Lyr 3 Discussion Thread

Just to clarify, Andro + Lyr3 was on low gain. Definitely not dead quiet, but certainly tolerable. Hum is not noticeable during music unless listening to small chamber music and listening for musician farts or shuffling of music pages on music stands.

 

That's disappointing about the Jot. Can you describe the audible difference? I'm planning to get powered monitors (haven't decided which ones) and was going to connect them to my Jot, but I may have to reconsider.

 

Schitt was good about mentioning that LISST can be noisier than tubes, and it was one of the reasons I don't care for LISST in my MJ2 or the Lyr 2 (my 6922 tubes are much quieter), but I am mildly curious why the LISST option doesn't exhibit the same level of hum (no doubt the EE's can explain that).

 

I've been listening to the LISST for a few days now, and I think it sounds okay. Tonally, it is nice and even, no major FR issues, and probably the most flat-ish / neutral sound I've heard come out of the Lyr 3. BUT... You lose all of the staging, and the neutral tonal qualities have a veil that is like a shout through a thick fog that just dulls everything.*

I can't help but think that the only reason one would put a LISST into a Lyr 3 is if they wanted to flagellate their wallet and ears in some kind of sick solid state religious fervor, hellbent on twisting an amazing tube solution into a SS one to conform to some demented audiophool ideals, instead of buying the better sounding and more wallet friendly Jotunheim.**


Edits:
*It's not as bad as I make it out to be. If you want to make your Lyr 3 sound like a Jot, get a LISST.
** Like I said, the Lyr 3 doesn't sound bad with LISST. It's just not worth it $$ wise. Buy the Jot if you need SS.

 

Not yet, I’ve been too busy for a careful comparison. What I can say is that I have not been pushed back to the HP-1, the Lyr 3 is that engaging. My feeling at this point is that the HP-1 is slightly cleaner in the mid-upper range, but the Lyr 3 has a more "present" low-mid range (great jazz double bass) and better layering/depth of field. The best way I can so far describe the difference is that HP-1 is like a good modern-design concert hall while Lyr 3 is more like an intimate older jazz club or chamber music room.

 

Exact same impression I had using LISST in the MJ2 (and later when I tried in the Lyr 2). Just not my cup of tea even if it is 'accurate'? That is the nice way to say it. With LISST where did all the magic go? Just gone for me in these amps. I've given up on pure SS amps anyway, but yea, if someone really wants an SS solution probably better to just pick one that is SS from the start.

 

Agreed. Don't get me wrong - if you don't give a crap about sound stage because you use closed cans, or tone totally trumps everything else for you, it is a very serviceable way to go. It just doesn't seem to make sense from a $$ point of view to me.

I'm sure there are some out there who will love how this sounds.

 

To each their own works - cool!

I have a lot of praise for the MJ2. Not that it's perfect, a touch of haze (though well randomized to my ear so it doesn't annoy me), a bit of compression, and few other minor quibbles, but it still sounds amazing with tubes. From what I am reading Lyr 3 takes it to another level, so super tempeted. But LISST in the MJ2 or Lyr2 just doesn't do it for me, but then again nor do my previous SS amps. I've become addicted to that holographic sound stage, and organic sound using a tube in the chain. Plus like @Elnrik wrote, with LISST I felt like I was listening through a fog, at a distance (could just be noise, but it seemed like repetitive noise, and grated on my nerves).

I do think it makes sense though that Schiit offers LISST, very smart! For some it may be their preferred sound, but yea, if you are going to pay more for a tube amp like Lyr 3, yea, it makes sense to enjoy the tubes Thanks for the impressions of LISST though.

p.s. If you are reading Schiit, you know I want a MJ3 that incorporates what you've done with Lyr 3 plus 1 notch That's a hint.

 

“So why didn’t you put balanced on this, like Jotunheim?
Because there ain’t no way it would fit. To do balanced (real balanced—don’t assume that every amp with a 4-pin XLR on it is really balanced), you’re looking at two tubes and twice the output stage and a whole lot more connectors. That simply wouldn’t fit. No way, no how. Look at how much transformer and power supply has to go into Lyr 3.”

I’d guess a MJ3 could easily be a balanced Lyr 3 based on the above faq off of Schiit’s website. All that stuff would fit in the bigger chassis. Or maybe they want to keep the circlotron technology in the Mjolnir?

