Schiit Lyr+ www.schiit.com/products/lyr ETA Headphones www.etaheadphones.com Support the Channel by Shopping on Amazon amzn.to/3W8vsgK Cheap Audio Man Store Front shop.howl.me/cam Join the best hifi community out there! patreon.com/cheapaudioman TRY ROON roonlabs.com/r/RTmYWdCP9kitqouBa5pcIw Tidal Deal bit.ly/3siuqSF Amazon Unlimited Music Trial amzn.to/3DRAVj9 Crutchfield shop-links.co/cguPK8XEGmt Best Buy Deals shop-links.co/cf9yDZeYtUH amzn.to/3GkNaop CAM Store (New Products!) bit.ly/30Lgu4K apos.audio?sca_ref=552340.TY98BPcZ6P massdrop.7eer.net/qnOye5
Hold down the gain button on the front for two secs and it’ll switch between tube and mosfet modes. Electro harmonix tube was a huge upgrade for me. Less muddy more clarity and air then the shipping tube but still just enough tubiness for a pleasant listening experience.
When I got my SVS Ultra Bookshelves, I got that smile, and still have it. I now have my MT-604 with Soviet Military 6J1P-EV tubes, and my smile just got wider , with many thanks to you and Neil Blanchard. Thank you for your time and effort for this review.
@Rob Wolf , I am sure you will love your Ultras as is, but powering the power amp through the MT-604 just adds to the overall encompassing sound field. I discovered a whole new way of listening with the Ultras that I have never heard in 64 years of listening to music. But I have just fallen down the tube rolling rabbit hole, which is another story altogether. 😂
That’s a very good rabbit hole to fall into, my friend! Btw, I’m also running Voskhod tubes in my mt-604 and love it. It’s such a bummer to me on the headphone side of things that there isn’t a single ended output as well. There are certain headphones (like my Grado hemps) that I’d love to hear on that setup compared with my other solid state gear but can’t as they’re presently hard wired for single ended only. But beggars can’t be choosers, and at $170 for the amp, I’d say that’s an entirely little nitpick with an otherwise well-built good sounding unit.
@@davidcoons89 , thank you so much for your reply and input. I'm still awaiting my second pair of Voskhods before testing the sound with those. I was also told the Siemens were a good tube to try too, and so it continues. 🤪. Take care my friend and enjoy your sound as best you can.
been a fan of Schiit Audio ever since I took a gamble on buying the 1st gen Modi/Magni combo about 7 years ago to drive all of my headphones regardless of impedance. I was blown away. I could not get past how accurate and how much power could come from a $99 headphone amp. Of course the DAC is amazing. Still using the Magni, unfortunately my Modi quit working but it was after the 5 year warranty expired but it ran 24/7 for years. Worth it.
I get what you saying and you right, but we are talking about a 100 dollar product. What did your NAD Cost back then? I’m sure it was more then 100 bucks.
I think that the quality of products in hi-fi is better today. Boards are fiberglass, years ago most were phenolic, connectors and jacks were often sheet or press metal, today many on even lost cost gear are machined, etc. But it could be that modern designs generate more heat, or are stressed more often. Look at rubber grip coatings, many are turning into glue. A lack of long term testing of materials, insulation, and lax controls for Q&A mean that paints, coatings, adhesives aren't lasting decades, but years. Strange with computers leading to closely led tolerances even for cheap parts, yet TVs fail in 4-5 years according to studies, etc. I have thirty years old gear, NAD, Proton, Dynaco, etc., That wasn't built with top shelf components but still work, while I have new gear that fails, built with much higher quality components. Go figure
I bought my first DAC about 4 years ago, the Modi 3. I could not believe the improvement in sound. I had thought the muddy sound I had been getting was because of my cheap headphone amps. It wasn't. I then upgraded my amp to the Lyr 3 and continuing down the rabbit hole. I'm getting a LISST tube for it to find out what sonic differences there are and then will likely try some regular tube rolling. Then it's time to upgrade my headphones.....
