Lyr 3 Discussion Thread

Haha noo, I wasn't considering Lyr 3 for preamp duties - I was considering it for Headphone upgrade from Jot.

 

Now that is funny, and sadly an excellent prediction!

 

I ordered a Lyr 3 w/ MB module (Lymby?). tl;dr it's solid mid-fi but in no way exceptional for $500. For the HD650 I still prefer the Valhalla 2. For the rest of this post I will provide more in-depth thoughts in comparison to the Valhalla 2 as the similarities are there and I also don't care about the feelings, needs or wants of ortho users.

The bulk of my listening was done using CDT>Yggy2>Lyr3>HD650. I started with the stock tube but settled on the Tung-Sol reissue as superior. I find the Lyr 3 to be slightly less resolving (i.e. passes less musical information) than the Valhalla 2. With stock Russian tubes in both overall tonal character is very familiar between the two, however the Lyr has none of the Valhalla's OTL veil and sandy character in the treble. The Lyr is cleaner and purer, it leans closer to a transistor amplifier in terms of clarity with little to no haze.

In terms of micro-dynamics and speed the Lyr & Valhalla would be equals here, except the Valhalla's haze and sandy texture in the presence region severely hold it back with many recordings. The result is that the Lyr is able to present outer details and smaller dynamic shifts much more clearly, though it is the less resolving amp by maybe 5-10%. I actually find the Valhalla to be the more dynamic amp at lower volumes, whereas the Lyr needs to be cranked like nearly all transistor-based amplifiers to achieve satisfactory dynamics.

The largest shortcoming of this amplifier, to my surprise, is the bass reproduction. Originally with the stock tube the bass presentation felt highly disjointed, the closest analogy I can think of is the shitty woofers on Adam monitors being unable to keep up with their much 'faster' AMT tweeters. Bass transients were sluggish and slightly smeared. Switching to the new production Tung-Sol tube helped a good deal but this still stands out to me as a weakness of this amp. Other than the Valhalla's low damping factor and roll-off in the lower octaves (making it unsuitable for electronic genres), I prefer the bass presentation on it entirely to the Lyr. I suspect those using ortho headphones will not care or notice this issue.

Lastly, I find the Valhalla to be more 'immediate' and real sounding, especially in the all important mid-range. The Lyr sounds closer to the Magni 3 here but thankfully seems to be free of the Magni's current-feedback induced veil or off-timbre smoothness. The Valhalla is also more open, airy and seems to place the sonic image some distance in front of you which can be quite addicting. The Lyr headstage is a little better than the Magni but still flat and very much inside the confines of your head.

Based on initial impressions I was hoping Jason finally got his act together and designed an amp that didn't have a massive shortcoming like pretty much everything else in their amp line-up. While this does have less of an overt character than any Schiit amp I've tried before it, I also find it to sound closed in and boring to listen to. These are just my opinions.

P.S. the MB module sounds decent. It's pretty much what I remember the Modi Multibit being like and makes this into a good sub $1000 all-in-one. It seems to take about an hour or two to warm up but that may decrease with regular use. My main issue with it is I am so used to cleaner digital sources like CD transports I cannot listen to a direct USB (Gen 2) connection for more than a few songs without fatigue. I think the only antidote to this is inoculating yourself by always listening to shitty USB.

 

Is there a way to put an Eitr in front of a Lyr3?

 

Sure, like I have....put Eitr in front of Modi Multibit and that in front of the Lyr 3. If you mean directly in front of the Lyr 3, then no...

 

I should have asked specifically about the Lyr3 with the DAC module, for when you're not running a separate DAC.

 

I would be curious to know exactly what tracks you listened to to reach these conclusions. I have a HD600 that I really want to like more than my LCD2C, but I can't make that happen. The bass on the Lyr 3 through the Audeze is pure, controlled and well-defined--at least to my ears. On the HD600, it is slightly (but only slightly) less defined. So, I put down the lack of detail to the HD600, not the amp. When I use the Massdrop X-00s, ooh, so much bass, but it is much less defined. A couple of tracks I use: Tom Ford by Jay-Z, Pat Metheny, (pretty much anything, though I like Are You Going With Me (studio)), Steely Dan (again pretty much anything). Full disclosure: I listen to the LCD2C through Roon with the Audeze presets and some DSP equalization.

 

The HD650 has been my main headphone since 2016, and I have heard this same pair through countless amplifiers and other source gear. At this point I think I am acutely aware of its shortcomings as a transducer. If I hear a certain quality to the bass through the Lyr 3 that I don't hear with other amps, I cannot attribute it to anything but the Lyr 3. I also had suspected that you would not hear the same issue with the Audeze, hence why I mentioned it in my post.

Here is a list of CDs I listened to where issues mentioned above were highlighted to me. Note that I do not use 'test tracks' but instead listen to music I am familiar with at random and find patterns in the reproduction that can be associated with the gear.

Blondie - Parallel Lines (original target CD)
Sinead O'Connor - Sean Nos Nua
Metallica - Ride The Lightning (original Elektra)
Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out (original KRS)
Heavenly - Atta Girl

For overall reference of my taste in music, here's my Last.fm: https://www.last.fm/user/k4rstar

 

As another Lyr 3 owner, I don't really disagree with @k4rstar and @Bill-P 's takes on the amplifer at all. We just have different listening priorities.

