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Lumin X1 latest Review like we have been saying



For many years we have been touting the Lumin products as being one of the best sounding and best implimented paths to creating a fantastic sound in your system.

We sought to be a Lumin dealer after the A1 came out and pretty much got rave reviews as being the best sounding streamer out there, each successive product was better the new T2 is amazing at its price point and challenges $7k streamer/dacs/

The lastest review https://hometheaterreview.com/lumin-x1-network-player-reviewed/

sums up Lumins history and even offers a comparison of the X1 vs the Total Dac, and DCS and the Aqua Formula, we actually have tested the upgraded Formula V2 with the Statement and it does sound even bettter.
 
Summation the best sound the reviewer ever accheived was with the X1.

We sell some of the worlds best dacs, including T+A, Light Harmonic, Aqua Hif, Naim, Mytek, Bricasti, and with the X1 you have to spend $30-50k to better the X1, it is nice to see that other people are agreeing with exactly what we have been saying all along.

If you are looking for the best sound for the money, rock solid reliability, a fantastic feature set, Tidal, Qbouz, Spotify, Apple Airplay to play Youtube or Soundcloud, OTA upgrades, Roon endpoint, full Mqua, DSD and High data rate upsampling, upconversion and playability, solid build quality, built in volume control, the Lumin products are hard to beat.



Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ Lumin dealers
128x128audiotroy
mewsickbuff
237 posts
 
@three_easy_payments, you're welcome. I can't afford the X1, but to any who can, I say, go for it. That's the joy of this hobby...VARIETY.
@audiotroy, wouldn't you agree the Lumin should have a bunch more going for it than the T + A DAC? After all the X1 costs 3.5 times more than the T + A. I wouldn't even call it a fair comparison, but interesting nonetheless.  Both components hit above their price range. Thanks for your honesty. Maybe the next question should be how does the T+A DAC8 DSD compare to the comparable $4500 Lumin T2...
audiotroy's avatar
audiotroy OP
3,808 posts
 


The Lumin T2 to T+A DAC 8 comparison is both a more illuminating one as the Lumin T2 can be run by itself although will still sound better through a server, while the Dac 8 requires a server, than the Lumin T2 is acutally the better deal.

We will have to re do a test between the Lumin T2 and the Dac 8. We run the outstanding Innous Zenith with our Dac 8 and unfortunately the DAC 8/Innous combo will not do DSD 512, we are getting in a Lumin U1 Mini and that will do DSD 512 so we will update you in the comming weeks to see how that combo will sound.

Mew you hit the nail on the head both the Lumin line as well as the T+A Dac 8 hit well beyond their price point. We have compared the Lumin T2 to a few $7k dacs and most of the time the clients pick the Lumin as being superior sounding as well as costing considerably less money.

The Lumin X1 challenges a lot of $25-50k digital front ends so it to offers a level of sound quality that is very high for its price point.

With the addition of Bricasti we will have one terrific selection of dacs and streamers including: Mytek, Bricasti, Naim, Lumin, T+A, Aqua, IFi, Lumin, NAD.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ




tom8999
153 posts
 
Dave and Troy - thanks for the info on the new upgraded LUMIN product line. I have been streaming via my LUMIM D1 for 5 years, and I am very happy with the sound quality and the LUMIN app to run the system via my I pad mini. Great sound and support from LUMIN as I get multiple software updates over the last 5 years for free. I now stream via Tidal HiFi with MQA available. This was a great step change in sound quality for me. I am considering an up grade to the T2. Is the Sabre DAC that much better than my wolfson DAC in the D1? I am sold on a streamer and DAC in one box - the simpler the better for me. Is there a market for a 5 year old LUMIN D1 - it has run flawlessly and still works great . Any feedback would be great.
mgrif104
352 posts
 
Dave and Troy: I’m curious if you can help me with a theory.  My suspicion is that the streaming/server function is at least as important as the DAC.  This can be tested by taking the digital out from the Lumin X1 into a separate DAC and comparing to the X1’s analog out.  Is this a comparison you’ve done?  I’m sure both functions w/in the X1 are terrific, but I wonder if the streamer or DAC is the greater contributor to the overall success of the unit.  

Thoughts?
Best,
mgrif
rossb
185 posts
 
Tom 8999, yes the Sabre dac is much better than the Wolfson DAC in the D1. I’ve owned the A1 and D1 as well as a few other Wolfson dacs from EAR, Exposure and others. I also have had a number of dacs using the current Sabre chips - the X1, Mytek Manhattan II, Ayre QX5 and Exasound e32. The latest generation of Sabre dac chips really are superb and a significant advance on their previous generation, and a very big jump from the Wolfson chip.

mgrif104, I have done the comparison you are referring to. I have the X1 as well as the U1 Mini, and have run both into my Mytek Manhattan II. I always thought that the U1 Mini was a superb streamer (which it is), but the X1 as a streamer is significantly better again - greater clarity, deeper tonal colours and less "hash". However, even when using the X1 as a streamer, the Mytek is a noticeable step down from the Lumin dac. The streaming section of the X1 will not suddenly turn a lesser dac into an X1 equivalent.
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