Lumin T2 with Anthem STR preamp signal going through both DACs?

The Lumin uses an ESS chip the Anthem an AKM chip, both devices measure very well. I would be surprised if you could tell which was which in a blind test. I couldn’t which is why I sold my DAC and use the one in the STR. If you don’t want to use ARC, though I recommend you do unless you have a lot of room treatments, the STR still makes it very easy to integrate your subs without ARC. Use USB out on the lumin to USB in on the STR and Balanced out to Balanced in with DSP disabled and compare for yourself.

I tried it both ways and ended up preferring the connection through balanced inter - connects with no DSP. It was a little more dynamic that way as opposed going through my Wolfson 8741 chip in my Classe. However, my XLR cables are much better than the USB cable I have. Also my Classe DAC can’t decode DSD and MQA.  I would try it and see what you think.

By sending the analog signal out of the Lumin and then reprocessing it in the Anthem's dac, aren't I losing MQA since the Anthem doesn't support it?

djones51 - Yes I currently don't use ARC but do use subs.  So I have to keep the Analog Convert 32/192 setting "On" meaning that just using subs means I have to use two dacs..  

It might sound fine, but it just bothers me processing the signal twice with two totally different dac sets.

Makes me wish I would have just gone with the Lumin U1 mini or stuck with the Bluesound node since it's just a streamer and it's debatable how much difference just the streamer makes.

If you are using the Anthem DAC via USB from the Lumin, you are sending a digital signal, not analog.  Thus the Anthem will only process it once, as a digital signal.  You are correct that the Anthem will not, however, be able to decode  a MQA signal.  

bwguy - I am not using usb.  I'm using balanced xlr from the lumin to the Anthem... Thereby, I am using the Lumin's dac, than the Anthem's dac when I want to use subs or ARC.