I am sure. What I am trying to understand is if I compare a similarly priced speaker from let’s say Monitor Audio or Elac or Wharfedale what would make the Lyrira speaker stand apart ?
Lyrita Audio new website
- Thread starter viren bakhshi
- Start date
Sushant Sharma
Well-Known Member
After a couple of auditions in the last few days, I have bought the Lyrita Horn Grande speakers today. 15inch beyma bass driver, 1.4 inch compression with lecleech wood horn. Same model and make that seems to have existed for a few years now.
To my untrained ears, i couldn't catch too many nuances as compared to vintage altecs in the same boxes when we did a brief AB at Lyrita Audio. Though I am sure differences exist and don't crucify me for saying that. Just my opinion after a very brief listen (one song). I really would have liked and searched for vintage altecs on prior occassions but couldn't find none online as they are becoming more difficult to procure and add to that the work they require to be brough upto specs.
I just loved the Scale, Dynamics and how the speakers sound so real and alive. This is a very different presentation to what i am used to after having lived with the Harbeth C7es3 for over 5 years. SET amps pair really well as per the manufacturer. The speakers are big and not bookshelves but capable of being played in a small room as the audition room is pretty small.
We played a lot of Jazz, piano trios, horns (lots of West Coast jazz), Louis and Ella, a bit of Leonard Cohen and some more avant garde busy jazz. Mr. Bakshi spoke a few times about capturing the emotion being conveyed through the music. Just a few weeks ago and in a converstion, a friend who has been playing the guitar for close to 40 years, had talked about being able to comprehend (on some occasions and not always) the"musical intent" in a given piece of music.
I am very happy with what I heard and think they punch well above their price (though price is slowly getting competitive with increased costs).
Also on a lighter and side note, please visit Lyrita Audio to exorcise any hifi ghosts that haunt you. I was close to being chastised when i brough a few hifi conundrums into the converstion
Brief discussions led to current hifi vocabularies and other such things that take precedence sometimes. I don't know if I said it or Mr. Bakshi did, "live music is not polite then why should its musical reproduction be".
To my untrained ears, i couldn't catch too many nuances as compared to vintage altecs in the same boxes when we did a brief AB at Lyrita Audio. Though I am sure differences exist and don't crucify me for saying that. Just my opinion after a very brief listen (one song). I really would have liked and searched for vintage altecs on prior occassions but couldn't find none online as they are becoming more difficult to procure and add to that the work they require to be brough upto specs.
I just loved the Scale, Dynamics and how the speakers sound so real and alive. This is a very different presentation to what i am used to after having lived with the Harbeth C7es3 for over 5 years. SET amps pair really well as per the manufacturer. The speakers are big and not bookshelves but capable of being played in a small room as the audition room is pretty small.
We played a lot of Jazz, piano trios, horns (lots of West Coast jazz), Louis and Ella, a bit of Leonard Cohen and some more avant garde busy jazz. Mr. Bakshi spoke a few times about capturing the emotion being conveyed through the music. Just a few weeks ago and in a converstion, a friend who has been playing the guitar for close to 40 years, had talked about being able to comprehend (on some occasions and not always) the"musical intent" in a given piece of music.
I am very happy with what I heard and think they punch well above their price (though price is slowly getting competitive with increased costs).
Also on a lighter and side note, please visit Lyrita Audio to exorcise any hifi ghosts that haunt you. I was close to being chastised when i brough a few hifi conundrums into the converstion
Brief discussions led to current hifi vocabularies and other such things that take precedence sometimes. I don't know if I said it or Mr. Bakshi did, "live music is not polite then why should its musical reproduction be".powerslave
Active Member
^ I have been contemplating that move too , I right now have Tube PP driving Audio Notes so I thought I should get into Horn territory as against be neither here nor there. How are they in terms of dynamics and bass ? I don't need chest thumping bass but something that can do justice to say at least Led Zepplin or Pink Floyd if not Iron Maiden or Judas Priest. I will buy an Indian chain in a heart beat if they could play all my music.
Sushant Sharma
Well-Known Member
Hi, the Dynamics were very good. On the jazz we played, the drums sounded very real and the double bass had body and you could hear through it. We did not play any rock or metal.
However on the previous day, I visited a Fellow member who has the same Lyritas (with different drivers and modifications). On his system and besides jazz, we played RHCP and some newer electronic music which the speakers handled well.
naj
Active Member
Hello,
There are very few posts about Lyrita speakers, almost nothing as compared to others. Thanks for the brief review. It’s quite helpful. Please do post a detailed review whenever you get time.
