Is it time for a major overhaul of the Lumin App?

MtnHam

MtnHam

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Jun 28, 2013
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I have been a Lumin user since the introduction of the A-1, and now own two X-1s. While I have been very happy with most of the Lumin qualities and SQ, I have always been less than pleased with the Play List function. Switching from one Playlist to another has always seemed clumsy, at best. I solved this by adding Roon in front of the Lumin. In addition to the many wonderful features Roon brings, it also brought an end to my Lumin Play List complaints. Now I can easily create and have an infinite # of Play Lists, and switch between them with ease. Their names are displayed. I don't need to remember the name of each one. I'm not limited to the number of Tracks each Play List can contain. My easy access to whatever List I want is way superior! When exploring new music via Qobuz or Tidal, I can easily add a new discovery to the appropriate Play List, unlike the Lumin App.

Am I being too critical? I love the ease with which I can do this with Roon. I don't expect the Lumin App to bring all the super metadata Roon supplies, but I believe the Lumin App could be greatly improved in it's basic functions. I believe it's time for a major overhaul of these functions. Anyone else agree?
 
I agree, the app is rather simplistic. The upside is that it works rather well without hardly any disruptions.
Lumin has added the Tidal play app on it's newer models that helps to more modernize things.
But still it's time for an entire refresh.
 
In Roon, I have 25+ playlists and can switch between them instantly. Sometimes I add a new album to multiple play lists. Doing this in the Lumin app is a PITA. One shouldn't need Roon to have and enjoy this simple function!
 
Given the large number of Lumin enthusiasts, I am surprised there hasn't been more more response to this thread. Compared to Roon and I assume other music management apps, the Lumin app (SQ aside) sucks! Comments, please.
 
Tom

I doubt seriously that this thread is going to get the traction that you want. As a longtime "dealer" I feel pretty sure that you have "friends in the business" who can get you access to the other popular and highly rated brands like Auralic, Aurender and Innuos so maybe you should just try those other brands out and see if you find another software package that works better for you. None of them are perfect including Roon. Just like any other piece of audio hardware you own if you ultimately don't like the way it operates or sounds move on.
 
As i got it Lumin limited it in the hardware to 2000 titles. With Lumin app you can't play a whole "Genre". Maybe that's the reason why some people use playlists. Maybe you should try another app (Control Point). With Hi-Fi Cast the hardware isn't the limit. It seems it loads the titles with playprogress. Other apps (Control Points) are limited to 1000 or 2000 titles due to the Lumin hardware limit. Those apps load the titles until they reach the hardware limit. Maybe Lumin can add a switch for performance mode (2000 titles) and non-performance mode (unlimited).
 
The app works well for my use, which is primarily streaming Qobuz. Probably a good thing that it isn’t weighed down with tons of extra features that could potentially cause performance or reliability issues.

It seems unfair to compare the LUMIN app to Roon or anything else that you have to pay extra for. The functionality is fine. It does what it is supposed to do, and the SQ (at least in my opinion) is fantastic.

That being said, I don’t have any experience with the other network players and their control apps. If there is a combination of functionality and sound quality that equals or exceeds that of the LUMIN at a similar price point, I am betting that the owners of that package are very happy with it.
 
Thanks to all who responded to this post. Obviously, most others are happy with the app. I don't expect the rich experience that Roon provides, only an easier way to switch between playlists. In the past, I've even done it incorrectly, and lost a playlist. Perhaps Lumin will find a way to improve this function. SQ has always been excellent, and I will continue to enjoy. For those who haven't experienced Roon, it is an excellent addition to the Lumin, well worth the extra cost IMO. I'll now shut up!
 
I agree that the building and changing of playlists in Lumin is not simple and is a bit counter intuitive. I often have to go back to the user guide and still don’t get things right first time. Maybe the instructions on that aspect could do with a rewrite.
I also used to build playlists in Roon first and then use them in Lumin; however, Roon has given me problem after problem for the last couple of months to the degree that I won’t renew when the time comes.
The thing I really like in the Lumin app is that it works first time, every time and if there is a glitch or problem Peter sorts things out PDQ.
Getting the balance right between a simple and ‘works every time’ app and bloatware that is great some of the time but often falls over is not that easy.
 