In reference to the tube cover and kids, I had to disassemble my subwoofer the other day because there was a strange rattle to the bass. Inside I found several toys they had stuffed in the hole. Now I keep the sub plugged except when in use. 🙂
I am pretty sure that you can find a tube that does give it the bass punch. And a stepped attenuator should not be overlooked - excellent channel balance, and should be silent on the headphones.
Just got my LYR++ and it was an unexpected game changer for me. I tried a variety of my headphones on both analog in from my Modius dac and optical in from my marantz cdp. I liked the stock tube, and I put in the recommended Tung Sol 6sn7GTB. (Because...internet peer pressure). Biggest surprise: Meze 99c. On my Magni 3 and heresy amps my Meze 99 classics were very good. On this amp? They scaled up to beyond what the other amps could do. So yes, the LYR _++ is a BIG upgrade from the magni3 and heresy. All the detail, but FAR more musicality and space now. The low bass (one of the reasons I have the Meze) was phenomenal! This is a better sounding product with more headphones than either the darkvoice or woo wa6. IF you are on the fence, get one. It is THAT good. I like it better than the OTL Jotunheim and asgard too on all my headphones. OH great, now I had to order a bifrost 2/64 instead of my modius maximus.
I just picked one of these up used. It's my first step into tubes after more than a decade of SS at many price points. I've got to say I'm enjoying the hell out of it and it's easily my favorite Schiit product that I own.
I am a Schitt fan, 3 DACs that stay on constantly, and the Lyr2. The power toggle is still on the back sucks for me. That's one of the reasons I don't use the Lyr2 anymore. The power toggle on the back in my new rack is a no-go. So what I am going to do is try to put a power switch on the front of the Lyr2, if that works out the Lyr+ is next on my list. If anyone has already made that mod please let me know. Thank Randy for the great review.
This seems like right up my alley to pair with Hifimax XS and Linton speakers. Using the SYS right now, this may be my next upgrade, time to start saving up.
Dang it Randy! You're reviews, amongst other reasons, are going to force me into getting a second job. 😁 Seriously, I'm so glad that you getting to have fun doing all of your work here.
yes. but, I don't want to be that guy, a $599 for amp is not really cheap anymore for channel named like this. just saying. or am I missing something here?
Another fine review. I was just about to get a Lyr+ when I realized I could have a Freya N for the same price. But then I still needed a headphone amp, so I added a Vali2++. I'm new at this and I'm probably doing it all wrong, but right now my system comprises a WiiM Pro with its DAC bypassed going into a Modi Multibit2. The Modi and a Mani2 go through a SYS into a Loki Mini+, and then to the Freya N. The Freya feeds the Vali and an Aiyima A08 Pro, and also a Fosi TB10D in a different room. And several of those choices were based on your recommendations. So thanks again. 👍
@@davidcoons89 It's great for quick-and-dirty fixes, but its usefulness is pretty limited by it only having four bands. It's better than having no equalizer at all, but I wish I'd gotten a Lokius.
IMHO, Schiit should make an SE input extender switch with ~six inputs (in the same format case as the 'ius' range?) and remote control, to accompany their preamp capable units like the Lyr+.
Electro-Harmonix has Sovtek 6SN7s in stock for a nice price. They me get you where you want to be if you cannot find a reasonable Sylvania NOS. Happy listening 🤘
welcome to the tube world! by swapping the modern junk tube to something decent (vintage)you can get a better tone, but since they used a common designation the 6sn7 it's quite expensive. i recommend trying the greatest hits mullard(smooth) and rca(warm), if you want more clarity GE. enjoy
@@jimfarrell4635 amperex brimar siemens and rca will beat it too. old tung sol's will wipe the floor with it. all the russian modern tubes are made in the same factory i call them all sovteks and they will always lose to vintage.
