and was hoping it'd be a lot earlier. Finally called them and they killed all the suspense, saying the earliest it would be there would be 4:00 (Pacific). So now the plan is to blow off work tomorrow and make it a Yggy kind of day. Feel like a kid at Christmas.

Getting an Yggdrasil is like having Christmas every time you listen to it!

 

[TK16]

 

 
 

   
  Yeah that's it.  Figured they'd be very similar or the same as your '58's.  They are really a special find.

  Expecting a package today??

 


Am picking up the yggy at my local FedEx location at 5:00. Was all prepared to blow out of work when I got notice that it was delivered and was hoping it'd be a lot earlier. Finally called them and they killed all the suspense, saying the earliest it would be there would be 4:00 (Pacific). So now the plan is to blow off work tomorrow and make it a Yggy kind of day. Feel like a kid at Christmas.

Cool, congrats!!

 

[tvnosaint]

Congrats or good luck Billy. Tk, the difference sounds much like Hamburg 7dj8s vs e88cc from the 60s. I took those outta my dac after switching to the iha6 as an amp. Abundance of energy in the upper registers. Got the e188ccs in there for a bit. Then back to sammys yellow magic.

 

[billerb1]

 

Am picking up the yggy at my local FedEx location at 5:00. Was all prepared to blow out of work when I got notice that it was delivered and was hoping it'd be a lot earlier. Finally called them and they killed all the suspense, saying the earliest it would be there would be 4:00 (Pacific). So now the plan is to blow off work tomorrow and make it a Yggy kind of day. Feel like a kid at Christmas.

Getting an Yggdrasil is like having Christmas every time you listen to it!

 
Well even with the extremely high expectations I had...and  even ice cold out of the Schiit box...the yggy is an absolute quantum leap upgrade...and i loved my Bimby.  All I can say is I've rarely been as engaged gigging as I was listening last night.  Such a regal, almost overwhelming presentation.  Instrument timbre like being there.  Does drums like I've never heard on headphones...and pianos...and guitars...and.  Winders, you were right in spades.  Man, I am in for one long, incredible ride.  So freaking excited.  

 

[ThurstonX]

  Well even with the extremely high expectations I had...and  even ice cold out of the Schiit box...the yggy is an absolute quantum leap upgrade...and i loved my Bimby.  All I can say is I've rarely been as engaged gigging as I was listening last night.  Such a regal, almost overwhelming presentation.  Instrument timbre like being there.  Does drums like I've never heard on headphones...and pianos...and guitars...and.  Winders, you were right in spades.  Man, I am in for one long, incredible ride.  So freaking excited.  

 
Wow, and congrats, B.  That's some high praise.  Even the prophet didn't see that coming

 

[MattTCG]

Agreed Bill. The yggy is otherworldly. It takes headphones to a new level, hypnotic. 

 

[kelim]

Getting a 1st gen Schiity Lyr in the mail today. Stock tubers. Pysched as a mofo! Can't wait to nerd out on them with my HD600. Dac is Micca Origen+, hope it doesn't bottleneck it.