[Presb4]

What's cool is that a speaker named the "Brutes" are capable of such refinement and detail, that you are able to easily hear this in your system.

Very true 

[SteveZL1Miller]

Here they are. They make quite the statement.

It looks like you are using blue jeans speaker cable.  I would recommend making a set of GR Research cables.  Made a big difference that is very easy to hear swapping back and forth.  I know that a lot of people like the blue jeans and they are nice to lock in place, but they sound grainy,  Maybe there is a better word, but that’s what comes to mind.


Steve

[Presb4]

Yup, I agree.
I have the 16 strand GR cables too, they were just plugged into my tube amp at the time I took the picture of the Tyr's.

[Presb4]

Spent the weekend moving my gear around to make the wife more happy, and built a new HiFi rack out of some old butcher block I had out in my shop. Along with finishing up the GR classic stands for the Brutes to sit on.

So after demoing the Schiit Freya+ and the new Schiit Kara, I decided that the upgrading to the new Kara pre-amp is not for me.
In my system, I love tubes and the warmer sound that I get from them. So when I'm not running my Tube Amp, I found the best combo for me was the Bifrost -> Freya+ w/6SN7 in the gain stage and LISST in the follower stage -> Tyr's -> GR Brutes.
When I swapped in the Kara to my system, the imagining, and clarity increased but I lost the soft and warm presentation I enjoy from the tube stage.

For me the Bifrost is neutral.
The Freya is warm, soft and tubey when in tube mode.
The Tyr is warmer than the Vidar2, but not as warm as the Aegir.
The Brutes are neutral, fast, detail monsters.
So - the Freya in tube mode with the Tyr's = 200 watt Aegir sound if they were mono blocks. Which is what I was always wanting 




 

[KTS]

Nice write up! I was not aware that you could use the LISST mosfets with other tubes, good to know.

Thank you, Kelly

[mkrawcz]

Freya+ w/6SN7 in the gain stage and LISST in the follower stage

That’s a really good idea. I have the LISSTs and never thought to try that.

[AllanS]

When I swapped in the Kara to my system, the imagining, and clarity increased but I lost the soft and warm presentation I enjoy from the tube stage.

For me the Bifrost is neutral.
The Freya is warm, soft and tubey when in tube mode.
The Tyr is warmer than the Vidar2, but not as warm as the Aegir.
The Brutes are neutral, fast, detail monsters.
So - the Freya in tube mode with the Tyr's = 200 watt Aegir sound if they were mono blocks. Which is what I was always wanting.

Excellent and very helpful summary.  Thank you.
I’m looking forward to what Schiit has planned for the new Aegir.  I have a Lyr that’s been retired from desktop use that I’d like to try with an Aegir in a second system.