Lumin upgrade

Yes @christianb5s4 , the U1 mini and U2 mini are excellent performers, and, as mentioned, even better with an external LPS.  I'm expecting a solid improvement with the U2, especially with the fiber input and isolated DAC USB output.

Fingers crossed!  Will report back.

Best, JAMES.

Hello:

I received the U2 on Thursday, and am running it in now. Lumin suggests 200 hours, so I’ve got about a week to go.

Right out of the box, my first impressions are that the U2 is definitely an upgrade from the U2 mini/LPS. The bass feels more ’full’ and has more depth/punch, the mids are more articulated, and the top end is detailed but not bright or edgy, at least, to my ears. The playback of recordings that have a wide soundstage is even more 3-dimensional and holographic.

I’ve also found that as I listen during the run-in process, the SQ is improving, so I’m looking forward to having some listening sessions once the 200 hour mark is passed.

Also, I had a question re run-in process, sent an email to Lumin and got a timely response from Peter Lie. This was also the case with the U2 mini. So if you’re concerned about purchasing from a non-North American company, you don’t need to be. (also, there are many authorized Lumin dealers in Canada/US)

I’ll post back once the run-in process is complete. Thanks to all for your interest/perspective.

Best, JAMES.

@jimboman I have the LUMIN U2 as well and I created a playlist for burn-in that had multiple sample rates; 16/44, 24/48, 24/88, 24/96, on up to DSD64, and I set it on repeat for a week.  I just wanted to recommend that to you.

Share your impressions if you try the different digital outputs.

I was using the LUMIN USB output with my Holo Audio DAC, but I’m using the AES output paired with my recently purchased MSB Discrete DAC as I don’t have the USB module.  The AES output sounds excellent, but I would like to demo the USB when I get the MSB USB module on loan.

Hi @dbt   thanks for the playlist recommendation. I’ve got a 14 hour list on repeat now. Should be up to 200 hours by this coming weekend.  On a side note, Lumin recommended leaving the DAC on during burn in, unless you’re using a tube DAC. 

I’ve been listening in periodically during the past few days, and it really seems that the tunes are generally more holographic with the U2. Definitely a next level improvement. I’m really enjoying the music and feel that the next upgrade to ‘open up’ the system a bit more might be some better XLR interconnects, and maybe a speaker cable upgrade at some point in future.

I’m using the Lumin USB output, with an Audioquest Coffee USB cable. My Benchmark DAC3 HGC doesn’t have AES, although I’ve heard that interface sounds very good as well.  At this point, I see no need to try the optical or coax inputs - especially given that the U2 has an optimized USB output. Although, it’s always fun to experiment!

Best, JAMES

@jimboman It sounds like you are on the right track!  I use Cardas Clear XLR interconnects and speaker cables, with Audioquest power cords.  I always preferred USB music playback because I could play the highest sample rates with my Holo Audio DAC, but my music files and Qobuz max out at 24/192 kHz and I don’t upsample.  I have one DSD64 music file, that’s the highest sample rate music file I own.  If you have an AES cable, then it’s a free demo for you.  
 

Have a Happy New Year!