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Lumin D2 Dac/Streamer Vs 2021 Node/Denafrips Ares ii or Chord Qutest

Hello Gang! So I'm picking up my first actual system tomorrow, and the final piece of the puzzle besides cabling is a Dac and Streamer. I've seen a lot of positive write-ups regarding the Lumin D2 dac/streamer so I would love to hear from some actual owners about its positive or negative performance. I listen to a lot of obscure heavier music, industrial etc. The production quality can occasionally be poor, not to mention that a lot of the source material is of low quality. (Wish I still had my cd's but will be  revisiting that down the road) So I would want a forgiving DAC, polished, not too revealing, and with an overall energetic  to make the most of these kinds of recordings. I also listen to a lot of 80's rock, such as Talk Talk, Genesis, and Mr.Mister, which I imagine would  would best be suited by an  R2R  DAC like the Ares(just making an educated guess here, I could be wrong). Vocal emphasis is significant to me too. I've heard mixed things about the actual functionality of the Lumin APP, but I intend on bypassing any proprietary app for the streamer and just use Tidal Connect,Spotify Connect and Airplay for my personal music library.
I'm an IOS and apple guy, so maybe the Lumin app would gets along better with the mac stuff. I've also heard excellent things about the Denafrips Ares ii. It seems like many characteristics of this DAC would align nicely with the music I listen to. I am on the fence w/ the Chord qutest since it's often described as being overly revealing with poor recordings and picky with gear pairing. If I went Ares/Chord I  would pick up the Bluesound node and call it a day. 

 Max Budget for streamer/Dac right now is 2600.  I would greatly appreciate any observations, suggestions, or firsthand experience with the above-mentioned gear! Also, I just wanted to add that Auditioning Dacs/streamers isn't really in the cards right now. I just want to get something up and running that would best compliment my system and musical tastes!

Thanks in advance!

 

Amp: Luxman 507 Mark II

Speakers: Dynaudio Evoke 20's

Cabling: Not sure yet. Will probably get everything I need from Blue Jeans so I can get up and running.

Turntable: Technics 1500 with stock Ortofon Red.

 

 

128x128mrcorky
audphile1's avatar
audphile1
4,432 posts
 

Can’t speak to the Denafrips but the Qutest is an incredible DAC. It will sound best with USB. One advantage of the Chord is the filters. You can tailor the sound to your liking. Warm filter would be perfect for the hot recordings to mellow out some harshness. Incisive filter would be great with good quality recording. Solid DAC overall and a very safe buy. You would have to spend significantly more to beat it.
Another option is the Benchmark DAC3 (whatever variant that’s within your budget). Slightly better SPDIF performance than the Qutest but has no filters. A fine sounding DAC.
The best option would be to pick up a U1 Mini together with whatever DAC you choose to get and call it a day.

ozzy62's avatar
ozzy62
2,924 posts
 

You can usually find a Lumin U1 mini for about 1700 or so at some dealers, that’s what I paid. Add the Ares II and you are in at your budget. I wouldn’t go with the D2  because the dac is almost an afterthought. But the Lumin streamers are a noticeable improvement over the node. And after living with a Pontus II for a short while, I’d have no problem recommending a Denafrips dac.

 

sbank's avatar
sbank
3,378 posts
 

IMHO, the Blusound isn't in the same league as the Lumin or other alternatives in your budget SQ-wise. Many like the experience using the BlueOS, but if that's not your plan, there goes that benefit. 

I used the Lumin app with other gear for years, and while it's more intuitive & functional than most DLNA apps, reliable connectivity with network can be wonky & frustrating, even with a mesh wifi setup. (This drove me towards trying Roon which IMHO is best experience by far)

Qutest is priced more closely to Denafrips Pontus II (which I own); the Ares II is much lower priced. IMHO, all these are revealing, but that's a good thing. I'd say the the Pontus is relaxed in a way that most non-R2R dacs aren't...that might help with the poorly recorded music you mentioned. The Ares leans in the same direction but with less ability to untangle complex arrangements and less instrumental body. 

Lastly, whatever you do, please consider a plan that avoids Airplay for your library playback. It's limited sampling rate will invalidate your well thought out investments. It's junkyard tires on a new car. Cheers,

Spencer

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