Thanks -
Sushant Sharma
Well-Known Member
Hi. To add to what I reported already, I just added a pair of Fountek super tweeters to the Lyrita speakers. Mr. Bakshi was kind enough to provide crossover for the same. The music has become alive and more energetic and more detail is being retrieved now.
The supertweeters when placed further ahead than the plane of the drivers were more localised but sounded a bit tinny and small. Pushing them back (time alignment it's called, I think) has made them merge with the sound and they now seem to add to the whole.
Best 11k I have spent. It is a very discernible difference with the addition of the super tweeters. Made an additions/upgrade of dueland 12ag speaker cable at the same time.
Congratulations Sushant! Lyrita makes some great gear.
I completely missed seeing your post earlier - superb choice of speaker.
.
Sushant Sharma
Well-Known Member
Thanks Nikhil!
Maybe reach out to a forum member who owns a lyrita system in Bangalore or direcetly to Viren Bakshi.
Hi @Sushant Sharma , Please do share some pics and details of the Fountek super tweeters you used. I was planning to do the same with a pair of old Lyrita Amity speakers. It uses full range Fostex driver which is great for mids but it lacks that energy/presence in highs
Sushant Sharma
Well-Known Member
Hi @SwaroopKS
Here is a photo. The diy cabinets were made very hurriedly for the tweeters and are for visual pleasure only. I chose the fountek 3.5h as the newer x version wasn't in stock at diyaudiocart. This model, I chose is much cheaper in India than anywhere else and great value.
I knew from research, it's best to buy super tweeters with bigger ribbon area as they beam very directionaly but went with these anyways.
Also Kartick on the forum has fostex full range and lyrita horns and he might be able to chime in.
I’m guessing it would be most likely you
. Thank you will reach out to Mr. Viren as well and try and connect with you via dm. Your setup looks fabulous!
Very nice !
BTW from the photo it looks as though the Thomas Schick tonearm is not horizontal but sloping down. usually it results in low bass.. Have you set it to voice the sound or is it a distortion in the photo ?
Sushant Sharma
Well-Known Member
Yes, Arj. The tonearm is not horizontal when placed on the record. This is due to the fact that the tonearm lever is rendered useless if I have the arm horizontal/flat, as the lever does not rise up all the way (upon lifting it) to take the weight of the toneram and falls short. Its easy to play around with the arm height by loosening or tightening the grub screw but i havent bothered to do that in a long time now. Are you saying the tonearm should be flat when put on the record? Thanks.
yes it affects the azimuth of the needle ie the angle the stylus makes with the record which is very important to read it right.
Ill suggest putting a thicker tape/soft material over the felt piece on the arm rest to make sure the needle is slightly above the record while resting on it. . its important the arm is horizondal when it plays...do remember to check and adjust the tracking weight once you get it to that level.
i had the pleasure of meeting the legend himself, @viren, in his den. this has been said forever now, he is such a gracious host, was kind enough to accomodate my colleagues as well, his joy when he saw my colleagues had seen a tube amp for the first time, and expaining them how it is different from a solid state.
Some of key things i wanted to experience was, how does the 2a3 integrated sound on its own, and then a side by side with the DHT pre and 2A3, then the GM 70 integrated, this on the amplification side. on speakers front, i want to try both Grande and the bookshelf (more of a floor stander really). Viren made all of this possible. i am ever thankful for the same.
DHT+2A3 combo has a bit more control and grit, 2a3 on its own is charming and warm, gm70 doesn't have any of the warmth that 2a3 has to offer, but takes control of bass-like nobodies business. so there it was clear to me Lyrita has two particular options for amplification, 2A3 for high-efficiency speakers and the gm 70 for pretty much anything out there. these two are poles apart in what they have to offer, and that was an incredible thing to witness...as both had their strengths and both catered to a very different audiences.
I now wonder how 2A3 monoblocks would work out. didn't ask then. but would be curious.
On the speaker's front, both the bookshelf and the grande had a similar tone, presentation & tonality. Grande of course had a bigger scale, but in a typical living room, it wouldn't matter. Grande would shine better in bigger rooms.