For me, dynamics, claritity, and texture are first priorities and in headphone amps. I also want smoothness and lushness with nothing shrill or etched sounding at all since the driver is 1" from my ear and I'm easily fatigued. I don't get along with the Valhallah 2 and before the Lyr 3 came out I considered Schiit's best sounding amps to be Vali 2, Ragnarok and Asgard 2, in that order.

 

IMO, It may be worth noting that enthusiastic impressions of Lyr 3 have not come from HD600/650/6XX lovers in sbaf, at least with basic tubes (either Russian nos or new TS).

I also use HD6XX (Note: I'm kinda having love-hate relationship with senn 6xx's), but Lyr 3 did not do magics to overcome inherent limitations of 6xx. On the contrary, Lyr 3 (with new TS) did decent jobs for NH, and wonder for LCD2C.

Looking forward to hearing Elex+Lyr 3 combination next month.

P.S. Personally and honestly I think we need more negative write-ups for lyr 3.. to make this world more balanced.. Believe truly good things are never unanimously loved.

 

^ Perfectly stated. I am finding that I am gravitating towards amps and headphones which prioritize clarity and this amp has it in spades!
For Lyr 3, I’m finding the combination of HD800SDR with stock tube or TS to be my favorite. I’m still digesting and marinating on this amp, but I think it lives up to its praise.

 

I disagree, kind of. I agree that I'd like to see more negative reviews, but not just so things look balanced. I'd like to see them so we get a better sense of synergy and where it fits for different preferences.

 

This, and I'd also add choice of source material. The bass demands of what I typically listen to, modern jazz, some classical and world, feel to me well handled by the Lyr 3 with Ether C Flow headphones. In particular, double bass pops out convincingly, with a lot of fine detail, which is something I really appreciate when listening to small-ensemble jazz.

 

I appreciate the comments made by @k4star and others. It's good to have listener preference perspective, genre preferences etc when trying to decipher someones thoughts about any gear...especially when you are reading those comments to make a purchasing decision.

That being said, I don't expect any amp to "fix" the bass issues with the 650. Bass response, transient speed of bass and texture of bass has never been a strong suit of the 650 from where I sit. Planar bass has typically been closer to ideal for me, making up for most if not all of those deficiencies mentioned. Lcd 2c, ETHER, AFO and some of the hifiman do amazingly well with bass/sub bass.

AFO is the closest that I've gotten to super 650 both in terms of similar presentation and comfort. And yet, I just can't turn loose of the 650. I guess it's those magic mids. They are just...seductively good. Plus the price of ownership embarrasses most of the competition on price/performance.

The Valhalla 2 never did sound good to me. Even with the 650 and 800 I never found that amp any better than average. It was just too dry for me. I never had any "wow" moments with it and just thought, "well, this is okay."

lyr 3 is on the truck for delivery, so unless the postal ninja can get the better of me I'll be listening to this amp by lunch!

 

This is an expensive hobby, or pursuit. I've lost track of how much mass market gear I've wasted $ on based on popular trend articles, only to be disappointed. The same gear may have been good enough, or enjoyable, to someone else, but didn't work for me.

Definitely good to read opinions of 'this amp doesn't do it for me'. I'm more leery of purely swooning reviews than I am of the honest/critical ones. The former reeks of group think, the later I appreciate.

 

My early impressions on the Lyr 3 are more favorable on the Abyss, as opposed to the Focal Clear. With the Abyss, Lyr 3, Vinshine R2R DAC, the strengths of the Abyss shine through. Thunderous bass, very deep staging, perhaps a bit more narrow compared to the Heron 5, and imaging within the stage. With the Clear, it may (early, and only the Sylvania), it’s weaknesses seem highlighted, a bit bright, tonally tipping to the treble.

@k4rstar , have you tried using the amp only with one of your other DACs?

Oh, and @Gaspasser , I know MattTCG and Iceman well from that other Site and Meets, the message was indeed funny and true.

 

I sincerely appreciate the time you took to make a detailed response.

 

Okay, so here is my stream of consciousness, unfiltered after a 30 minute warm up with the new TS.

1. This is a good amp, very good.

2. Power and finesse just like Jason says on the schiit site. And he's right on the money with that description.

3. If you liked the power and tube flavor of the mjo2 and the detail of the Jot, I can see this being a good choice for you. The lyr3 is better than both those amps. Takes the best qualities from each amp and combines them for what I think is a really attractive price point.

4. Looks nicer in person than the pictures. Handsome even. And finally an amp back on my desk with some heft where I can use a fancy power cable and no wal-wart...woohoo!.

5. Great power and grip on the driver with 650 and ETHER. But nothing overpowering. Hitting the sweet spot nicely.

6. Warm but not hot even after an hour. WAY cooler running than lyr2. WAY better sounding than lyr2 also.

7. If the lyr3 gets any better with tube rolling, this could get serious. Regardless, I really like this amp.

Now, on to some critical listening...