MaxH13 - Welcome! I'm fine with the Lumin App with the way it is. I like simple. Lumin of course allows the use of different software. Also one could easily copy files in a new folder and re-tag them (e.g. MP3 Tag which is free) and rename the album for all the songs in the folder (e.g. Jazz Playlist Mellow 1 as the album name) and have them in one place. I have compilations I've bought that have songs I have on other albums by a single artist. It's not a hard or long process (copying files into a new folder and then re-tagging the album name and whatever track numbers one wants to assign). I have other software I use on secondary systems and have listened and played with other software at other places. I'm a simple and unsophisticated user and I either go to a new album or play tracks in the folder view of the Lumin App so it works for me.
 
Phil A said:
MaxH13 - Welcome! I'm fine with the Lumin App with the way it is. I like simple. Lumin of course allows the use of different software. Also one could easily copy files in a new folder and re-tag them (e.g. MP3 Tag which is free) and rename the album for all the songs in the folder (e.g. Jazz Playlist Mellow 1 as the album name) and have them in one place. I have compilations I've bought that have songs I have on other albums by a single artist. It's not a hard or long process (copying files into a new folder and then re-tagging the album name and whatever track numbers one wants to assign). I have other software I use on secondary systems and have listened and played with other software at other places. I'm a simple and unsophisticated user and I either go to a new album or play tracks in the folder view of the Lumin App so it works for me.
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Got to agree with you Phil. Usually when a manufacture start to re-do apps its comes with a price in that its gets over complicated and cumbersome. Trying to make the Lumin app compare in function to say Roon or JRiver or Audirvana is not what its about. Its about simplicity and it works.
 
Phil A said:
MaxH13 - Welcome! I'm fine with the Lumin App with the way it is. I like simple. Lumin of course allows the use of different software. Also one could easily copy files in a new folder and re-tag them (e.g. MP3 Tag which is free) and rename the album for all the songs in the folder (e.g. Jazz Playlist Mellow 1 as the album name) and have them in one place. I have compilations I've bought that have songs I have on other albums by a single artist. It's not a hard or long process (copying files into a new folder and then re-tagging the album name and whatever track numbers one wants to assign). I have other software I use on secondary systems and have listened and played with other software at other places. I'm a simple and unsophisticated user and I either go to a new album or play tracks in the folder view of the Lumin App so it works for me.
Click to expand...

Same here. I love the simplicity and reliability, not to mention the terrific support from Peter. I'm not a big playlist user like others here so the 2000 song limit isn't a big deal. Only thing on my wish list with Lumin App is the ability to open booklet pdf's and artwork jpg's. I do love the rich experience of Roon which I use mostly for music discovery and casual listening but I use the Lumin App for more focused listening. Music just sounds a tad more real to me with greater inner detail than via Roon.
 
Thanks for the welcome,Phil A 😊
I guess we could all add a feature to a Lumin wish list but, having spent another fruitless half-day trying to get Roon to work properly, I am totally with you.
The pay back for Lumin simplicity is that it works 😉
 
For me, the Lumin app is an excellent backstop when Roon becomes -- for one reason or another -- inoperative. Everything comes with a cost, and, if the user is looking for a native app from Lumin that functions as well (or better) than Roon, it will be very, very costly. Roon spreads its development costs over a minimum of 100,000 subscribers, so each subscriber bares only a small fraction of those costs. Realistically, a similar functionality from Lumin would raise the cost of every new Lumin unit by thousands of dollars. As for current owners, I don't see an annual subscription fee being less that what Roon's costs.

As for me, the only "improvements" I would like are (1) the ability to output digital and analog simultaneously; and (2) the ability to utilize the filter choices embedded in the current generation of Sabre DACs.

All and all, I think the T-2 I own is great -- and a real value.
 
runsilent said:
Same here. I love the simplicity and reliability, not to mention the terrific support from Peter. I'm not a big playlist user like others here so the 2000 song limit isn't a big deal. Only thing on my wish list with Lumin App is the ability to open booklet pdf's and artwork jpg's. I do love the rich experience of Roon which I use mostly for music discovery and casual listening but I use the Lumin App for more focused listening. Music just sounds a tad more real to me with greater inner detail than via Roon.
Click to expand...