That being said they’ve obviously shown they are not opposed to totally changing things and undercutting their own products.

 

We will see, but yea, I noticed that comment on Schiit's website too. Reading between the lines, and because it's my bias, I read it as a balanced Lyr 3 was doable

In reality though balanced really doesn't make much difference, if any, but gonna hold off a bit. For $500 though, the Lyr 3, from what others describe, looks like the sweet spot on a curve.

 

@purr1n do you have a tube you'd recommend for the Lyr 3 and Elex pairing?

 

He said he’s using a super secret tube he won’t tell anyone.

 

Damn. I was hoping for the Elex pairing it would be something else. Like the stock Russian one that comes with the Lyr 3 that I don't have to spend extra on.

 

That one is very decent. Start with the stock tube, find out what you want to improve upon sonically, then go hunting from there. I'm dead serious.

The stock tube in this is kind of like the stock tube in the MCTH - its one of the best right off the bat.

 

Really? The Soviet era 6N8S tube I have heard aren't as good as the mediocre western 6SN7 tubes. What tube is Schiit including? I guess I will know Monday or Tuesday when my Lyr 3 shows up. If it is the same as the tubes shipped with Freya, I would be surprised to hear it is all that good. Maybe it has some synergy with the Lyr 3 it did not have with Freya.

In my experience, the only Soviet Era 6N8S tube I ever thought was good were the Melz metal base 6N8S tubes with the round holes in the plates. Oh, I didn't even think those were all that they were supposed to be.

 

I think so.

A 6N8S tube. Black base. There are a ton of them on eBay. Probably the same as Freya.

Those are all over $100 a tube. I doubt I'll ever buy one. They look nice.

I really do think the stock tube is very decent. The new production TS that Schiit sells is brighter, more treble/detail, and very good too. The Sylvania chrome dome I have sounds rolled off on both ends in comparison. The KenRad bottom getter is bright, kind of U shaped (which might work for some headphones, but not mine). Etc...

Out of 7 tubes I've rolled so far, the nos Russian is in the top 3. Of the top 3 tubes I've tried, none of them cost more than $25. The most expensive tube I've put through there is a KenRad black glass 6SN7 at $150/per, and it barely made top 5.

This is with Modi Multibit and ZMF Eikon.

Edited for spelling

 

I haven’t heard Elex, but the stock Russian NOS and Sylvania 6SN7 GTB chrome dome are very good pairings with Clear (to me they are better than TS new production with Clear).
As @winders correctly points out that the Russian NOS tube seems to be the same stock tube in Saga and Freya which didn’t work well in that application. However, it is a different animal altogether in Lyr 3.

EDIT: I suspect MCTH might have better synergy with Elex just as it does with Clear.

 

Along with the stock tube, here are the tubes I will be trying:



They are, from left to right:

1. A real 3 hole Sylvania "Bad Boy" tube from 1953
2. Sylvania JAN CHS 6SN7W
3. RCA grey glass

The Bad Boy should be good. But, the 6SN7W may be the sleeper. I suspect the RCA grey glass will be too lush....

 

Finally I got to hear Lyr 3 via Nighthawk. It was extremely difficult to escape from magical synergy of Lyr 3 + LCD2C ..
Nighthawk is, as wrote in another thread, very amp picky once bass and lower mid are tamed by EQ. Both Taboo 4 and Jotenheim didn't do justice very well.

Tested chain: ADI2 - Lyr3 - Nighthawk.
EQ applied: -5db@800hz Q=0.9 (shelf), -8db@7khz Q=2.0 (peak)

1. With a high gain (of lyr 3), there was an audible and annoy-able hum. Changing to a low gain, it became relatively silent. But not as dead silent as jot.
2. Treble is still a bit tizzy, but much less so than taboo, jot, and adi-2 hp out. Probably due to slightly laid back presentation of Lyr 3.
3. Overall I like how this combination sounds. Lyr 3 drives NH well, and shows what NH is truly capable of. At least with this amp and dac+eq, I will always take NH over modded 6xx (Note: YMMV.. I generally prefer better technicality to better tonality). Still my top choice (among my collection) is LCD2C though. Kinda think Lyr 3 is still a little sub-optimal for NH. Maybe there will be a magical tube that works better for NH (than current TS new 6sn7gtb).