Are you running a tube preamp with your Tyr's?
I used to use tube preamps in my main rig. I went through several Bottlehead preamps and the last one was the SP13 from VTA. I enjoyed them all and each one got progressively better sounding but only to a point. They ultimately hit a wall when it came to resolution. I’ve heard better resolving preamps but they were usually out of my price range. And then I took a chance on PS Audio’s GCD preamp/ dac because it was on sale and it didn’t use a typical potentiometer for volume control. My jaw literally dropped in the first 10 seconds of listening to it! I’m not saying it’s the best out there. But the GCD as a preamp is a freaking steal if you can get one for $1200 or less. It beats everything else I’ve heard with a pot in the signal path. (Granted, most of what I’ve heard is on the lower cost end of the spectrum.)
Now in my living room system which is mostly used for tv, movies, and video games I recently swapped out my Marantz receiver for a Schiit Saga+ preamp, Modi Multibit 2 dac, and Gjallerhorn amp. I’ve been continuously surprised by how great this little combo sounds! The Saga uses a relay / resistor stepped attenuator circuit which also sounds better than a pot. I’m curious to try Schiit’s Kara preamp sometime in the future and see how it competes with the GCD.
