LUMIN - Audiophile Network Music Player

[Akeg]

13 hours ago, rodrigaj said:

I can't help you with your setup, but I do know that the only way Airplay syncs video and audio is if the device sending the audio is also playing the video. For example, playing a Netflix video on an iPad, or in your case a Macbook, and Airplaying the audio to your Lumin would work.

 

Given the lack of inputs, perhaps you are trying to oversimplify too much?

 

 

Yes, perhaps this is the case. The general problem here is that good digital volume controls with muliple digital inputs/outputs suitable for a home audio setup are almost non-existent. My plan was to be able to use the digital volume control in the Lumin U1 Mini as volume control until for Dutch & Dutch have developed their digital control box (similar to Kii Three) which, I guess, will adjust the volume directly in the speakers just before the DAC stage.

 

I have found a digital format converter/volume control from Lake People that seems to fit in a home setup (including remote control), but it will add considerable extra cost for me if configured with the optional USB input + remote control:

 

https://power-holdings-inc.com/Lake-People-DAT-RS-05-Digital-Audio-Translator-p136295660

 

Anyone here that have had experience with the DAT RS05 ? 

 

 

 

[brw]

In case it is useful: Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) is a fast and reliable, privacy oriented DNS provider. My X1 has no complaints. 😊

[pl_svn]

1 minute ago, brw said:

My X1 has no complaints. 😊

 

U1 Mini either

[mc]

18 hours ago, wklie said:

 

Please go into router settings and change DNS to 8.8.8.8.

 

Then power down all network devices including Lumin, NAS, iPad, etc.  After router has booted up from the DNS change, power cycle it again, along with all network switches or WiFi AP,  etc.  Wait for 5 minutes, then power everything back up.

 

Thanks for reply; I have reconfigured my router to use g00gle dns within my network, no change in U1mini lags.

 

Looking at the tcpdump output from my router, it seems to be somehow related to track caching: upon selecting track from Tidal album, U1mini starts downloading full track from Tidal servers immediately, but playback is started only after full track is downloaded. It corresponds to subjective observation, that initial lag is shorter for shorter tracks, and longer for longer tracks.

 

Is there any option I have missed specifying if track playback should start immediately after selection, or upon full track is downloaded? Anyway, this does not explain why first track is interrupted after 14 seconds.

 

I could attach tcpdump output, if useful.

[smodtactical]

Anyone compare the U1 mini to:

 

BDA2, BDA3

Moon Mind 2

SOTM 200 ultra

Aries G1 

 

Would appreciate thoughts

 

 

[wklie]

5 hours ago, mc said:

Looking at the tcpdump output from my router, it seems to be somehow related to track caching: upon selecting track from Tidal album, U1mini starts downloading full track from Tidal servers immediately, but playback is started only after full track is downloaded.

 

Neither the buffering logic nor size were changed in the recent firmware.  We have always had a buffer for internet streaming.  Playback will start as soon as it reaches a minimum level, not until the full track is downloaded.  I'll send you an old firmware to retest.

[wklie]

@smodtactical I think some models you mentioned are DAC instead of the digital output-only like the U1 MINI.  Something is not Roon Ready, and due to the way its description is written some people misinterpret it to have MQA decoding but it actually does not - it just allows bit perfect music transmission like every other digital-output streamer does.  Yet another has no AES or coaxial output.

[smodtactical]

3 hours ago, wklie said:

@smodtactical I think some models you mentioned are DAC instead of the digital output-only like the U1 MINI.  Something is not Roon Ready, and due to the way its description is written some people misinterpret it to have MQA decoding but it actually does not - it just allows bit perfect music transmission like every other digital-output streamer does.  Yet another has no AES or coaxial output.

 

All the devices I mentioned are pure network streamers. No dacs or amps.

 

[shuang]

12 hours ago, smodtactical said:

Anyone compare the U1 mini to:

 

BDA2, BDA3

Moon Mind 2

SOTM 200 ultra

Aries G1 

 

Would appreciate thoughts

 

 

I have done an extensive comparison of the U1 mini against the SOtM sMS-200ultra Neo.

