Node 2i upgrade: Lumin or Auralic?

[keeper]

On 11/25/2019 at 7:19 PM, Gus141 said:

I figured after 24hrs more burn-in time (4 days total running playlist in repeat) I should compare USB vs Coax again. The main reason I was curious is because I was noticing a glare from the U1mini-(coax)->DAC in the high-mids/low-highs that I don’t notice with two other streamers. So I plugged in USB and listened to the same songs that were displaying the brittleness, and the USB-delivered music was sublime. 

 

Example: one of the songs that was a problem was Durutti Column’s “Requiem for My Mother”; I usually love Vini Reilly’s guitar on that song, but over U1mini coax it had, to me, an unpleasant digital edge to the high notes. Switched to USB into the RME ADI-2 DAC and it was smooth, euphonic, and non-fatiguing; the way I was accustomed to hearing it.

 

Using USB will allow me to dabble in DSD now too.

 

I’m a very happy listener now with the LUMIN U1 Mini over USB. I’m definitely done doing A/B comparisons for a while 😉

 

Cheers,

Gus

I also have the Node2i

How much of an improvement would you say the Lumin has provided, I’m wondering if I should get a higher quality streamer for local music files.

[keeper]

@Gus141 cheers gives me something to think about.....