Sylvania 6SN7: The Sylvania 6SN7 that are the Schiit are the ones with the triangle-shaped cross sections on the plates inside the tube. The plate is the large, dark grey or black structure inside the tube. The 6SN7 being a twin triode, has 2 plate structures. The Sylvania 6SN7 triangle plate tubes were made in the 1940’s and early 1950’s. Later Sylvania 6SN7’s have more traditionally shaped plates with a rectangular cross section. I wish I could send you pictures. BTW, don’t be afraid to try used tubes if you find a brand you would like to try. Also, even though the 6SN7 is billed as a twin triode, meaning both sections perform identically, this isn’t always the case. You may find a very slight channel imbalance with different tubes if the 2 triode sections in the tube aren’t precisely matched.
The remote control for the stepped attenuator pushes the value through the roof. It sold my Freya S and Asgard 3 and consolidated down to the Lyr+ to serve as preamp and headphone duties. Reduced some cabling clutter too. Could do without the tube though - I don't think it brings any objective difference to be honest. I just run it in SS so I can leave it on full-time. I think this is Schiit's best offering in the entire lineup.
I was considering the Saga + do go with my power amp. Do you feel anything was lost going to the Lyr from the Freya. I like the headphone option. Now they introduced the Kara preamp / Headphone.
@@zounds13 I just bought a new boat motor so I'm thinking next Xmas I get a set of Tyrs. I have large speakers that love a lot of power. I am actually using a Crown xli2500 500wpc right now, I never have to worry about power, sounds great but I think the Schiit would maybe give me a little better sound.
@@zounds13 I have been working on it for a while. I am also old, 52, so I have finally got my s*** together and can usually afford a nice purchase for myself once a year. My wife gets the rest. lol My main system is an RME ADI-2 dac, Schiit Freya+Noval, Crown xli2500 amp and several sets of speakers. My favorites are my Cerwin-Vega SL-15 because they just freakin jam. I also have an Onkyo txrz820 AVR in the loop with surround and center speakers. Like I said, it's taken years to get here one upgrade at a time. I just don't like AVR sound for music, too filterd. I went the separates route a long time ago and still feel it's the best way to go, though expensive. What is crazy is I have a few grand invested and in audio circles it's still considered a budget system.
Something to possibly replace / upgrade my Little Dot Mk III with by the sound of it 🤔 Used as a headphone into BeyerDynamics DT1990 and pre-amp into Aiyima A07 with Mean Well 48V 9.5A PSU (amp and PSU being modded into a chassi atm) playing through Q Acoustics 3030i. Great review Randy, you got me hooked! 🤘😆 Love the fact to be able to switch from tube and solid state.
Doesn't it make sense to test this with some very good staging speakers in addition to headphones ? Would that show some good comparison ? Maybe the ELAC Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52 ?
Love the power toggle, But I would relocate it to the front, Its such a weird location on the back, Imagine having it in a cabinet and you would have to reach around to try to turn it on/off how awkward would that be?
using the Schit Lyr+ as pre-amp, towards a Willsenton R8 tube amp. The Tung sol 6sn7 does open the soundstage extra like in your review and the solid stage is more detailed and has more bass, but then lacks the soundstage and open mids. I tube rolked to a Psavane Cossor 6sn7 tube, you will then get the bass, detailed mid, but more open mid and a little more airy then the solid stage. In the end i liked the open sound stage better with original Tung sol, for me a more lively, wider soundstage. still looking for a Sylvania 6sn7
Very positive pitch! I'm going to keep an eye on this, while scratching this damn itch. Hell, I still haven't got around to rolling the sparkos discrete op-amps into my Aiyima A07. I already know from it's out of the box sound w/32 watt supplied pwr. supply, and that's against all my others with years of sampling genre/designs from tubes to now. loved it all mostly and the A07... it's a keeper. Special note, I ditched the ac to dc route. I now power my class d, tri path and the likes with car batteries :). Zero noise. Thanks for the great reviews and I still love the original intro and my coffee. It the hook that caught me.
Talking about people who have more than 1 or2 inputs' what do you think about PJ MIROLAI stereo pre-amp 4 RCA inputs it is a tube pre-amp. $79.00 e-bay
I just bought it for my Arya and I really love the sound of it, it's delightful, but I have a problem though: it's supposed to be 9.0 watts (around 6 W at the Arya impedance) and able to drive any headphones, but there is no way this amp is 9W. My previous amp was the Hifiman EF400 (4.4 W) and I never pushed it more than 40%, with the Lyr I'm at least at 75% all the time, even in high gain mode...
