Lumin X1 latest Review like we have been saying

Lalik do your own research, Lumin was one of the first companies to launch a dedicated high end streamer in 2012 with the original A1. 

The A1 continued to garner international press with rave reviews from all who heard it. 

If you continue forward Lumin' products are almost universally on all magazines lists of recommended digital streamers.

In terms of experience they have been producing world class top rated streamers longer than anyone else. 

From the Six Moons Review in 2013 this sums up the company's technical prowess and why they can do what they do.

Lumin is a division of Pixel Magic.   Lumin Music in fact is a subsidiary of Pixel Magic Systems Ltd. which was founded in May 2003 as a privately held video technology equipment manufacturer for home theater and professional A/V markets. With offices in Hong Kong and San Jose/California, Pixel Magic has dealer/distributor networks for its own brand of products in over 25 countries and ODM/OEM customers in Europe and USA. Pixel Magic was the world's first developer to produce a Linux-based video processor under the Crystalio brand. Their core business is being focused on the development of innovative technologies for home-theater video processing/scaling products and high-definition TV-related products with advanced software programming features and design. 

If you have the prowess to design and develop your own technolgies and chips that is above what most traditional audio companies can bring to the table.

In the case of Lumins use of Wolfson or ESS Sabre chips the Lumin engineers know that the chip set is one part of the equation and they cleverly look at maximizing the devices sound quality by how the entire circuit is implemented. 

Kren we have compared the Lumin D2 to the extremely well reviewed IFI DSD pro which is chock full of some of the most advanced digital technology in the world, DSD 1024 up-sampling, four interleaved Burr Brown dac chips, a GE tube set, extensive re-clocking and anti jitter techniques 

The IFI DSD pro was compared by Herb Rechiert to outperform the Schitt Yaggy, and the Holo dac and a few of the highly rated killer $2-3k dacs and he even compared the IFI DSD pro to the $7k Mytek Manhattan.

Some of our clients prefer the warmer sound of the Ifi while others prefer the slightly more immediate yet still warm and full bodied sound of the Lumin the point is you evaluate a dac based on its technology but more importantly you judge its sound quality.

Are we saying that the Lumin products are better than anything else no we are not saying that, we are saying that in each price range the Lumin products are constantly compared to most of their competitors and in most cases sound as good or better for usually less money.

If you don't believe us do your own research and listen to their products.

Again if you think we are only Lumin fans we sell quite a lot of great digital which does include: Mytek, Ifi, Naim, NAD, Bricasti, T+A, Aqua Hifi as well as servers from Innous, Baetis, Nad and Naim. 

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ

@audiotroy Sorry I’m a little confused with the old dac element.
If these are old DACs how do they perform DSD at the highest level and MQA?Is this performed in software rather than the dac chip?

@highpeakrider  Don't allow yourself to be confused. Think in terms of implementation. Akin to a 70 year old NOS tube being used in a very modern implementation.

The Wolfson dac chips are not that old and can do DSD they just cant do the highest sampling rates hence the ESS chips in the T2 and X1. 

The fact that the D2 still sounds fantastic is proof positive that the Lumin engineers really do know their stuff.

The problem we all have as audiophiles is that we all want to believe that the latest and greatest chip and or part set is the magic answer.

We are testing out Bricasti's new M3 which dare uses OP amps and our first inclination after seeing that was uck, however, the dac sounds extremely good,

We are going to be testing Zesto's products after talking to George Couneous the owner of Zesto and their lead engineer he is relating that a good potentiometer  can sound just as good a switched resistor volume control, and that a good Polypropolene cap can sound as good as more expensive Teflon after both are broken in. 

Hey what does George know trained electrical engineer, worked with the British Military and British broad casting and then studio engineering. 

The point is that there are many outstanding audio products that are all designed differently parts and design do matter but a well voiced circuit using good parts will outperform a poor circuit implemented with the world's most expensive parts.

What we do is to seek out products that interest us, we get them in and then do comparative testing to see if the new product offers things that our existing product offerings don't.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ

“Are we saying that the Lumin products are better than anything else no we are not saying that.”

“What we do is to seek out products that interest us”

audiotroy,

Thanks for the clarification. I understand Lumin offers high quality streamers but so does Aurender, Innuos, Antipodes and Auralic (in no particular order). All of the above manufacturers have exemplified themselves as leaders in this segment of audio.

Fortunately, there are plenty of choices at various price points to fit our individual needs. We don’t have to solely rely on fanboys from NJ shilling products based on what they think best serves their interest 😎