HIGHLIGHTS
- New generation processor provides DSD512 and 384kHz playback
- Dual ES9028PRO SABRE DACS
- USB digital audio output
- Precision 32-bit internal digital volume
- Discreet clock system for precision timing
- Low-noise switching power supply with dual stage regulator
- PCM & DSD upsampling
- MQA full decoding
- Roon Ready, Spotify Connect, MQA, TIDAL, Qobuz, Airplay and TuneIn
- New CNC panelled construction offers upgraded structural rigidity and shielding compared to the T1
- The newly-designed thick cnc panels provide the high-end LUMIN family aesthetics
THE INNER HEART
DUAL ES9028PRO DAC
- Dual Mono operation
- 32-bit precision digital volume control DSD512
- PCM 384kHz
PRECISION ANALOGUE OUTPUT STAGE
- Completely redesigned analogue buffer
- Includes X1 technology
- Ultra-low-noise and high dynamic range
- Audiograde output capacitor
LOW-NOISE SWITCHING POWER SUPPLY
- Internal 100–240V
- AC auto-ranging
- Low-noise
- Shielded power supply compartment for reduced interference with delicate electronics
DUAL-STAGE REGULATORS FOR ANALOGUE CIRCUITORY
- Dual-stage power supply
- Ultra-low-noise regulators
- Seperate digital and analogue power supply
FULL PLAYBACK FEATURES
- PCM 384khz
- DSD512
- DSD Upsampling / Downsampling MQA Decoding
- Roon Ready, Spotify Connect, MQA, TIDAL, Qobuz, Airplay and TuneIn
OPERATIONAL
Seamless integration with Tidal, Qobuz or Spotify is unlocked with just providing the login name and password. All of the playlist (Tidal) are there to explore and enjoy.
Basic features are at the main settings window, but there are far more features for those who want to dig deeper like wide variety upsampling options, etc.
With T2 the tabled is considered as a remote control and this is the place where you control the inputs and volume.
As a streaming player, the T2 doesn’t offer any storage. Music files can be seen through the various USB drives, but with the assistance of the UPnP/DLNA server.
Like with the rest of the line middle centered blue monochrome display offers all of the pieces of information. While font and graphics are on the smallish side, I’ve could still read out the need from a far distance.
On the back slightly hidden and protected are the inputs that includes RCA/balanced outputs, RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet Network (1000BASE-T), USB input (for a flash drive, USB hard disk single-partition FAT32, NTFS, and EXT2/3 only) and output (Native DSD512 support, PCM 44.1–384kHz, 16–32-bit, Stereo), BNC digital out connector, earth ground connector and a pinhole with a reset button.
LUMIN X1 supports DS playback up to DSD512 22.6MHz (1-bit) and PCM playback up to 384kHz, 16–32-bit, Stereo. This should cover the present and upcoming digital audio needs for years to come. And yes, X1 also supports MQA…
The inputs/outputs count is almost similar to X1 less the optical Ethernet input.
THE MUSIC
For sure one of the best things in my profession is using the music I love for the evaluation. In the era where millions of songs are available at the tip of the click, there is no need either to complaint about the lacking of music material and of qualitative reference listening material. You can choose your posing
It’s a bit hard to use Santana’s “Soul Sacrifice” Live At The Fillmore – 1968 as the reference song as it always drags me into its velocity. Anyhow :)…
Anyone that is well aware of the track will instantly know how well the system or particular component under the testing performs especially with the organ and Santana’s guitar overlapping. Even with some top tier, DAC’s two instruments are not evidently distinctive. On the contrary, T2 managed to separate them in a very vivid way, giving them enough space to create a relief depth.
Same goes for the congo drums. When the DAC is potent enough and the system is properly set the “Soul Sacrifice” percussions not only expands far outside the usual horizon. With T2 in action, they’ve stretched excitingly, way outside of the speakers than expected.
It’s quite amazing how forte was Hammond B organ’s presence and I was clearly taken by the sense of energy that LUMIN T2 can convey. This was further smoothly confirmed with the “Magic Bus” from The Who – Live At Leeds (25th Anniversary Edition). Those guitars really kept the similar high-octane energy impact as with the organ.
With a mediocre performing DAC, the Who experience is just so so, but with the equitable sonic power, the music hits you with full speed. The spirited dynamic success continues with St. Germain – Boulevard (The Complete Series). Oh, boy does “Deep in It” brings back a lot of memories from the ’90s and the studio days. Deep underground house is certainly not a genre that everybody is fond of, yet some of the rare genre music material is not only soul binding but also great sounding.
Again a massive delivery of energy was expertly managed by the T2, but that’s far from being the only stand out achievement. “Deep in It” vibraphone intermezzo bring in vibraphone with the formation of peculiar decays. LUMIN T2 the subtle delay tails simply dissipated in the endless black space, creating a spellbinding and linger effect of and endless leeway.
“Meister Petz” by The Peace Orchestra from the album Peace Orchestra brings more confirmation about T2’s stand-out aural expanse. “Meister Petz” also calls for the much more heftier inner-heart to form the majestic lower frequency foundation. While not on the level of X1, the T2 conveyance of the bass region was nowhere near the usual. T2’s bass emergence was solid, focused and without unwanted muddiness, that can sometimes take over the epicenter even with some far more expensive DACs.
While I’m sure that most of you know the Daft Punk for their past few chart-topping albums, I’m quite sure that not everybody is familiar with Homework, their debut album. There is something very prime about this record and especially “Rollin’ & Scratchin'” cuts it for me.
The amount of rawness the DAC needs to provide this sonic roller coaster is not even funny. While many attributes can be argued and discuss to death, there is simply no drawback when it comes to “Rollin’ & Scratchin'” vigorous smack. LUMIN T2 once more provided a non-expected amount of pure and unaltered energy with fast and snappy drum attacks. T2 has kept the music’s stable and without drifting once the going got tough.
Replaying the Massive Attack’s “Mezzanine” from the album Mezzanine can become a serious system killer. Despite not being a typical audiophile track “Mezzanine” has a lot to offer in terms of evaluation. Especially how well the utmost low foundation is set. T2’s capacity or handling submarine-like depths was no slouch. On opposite. The lowest octave synth notes were feeling the space without constraints and with the non-expected impact. Especially in this price range!
On the very inverse pole of rawness, there are many challenges and norms to be met in order to form a level of performance that is worthy of high-end naming. I’ve explored a vast amount of reference tracks, but there is one record that was a true stand out and a clear example of LUMIN T2 ability to convey a subtle and ethereal universe was magnificent.
A proper rendition of the human voice alone is a complex endeavor. It gets much more sophisticated with the choir and multiple voices. “Ave Maria” sang by the Swedish Radio Choir under the baton of Eric Ericson from the album Treasures is a remarkable record that is over 40 years old. The immersive surroundings of the legendary Cirkus venue in Stockholm allow a spectacular horizontal and vertical expanse. LUMIN T2 provided a magnifying glass-like quality with the rendering of the voices’ echoes that could instantly spread across my complete listening room. On top of it, the density of spectral shading allowed a stupendous sense of atmosphere. Rarely the believability factor is reached with this rendition of “Ave Maria”, yet T2 provided sensual impact way outside of a dreamy languor.
CONCLUSION
