Help me choose one of these tubes for Lyr 3 please.
I decided to hook up my Lyr 3 for a bit, and let it sub for Valhalla 2 for fun.
I have 3 tubes to choose from:
Electro Harmonix 6SN7 standard, from Upscale Audio. It’s a “Kevin’s Stash” which means (supposedly) the best of the bunch, very closely matched, auditioned by the man himself. It’s also been sprinkled with fairy dust and sneezed on by unicorns…
Electro Harmonix 6SN7EH, “gold pins” with red base. Tested and matched, from PCX (Parts Connection, Toronto).
JJ 6SN7 stock tube.
I’ve used all 3, and they are fully burned in. None of them sound “bad” to me, they are all pretty neutral seeming. I’ve never really compared them directly, i.e. start with 1, power down, cool down, swap, warm up again. seems like a fair amount of hassle and then you’re really comparing from memory.
If any of you has any thoughts or strong preferences I’d appreciate your thoughts.
And don’t tell me to get a Treasure Globe please!
(btw Vic, where did you get yours?)
I’ve tried about a dozen tubes in my Lyr 3. This includes the factory modern Tung-Sol and a wide variety of vintage tubes (see my old summary description here). I also own Schiit’s LISST, their solid-state tube substitute.
My gut tells me your three options will indeed sound about the same. In my experience changes to the physical construction of the tubes, to include glass tube length, plate differences, and internal build variations, deliver the most obvious sound differences. This gives vintage models uniqueness if not superiority, as I alternatively love, feel “meh,” or truly hate some of my vintage “big name” tubes.
Some examples from memory, and can dig up more notes if you want them:
The LISST falls in between tubes and the solid state sound – it has the best staging and technicalities of all, but is still laid-back and harmonics-friendly and not unlike my true glass tubes.
The Schiit bundled Tung-Sol is pretty neutral. It’s okay but kind of boring…perhaps akin to your 3 tubes.
A vintage Ken-Rad black glass is my most technical true tube. It’s a bit softer and rounder but still pretty technical.
Vintage Fotons are common, inexpensive, and stereotypically “tubey” – loads of creamy harmonics, thick, and very gentle.
The LSSST is a good thing to get in any case. Like @generic I have a few choices. The LSSST gets a lot of time as does the Treasure Globe. I also like a vintage RCA red base.
To my ears, Lyr is more “precise” than Valhalla, but Valhalla delivers sound with more “ease”. No matter the sound, Valhalla has more than enough room for it to breathe. With Lyr the sound might hit the ceiling, but it never exceeds the capacity available for sound - the sound is just a little sharper than it is on Valhalla.
You know after thinking it over, I decided to leave Valhalla 2 in place.
For my use case, all it is used for is to drive my ZMFs. It is a baby tube amp, but it sounds pretty heavenly with Atrium, Verite (especially), and Aeolus. It is perfectly suited for them, and has more than enough punch for them. It’s a fun contrast with Burson Soloist GT.
I should sell my Lyr 3, since I’m not really using it…
I think that’s an excellent decision. I suspect I too will keep Valhalla even after my DNA arrives. Like you said, it’s a “baby tube amp” but it really does have remarkable synergy with Verite.
Winter is here and I’m using the Folkvangr to keep my cubicle warm.