Lyrebird is the brainchild of Anthony Sawyer, who runs GrizzlyWorks High Fidelity Audio in Adelaide, South Australia. Anthony has loved the iconic EL84 tube sound for as long as he can remember and envisioned a place in the Australian audio scene for an affordable, easy-to-use and durable integrated amplifier with that special sound. And so the EL84/4 was born.

This is a relatively low-powered, two-channel integrated rated at 20W RMS per channel in 8 ohms. It has handmade output transformers with both 4-ohm and 8-ohm taps. It has been said that the quality of a tube amplifier lies in its output transformers, so Lyrebird goes to the effort of employing custom, locally made types using Aussie-sourced Japanese M6 steel, hand wound to its specification. The power transformer is also purpose-made locally. Fuses protect the transformers and rectifier windings.

Two 12AU7 tubes are used in the driver stage, plus a single 12AX7 or ECC803 as the input tube and two sets of four EL84 output tubes. They are carefully matched quads, so do not require end user bias adjustment. As there are no bias adjusting pots, if replacements are ever required then matched quads must be used, and this may require the assistance of a technician. The output tubes are driven very conservatively, and Lyrebird expects a lifetime of approximately 5,000 hours or more, without attention.

On the other hand, the driver and input tubes can be changed or ‘rolled’ without issues, and a list of substitution tubes is supplied. The standard model EL84/4 comes with JJ Electronics branded input and output tubes, along with Tung-Sol driver tubes, but upgrades to tubes and capacitors are available from Lyrebird. As purchases are only available directly from Grizzlyworks, it may be worth discussing when placing an order. The circuit design uses zero feedback for better sound, and Mundorf Evo coupling capacitors and point-to-point wiring are used throughout.

The rear panel has four RCA unbalanced inputs and both four and 8-ohm speaker taps. High-quality sockets are fitted. Both front and rear panels are made from thick acrylic with inset white markings that look great. It’s hard not to miss the two volume controls, one each for left and right. This choice eliminates any possibility of crosstalk between the channels. High-grade ALPS Blue Velvet mono potentiometers are fitted. The separate bass and treble controls are arguably a welcome addition to the amplifier, increasing its flexibility. Thankfully, there is also a tone defeat switch with a handy mute function in the centre position. The construction quality of this hefty 20kg amplifier is first class.

Once unboxed, the separately packaged valves need to be fitted to the chassis, and Lyrebird has this process nailed. Each valve has been painstakingly matched to a particular slot, and the valves have been marked with either white or red dots for left and right channels and between one and four dots to match the slot. The owner’s manual has detailed instructions and is well laid out; it’s simple enough to get complete newbies up and running in minutes.

Throughout the audition period, I primarily used my large pair of JBL HDI 3800 floor-standing loudspeakers. These have a claimed sensitivity of 92dB, and so are ideal for low-powered valve amplifiers. A pair of small bookshelf speakers in the shape of VAF’s DC2 MKIII were also employed, with a much lower rated sensitivity of 86dB.

THE LISTENING

This is a smooth-sounding amplifier that makes listening to music enjoyable and pleasurable. It is not meant to be an analytical tool to dissect recordings, but rather, it’s about letting music flow in an effortless and graceful manner. It conveys the emotional intent of music performances and draws the listener close. Tonally, as you would expect, it’s slightly soft and rolled off up top and lacks grip down below in absolute terms. So, the real star of the show is the midband, which is sweet, fluid and intricate.

Listening to The Sound of Silence by Geoff Castellucci, I heard lovely deep bass notes that shook the room via my big JBL speakers. I appreciated the lack of bloat in Geoff’s deep, gravelly voice and the purity of tone. The midrange also delighted with Lester’s Methadone Clinic by Sonia Dada, where every strand of the mix was easily delineated. I enjoyed how the finger clicks at the start of the track sounded tactile and rhythmically engaging. Loah performing Song to the Siren was silky smooth and delicate. The sweet treble was not exaggerated, while the acoustic guitar work blended beautifully with the lead vocal and showed this amplifier’s realistic vocal timbre.

For an amplifier that’s not really meant to be about forensic detail retrieval, the Lyrebird EL84/4 proved surprisingly informative about the recordings it plays. Hearing London Paris Cardiff by Dominic Miller demonstrated an unexpected level of detail retrieval – especially when connected to my VAF bookshelf loudspeakers, which have a satisfyingly transparent, ‘hear through’ sound. Some valve amplifiers that I’ve heard in the past tend to cloud the recording slightly, often with a false warmth that colours everything you hear. To some audiophiles, this is a desirable trait as it can sometimes sound very enjoyable, but the Lyrebird is not designed to do that. Rather, it delivers the music in a lucid and revealing manner, with just a hint of added warmth.

Although this amplifier appeared more at ease driving my large, efficient JBL loudspeakers, it was surprisingly feisty with the smaller, less efficient VAF bookshelf designs. I would certainly say that its 20W power rating is conservative, as it delivers more of a punch than you might think. For example, Fit Song by Cornelius sounded snappy and articulate, with an emphasis on the percussive elements of the track. The leading edges of transients were never aggressive or harsh but were speedy and well-timed. This made for long listening sessions, which were fatigue-free and calming. Playing Hearing Magnetic Lies by Malia with Boris Blank, and the bass drive, control and dynamics were most impressive.

Last but not least, like most good tube amplifiers, the Lyrebird served up an expansive soundstage, as Talk Talk’s I Don’t Believe in You showed. This fine recording has a spacious recorded acoustic that the EL84/4 artfully recreated. I enjoyed how accurately various instruments were located within its three-dimensional soundscape – and the images in the centre were well-filled out and almost plump. Also satisfying was this amplifier’s fine sense of depth perspective, which saw the loudspeakers performing a magic disappearing act as the sound appeared to issue straight from my boundary wall.

THE VERDICT

This first release from Lyrebird is a most impressive debut. It’s a well-conceived niche design that uses the highly popular EL84 vacuum tube to deliver an enjoyable sound that sits right between too sweet and too bright in terms of tonality. I also really appreciated its beguiling sense of naturalness and ease. The precision casework and handy tone controls are icing on the cake, so do put this on your shortlist if you’re in the market for an affordable yet charming tube integrated.

For more information visit Lyrebird Amplification