Lumin vs Bricasti Volume Control

@jeffreyw which specific Bricasti dac are you referring to? The M21 is Bricasti’s best dac and IMO the most transparent which @hgeifman may have heard what he did. Just a thought but I’ve heard the M3 several times direct and thought it superb. I own the Bricasti M1 and with that being said I too prefer a preamp in my system.

I've no experience with Bricasti, but I have a Lumin T2 (nearly 2 years now). Recently I experimented with the T2 direct to amp (no pre), and much preferred the result. No contest.

Changing the volume with the app (via either the Lumin app or the Tidal app) is a bit inconvenient, so I purchased the Lumin remote control.

Very happy with the sound quality and the convenience.

@rsf507 Either the Bricasti M21 or M3. I know the M3 is killer performance for the price. I'm even contemplating the DCS Bartok, but the reviews vs. Lumin X1 are a toss-up. Lumin seems to be warmer than Bartok.

The Bricasti volume control is analog, which is a good thing.  I've run my M3 direct to amps. I thought it sounded very clear but soundstage lost dimension compared to my preamps (BHK Pre with NOS tubes and Luxman c900u).  YMMV as I suspect a lot is system-dependent.  I've not heard the Lumin, but in my experience, analog volume control is generally better than digital implementations, and a great preamp is better still.  What I've learned about preamps is the buffer stage really allows a great preamp to drive the amps and most DACs don't have the capability to drive an amp well without losing something in the process.  I am sure it can be done well if  designed to, but that is probably the cost of a great preamp added to the DAC either way. 

In Bricasti's line, the M21 is basically an M1 SE Delta Sigma DAC plus an R2R Dac.  You can switch between them.  

The M12 "Source Controller: is an M1 SE Delta Sigma with an amazing analog preamp stage.  If you are only looking for the delta-sigma portion of the M21, an M12 could be brilliant and a superb choice for you.  

Just thought I would mention that as it is an interesting alternative.