Disclaimer: YMMV

 

Performance:

1. U1 Mini $US2000 vs sMS-200ultra (with wall wart)  $US1200

The U1 Mini is clearly better. Low level detail, musicality, etc.

 

2. U1 Mini $US2000 vs sMS-200ultra with SOtM sPS-500 external power supply $US1700

The sMS-200ultra pulls slightly ahead.

 

3. U1 Mini with sBooster external PSU upgrade $US2459 vs sMS-200ultra with SOtM sPS-500 external power supply $US1700

The U1 Mini pulls slightly ahead.

 

4. U1 Mini with sBooster external PSU upgrade $US2459 vs sMS-200ultra (with SE modifications EVOX capacitor addition and internal OCC silver DC cabling) with SOtM sPS-500 external power supply $US2300

The sMS-200ultra pulls slightly ahead.

 

5. U1 Mini with sBooster external PSU upgrade $US2459 vs sMS-200ultra (with SE modifications EVOX capacitor addition and internal OCC silver DC cabling) with SOtM sPS-500 external power supply plus SOtM sCLK-OCX10 Reference Master Clock (note1: the sMS-200ultra and sCLK-OCX10 will share the sPS-500 using Y DC cable) (note2: you will need to purchase a 50ohm BNC cable) $US6000+

The sMS-200ultra is clearly better.  Low level detail, musicality, etc.

 

6. U1 Mini with sBooster external PSU upgrade $US2459 vs sMS-200ultra (with SE modifications EVOX capacitor addition and internal OCC silver DC cabling) with SOtM sPS-500 external power supply plus SOtM sCLK-OCX10 Reference Master Clock  (note1: the sMS-200ultra and sCLK-OCX10 will each have dedicated sPS-500 units) (note2: you will need to purchase a 50ohm BNC cable) $US6500+

The sMS-200ultra is clearly better.  A small improvement versus the previous configuration. Low level detail, musicality, etc.

 

For both the U1 Mini and sMS-200 combinations you can incrementally improve the performance with good AC power cables, good DC cables (for sMS-200), good 50ohm clock cable  (for sMS-200)

 

 

Usability:

The U1 Mini is truly plug and play. Setup is a breeze. Once setup it remains stable. 

 

The sMS-200ultra is plug and pray. Setup/troubleshooting can become complicated unless you are using the unit in conjunction with Roon ($US500). Roon takes care of sMS-200 configuration and acts as a watchdog to keep it configured correctly. Even with Roon some mysterious issues can occur. 

 

The U1 Mini is the clear winner. If you use sMS-200ultra without Roon you will need to exercise your IT networking skills.

 

 

Features:

The sMS-200ultra provides USB output for DAC connection.

Note: I use a NOS R2R DAC which only has S/PDIF digital input. To get the very best USB to S/PDIF conversion I use a Berkeley Alpha USB converter, $US2000.00)

 

The U1 Mini provides the following additional features:

1. Additional digital output options AES/EBU, S/PDIF digital (BNC and RCA).

2. Easy to use Apple Airplay and Spotify Connect integration. SOtM offers some integration but be prepared to roll up your sleeves.

3. Ability to handle the first level of MQA decoding, of most importance for the benefit of Tidal streaming.

4. Excellent Remote Control App. I believe that Esoteric uses a variant of the Lumin App.

 

 

Summary:

sMS-200ultra target audience is the AudiophileStyle techno geek who loves to tweak their digital system. The ultimate SOtM spaghetti stack provides excellent performance. If you are not an IT network expert it is strongly recommend that you purchase Roon $US500.00 to simplify your life. To maximize the performance you should use quality aftermarket DC cables and 50ohm BNC cable.

 

Lumin U1 Mini is for the music lover who just wants their system to work. It provides very good performance with the sBooster external power supply. The Lumin App provides good functionality so purchase of Roon is not a must.

 

I own both products (in fully stacked configurations).  