I was short on time and at the same time didn't want to take too much of Viren sir's time, but then he eased us into his sphere, and played both cd's and LPs of his choice, mostly Jazz.
while I had 3 CDs, I just played 1 song each from two CDs. one from Beach House - Bloom and the other from Air - Pocket Symphony, was tempted to play Tame Impala too, but then..time.
my intent in auditioning the speakers, especially the grande with its massive beymas was to see how it plays dense music and some electronic music. I was trying to find a replacement for the JBL 4312E that I had, the JBL's played this kind of music with a lot of authority, and then some more. it was quickly evident, that Lyrita is designed with a specific sound signature, almost like a flute. it had a delectable midrange; bass was not the way I imagined it'd be. with that mental adjustment out, I began to appreciate the speakers by Lyrita for their strengths, which like their Amps, are for its midrange, more than pinpoint imagining, for its room-filling sound stage. upright bass would sound like one, snare drums had its snap, trumpet/sax sounded just Glorious, and so did the vocals.
Overall, a mesmerizing experience. would encourage most to make that time if you are around delhi.
Some of key things i wanted to experience was, how does the 2a3 integrated sound on its own, and then a side by side with the DHT pre and 2A3, then the GM 70 integrated, this on the amplification side. on speakers front, i want to try both Grande and the bookshelf (more of a floor stander really). Viren made all of this possible. i am ever thankful for the same.
DHT+2A3 combo has a bit more control and grit, 2a3 on its own is charming and warm, gm70 doesn't have any of the warmth that 2a3 has to offer, but takes control of bass-like nobodies business. so there it was clear to me Lyrita has two particular options for amplification, 2A3 for high-efficiency speakers and the gm 70 for pretty much anything out there. these two are poles apart in what they have to offer, and that was an incredible thing to witness...as both had their strengths and both catered to a very different audiences.
I now wonder how 2A3 monoblocks would work out. didn't ask then. but would be curious.
On the speaker's front, both the bookshelf and the grande had a similar tone, presentation & tonality. Grande of course had a bigger scale, but in a typical living room, it wouldn't matter. Grande would shine better in bigger rooms.
I was short on time and at the same time didn't want to take too much of Viren sir's time, but then he eased us into his sphere, and played both cd's and LPs of his choice, mostly Jazz.
while I had 3 CDs, I just played 1 song each from two CDs. one from Beach House - Bloom and the other from Air - Pocket Symphony, was tempted to play Tame Impala too, but then..time.
my intent in auditioning the speakers, especially the grande with its massive beymas was to see how it plays dense music and some electronic music. I was trying to find a replacement for the JBL 4312E that I had, the JBL's played this kind of music with a lot of authority, and then some more. it was quickly evident, that Lyrita is designed with a specific sound signature, almost like a flute. it had a delectable midrange; bass was not the way I imagined it'd be. with that mental adjustment out, I began to appreciate the speakers by Lyrita for their strengths, which like their Amps, are for its midrange, more than pinpoint imagining, for its room-filling sound stage. upright bass would sound like one, snare drums had its snap, trumpet/sax sounded just Glorious, and so did the vocals.
Overall, a mesmerizing experience. would encourage most to make that time if you are around delhi.
Sushant Sharma
Well-Known Member
One writes lofty praise and infatuations don't last. This is what I have made of the Lyrita grandes (please refer photos attached). Beautiful Frankensteins. I think they look beautiful in this avatar..
After having lived with them for longer, I still think they play jazz and rock well but fall short in the midrange. Damn you Pops, for you can say Pohtaato and it sounds like potato, this was the song on my audition of the speakers.
The original mid range had a flimsy, el cheapo L pad with 3 resistors only. The crossover for the bass driver I don't trust either and that will be the next change.
Many thanks to a forum member who suggested taking a punt on the z19 crossover (only midrange and HF) with no guarantee how they would perform.
Damn these behemoths have come alive with this change. Could have done this much earlier and not wait a year. Happy I got around to it sooner than never.
After having lived with them for longer, I still think they play jazz and rock well but fall short in the midrange. Damn you Pops, for you can say Pohtaato and it sounds like potato, this was the song on my audition of the speakers.
The original mid range had a flimsy, el cheapo L pad with 3 resistors only. The crossover for the bass driver I don't trust either and that will be the next change.
Many thanks to a forum member who suggested taking a punt on the z19 crossover (only midrange and HF) with no guarantee how they would perform.
Damn these behemoths have come alive with this change. Could have done this much earlier and not wait a year. Happy I got around to it sooner than never.
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Now that we all want to test how our midranges fare, the price of the Ella and Louis CD is surely set to shoot up.
I'm hearing 'pohtarto', what's the fix, @Sushant Sharma
sell em for a million bucks. You have a unique one off speakerNow that we all want to test how our midranges fare, the price of the Ella and Louis CD is surely set to shoot up.
I'm hearing 'pohtarto', what's the fix, @Sushant Sharma
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