I don't know if I'm alone in this, but the Lyr+ has a feature that is crucial for me and I don't think it got mentioned. It has a button to switch from the preamp outs to the headphone outs, so no need to plug and unplug my headphones at my desk setup
There's a related issue that isn't discussed. Unfortunately, engaging the pre out switch doesn't switch off the hp output. So you risk overdriving your headphones if you leave them plugged in, depending on how efficient your speakers are, and how loud you listen.
@@davido4872 ah. Too bad. Thanks for letting me know. I wish this feature wasn’t so hard to find. It makes a desktop, work from home setup so nice. I’ve really only found the Drop THX AAA one that does it.
I know that feeling Randy!! I was able to grab a Schiit Freya N on closeout before they sold out and it sounds amazing! It's astonishingly good for the price IMHO. I might have to check this one out. I wonder if it can run a single LISST solid state tube?
Thanks for the shout out to a great home grown headphone manufacturer and the ETA Mini Semi-Closed. I, like you am not ready for a tube power am but like the option that the Lry+ gives to have tube pre-amp. I am currently boycotting all Russian made product therefore the Tung Sol 6SN7gtb is not my 1st choice. I plan to purchase the EH Gold but am also considering the the Ultrasone PRO 780i or the Sylvania 6SN 7GTB as and am wondering if anyone here has any recommendations? I primarily chose this amp over Singxer SA-1 due to the more ‘real’ higher power output that is said to be 5 watts @ 50ohm so I can pair it with my Hifiman HE6 SE. I really like this pairing but with the lower ‘high’ gain and linear volume control it has me set the Lyr+ to 3 o’ clock position to get decent volumes with this pairing. I was wondering if you or anyone could recommend a comparable single ended DAC…. I understand that the Bifrost 2/64 is better sounding as balanced.
Content suggestion: I wouldn't mind seeing a review of media players? Forgive me if you already have done so. I'm still on the 1st generation logitech slimdevice because it still works and because of its sound. I don't like not having something that will do newer streaming services and the server\client set up a Slimdevice requires. I would like to see someone do reviews of sub $100 and the $100 to $200 category. Thanks in advance!
For Media Players - it's not really ideal to spend a lot of money on one unless you have some super hifi setup. As in reality you are bypassing the DAC/ AMP anyway into a stack. From what I've seen most people use tablets, ipods or some self made Raspberry Pi solution. You can use an app like Hibi's Player to control one device from another. If you really want to get a seperate device - you can get a DAP with pre-outputs, which can double as an on the go device. But fair enough - there are issues with that if you are streaming as the OS would get outdated in a few years.
Randy...it's a psychological hold over from your time in the military 😂. When looking down on the tube and holes it's like a Sci-fi Microwave Antenna. 😂
man I have been looking at the schiit gear for awhile. I have heard there magni modi combo and loved it. but i assume i am a oddball cause i love my grado sr80e since i got them (also I got to take a tour of there factory and seen mine assembled ). also love your content. I always love music and have the audiophile label since its more of people that analyze music rather then enjoy it
Nice watch! Been looking at a milspec vintage sub with the domed sapphire glass...maybe a San Martin or similar. Not that I need another watch...but they really do look great.
@@TheDanEdwards Sure and when I go to a museum I deliberately wear the wrong prescription glasses so that the paintings look warmer. Relativity does not entail that there a best and correct way for the senses to engage with the world.
@@JamesJoyce12 It's almost like you don't know that galleries and museums curate their lighting choices. And no, SR and GR have nothing to do with art appreciation.
@7:00 tubes take a while to settle and sound their best. If it's a NOS it has probably been on a shelf for 50 years. I would be interested to see if they don't sound better after some hours of play.
I would like for you to have a look at the Stax Earspeakers, like the SR-L500 MKII. You just have to be brave to put something on your head with that much current and resistance. But people told me that they are unreal in terms of soundstaging.