 

[smodtactical]

Wow amazing post thank you so much.

 

Curious how are you using the sbooster with the lumin U1 mini since the lumin has a big 3 prong connection?

 

Have you heard the simaudio mind 2 or bryston bdp 2 or 3 ?

[shuang]

4 hours ago, smodtactical said:

Wow amazing post thank you so much.

 

Curious how are you using the sbooster with the lumin U1 mini since the lumin has a big 3 prong connection?

 

Have you heard the simaudio mind 2 or bryston bdp 2 or 3 ?

sBooster provides a special Lumin connection kit  (compatible with the U1 Mini, D2, and T2) where you need to remove the IEC assembly.

https://www.sbooster.com/botw-pp-eco-12-13v/lumin-d2-streamer.

 

There are most likely other mentions of the Lumin connection kit/sBooster in this topic.

[FIndingit]

And Sbooster is not even the best psu you can use with your U1 Mini!

[Doak]

5 hours ago, FIndingit said:

And Sbooster is not even the best psu you can use with your U1 Mini!

Interested. Which is "best", please.

[FIndingit]

6 hours ago, Doak said:

Interested. Which is "best", please.

The consensus on this forum seems to be that Paul Hynes SR7 is one of the very best and practically unobtainable power supply. No doubt a 12V version of it would be great with the U1 Mini.

[Doak]

3 minutes ago, FIndingit said:

The consensus on this forum seems to be that Paul Hynes SR7 is one of the very best and practically unobtainable power supply. No doubt a 12V version of it would be great with the U1 Mini.

Then how about the best obtainable, or at one definitely better than the SBooster?

[FIndingit]

Check this:

I think the U1 Mini needs at least 3A 12V.

[Doak]

1 hour ago, FIndingit said:

Check this:

I think the U1 Mini needs at least 3A 12V.

Thanks!

[shuang]

8 hours ago, Doak said:

Interested. Which is "best", please.

Of course the sBooster is not the best available PSU. However with the Lumin connection kit it provides a practical method to directly connect to the DC power input on the Lumin motherboard. No other company provides this type of adapter. Also hundreds of Lumin units have been upgraded with excellent feedback. sBooster provides excellent step by step instructions with photographs explaining how to do the conversion, and they provide the necessary tools including the correct size Torx screwdriver to replace the IEC inlet.

[Doak]

NFrom HiFi Shark forum:

“You may insert a USB thumb drive to either USB 1 or 2 position. You can play files this way. However, browsing is slower and is restricted to folder view, unlike using MinimServer. If you also use USB output to DAC, i.e. reading USB thumb drive and outputting to USB DAC, there will be sample rate limitations due to the nature of USB.

Peter Lie, Lumin Firmware Lead”

Unfortunately it appears that this info  translates to “count me out” regarding the U1 Mini since I use a USB HD (LPSU powered) exclusively to feed my DAC.

[Doak]

2 minutes ago, Doak said:

Deleted duplicated post

 

[wklie]

On 8/17/2019 at 10:28 PM, loudog said:

It’s 11.5b

did factory reset and so far it seems like there’s less lag.

 

In case you're still experiencing more lag than you had with firmware 11.4, I have a beta firmware for you.

[smodtactical]

On 8/22/2019 at 8:17 PM, smodtactical said:

Anyone compare the U1 mini to:

 

BDA2, BDA3

Moon Mind 2

SOTM 200 ultra

Aries G1 

 

Would appreciate thoughts

 

 

 

Sorry wklie you are right. I meant to say BDP2, BDP3

[Ossanboy]

Have anyone compare KLumin U1 Mini to Cayin IDAP-6 via AES EBU?

 

Im thinking to get IDAP-6 with external LPS.

Thanks

[wklie]

Lumin T2 review by Mono and Stereo:
https://www.monoandstereo.com/2019/09/lumin-t2-review.html

[wklie]

I now have another beta firmware that improves Lumin support for Audirvana. In case anyone is interested in it, please let me know your Lumin model.