I believe Peter said they would work on pdf files. That would be a good thing. I am not sure what you mean about artwork files? Lumin opens those and they appear in the upper left and if one taps on the picture it opens up full screen on the iPad. They keys with the Lumin App (and I have a bunch of files that are probably still tagged wrong that just got ripped that way due to the software) is to make sure that the files are tagged correctly. I use MP3 tag (on my old PC I have in the bedroom I also have a dbPoweramp module that can do it as well) to re-tag. For CDs I use dbPoweramp to rip them. Sometimes, if an album is obscure (found one the other day which did not have the song names or album artist populated) it won't pull up artwork (there are sites to go to for the album artwork, including Amazon, where one could right click and then save the jpg file in the album folder). Sometimes, the ripping software does not pull up the album artist field (if one uses that feature on Lumin - I do occasionally but mostly it is the folder view or new album review). If one re-tags something old, it shows up (from memory) in the new album feature of the Lumin App and at times if the tagging is wrong I delete the album (as it shows up in the new albums with the wrong tag) on the NAS and then copy the correctly tagged one.

Also happens when one uses software to rip files from SACDs or other discs (e.g. Blu-Rays). I have an old PS3 I use (I also have a couple of Oppo 103Ds I could use for that task) to extract the disc image from an SACD and then I extract the dsf file on the PC. Discs don't always have the information one would want and that's why files need to be re-tagged.
 
MaxH13 said:
Thanks for the welcome,Phil A 😊
I guess we could all add a feature to a Lumin wish list but, having spent another fruitless half-day trying to get Roon to work properly, I am totally with you.
The pay back for Lumin simplicity is that it works 😉
Click to expand...

I do understand about the great functionality (in playing back things) with Roon. It has gotten better sounding over the years but for whatever convenience one gets, it does take a toll on the sound. See posts 13, 14 and 18 here as an example - https://www.audioshark.org/general-...media-sales-booming-20293.html?highlight=Roon I probably need to stop buying new music for about a year as I never catch up between music, movies and other things going on and get further and further beyond.

I've also heard many are happy using HQ Player with Roon but that can be buggy too and my main system DAC already upsamples everything to 8x DSD. I do use other software on secondary systems (usually JRiver or DS Audio that came with my Synology NAS). I did use BubbleUPNP a bit with my Hegel H190 (which I sold about a month back and working on that system now with something temporary and will likely finalize what I'll use over the next several months).

I've only listened a drop to the new FLAC internet radio stations that Lumin now supports which included hi-rez stuff. I think that is a great add-on when I catch up a bit more, it will allow the discovery of new music.
 
Phil A said:
I believe Peter said they would work on pdf files. That would be a good thing. I am not sure what you mean about artwork files? Lumin opens those and they appear in the upper left and if one taps on the picture it opens up full screen on the iPad. They keys with the Lumin App (and I have a bunch of files that are probably still tagged wrong that just got ripped that way due to the software) is to make sure that the files are tagged correctly. I use MP3 tag (on my old PC I have in the bedroom I also have a dbPoweramp module that can do it as well) to re-tag. For CDs I use dbPoweramp to rip them. Sometimes, if an album is obscure (found one the other day which did not have the song names or album artist populated) it won't pull up artwork (there are sites to go to for the album artwork, including Amazon, where one could right click and then save the jpg file in the album folder). Sometimes, the ripping software does not pull up the album artist field (if one uses that feature on Lumin - I do occasionally but mostly it is the folder view or new album review). If one re-tags something old, it shows up (from memory) in the new album feature of the Lumin App and at times if the tagging is wrong I delete the album (as it shows up in the new albums with the wrong tag) on the NAS and then copy the correctly tagged one.

Also happens when one uses software to rip files from SACDs or other discs (e.g. Blu-Rays). I have an old PS3 I use (I also have a couple of Oppo 103Ds I could use for that task) to extract the disc image from an SACD and then I extract the dsf file on the PC. Discs don't always have the information one would want and that's why files need to be re-tagged.
Click to expand...

By artwork files I mean jpg's. For some albums I ripped years ago I have jpg's of liner notes and covers instead of pdf's. One of these days I'll get around to converting my older artwork to pdf's. Maybe ;) I can view them easily via Roon or JRiver anyway.
 
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