S0 using the lyr woith tube for headphone you get a nice warm sound like your surrounded;] By the music. Do you have the same effect if used as a pre amp and played through your integrated amp and speakers ? Same warm sound and soundstage etc.
Randy, I like this baby, how is it sound wise compared to the Freya S? I love my Freya S. The S has to be the most underrated preamp out there for the money. It sounds much better than my Freya tube. Any thoughts? Would really appreciate! ;-)
Since they first showed up on Amazon, I’ve always wondered if their Rockville integrated tube amps/receivers are at all worthwhile... For $170 (for the sim woodgrain model or the blue LED one), or $150 for the “plain” model, they seem “too cheap to be good.” With Schitts like these, though-and binging your videos from time to time, over the past couple months-I’ve known fo awhile that “too cheap to be good” isn’t really a thing - and even if Amazon dumped all the Schitts, I’d be more than happily to drop in a Duok or two in my setup! Given some of my “classic” components, though, the woodgrain Rockville would fit so nicely - at least in terms of their visual aesthetic. Without the tubes, it reminds me of my old, mid-‘70s Gerard receiver that my dad gave me when I was a kid, when he was upgrading and gonna throw it away... Among them, though, one of those Rockvilles might be perfect - but I don’t really trust Amazon reviews, as a audiopile. I haven’t seen a review of them, on your site, but so if you could please do (or point me toward) one, that’d be awesome - and greatly appreciated! It might be heartbreaking, but at least I’d know from someone I trust more than anyone I can think of - but to be fair, I did just prep myself pretty good, to listen to some Roxy Music, awhile... Always wonderful videos. Many thanks for those, even if you don’t take requests! Cheers, Carson
As the cheapaudioman slowly gets better stuff... ..he hears it sounds better.. ..he realises he wants more expensive gear... ..he saves up for really expensive gear..
I've owned 2 Lyrs and loved both along with Schiit in general. It's a great sound for the price point. I'm not sure I would be super excited to spend $2k on the Folkvangr but the Lyr + is a great value.
Hey randy, Cool video! I like the amp! I had a quick question... Have you tested USB Audio Interfaces like the Focusrite Scarlett? That's how I get audio out of my computer. I need it to get audio into my computer anyway. Wondering how they compare as a DAC. Thanks!
Would you recommend this solely as a pre-amp? I just rebuilt my grandfather's orginal McIntosh MC275 and was thinking of also getting the Geshelli Labs DAC for a 2 channel system. I just need a pre-amp with a remote to control the volume, so this looks like it might be a good fit.
I disagree about it not having a balanced output. I noticed a difference on my IFI hipdac between the balanced and non-balanced. The balanced is cleaner and very noticeable.
I feel the biggest benefit to balanced outputs is the ability to get greater power to drive tricky headphones rather than lower distortion, but I would rather have one than not. I feel it is the wave of the future in head-fi land.
I disagree as well. Balanced makes a big difference. At the minimum they could have provided a balanced input for compatibility with other components in your system. As a result of this oversight, this is a no-go for me.
If SOME (not all) of the many digital tracks someone might be listening to are a tad strident, being able to apply some of that juicy analog schmoozing that tube circuits are famous for, this would be the bee's knees. Choice is a good thing.
Add the Bose Sound link Mini 2 to your audio collection. It's great enough to earn respect from me. The only downside about this speaker is that its rolloff frequency is 11khz on the upper end, and 80hz on the lower end. But I think that is for the overall design balance.
here is my $300 question to you, sir : can I use my DAC to feed this for earphone listening and use the RCA outputs to feed an integrated amplifier for home stereo listening?
Does your integrated amp have a main in/ av bypass? The preamp output is variable so ideally you’d want to bypass the preamp section of your integrated amp.
I have an earlier PT-100 preamp. It's good and versatile, but I didn't like its dac. I connected it to a Topping DX3 pro plus dac/amp. The PT-100's internal headphone amp is better than my other sub-$200 headphone amps. I use the PT-100 to feed the SMSL AO200 amplifier to the Polk R200 speakers.
