Lumin U2 Streamer in 'da house....

Puma Cat

Puma Cat

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 5, 2013
Messages
2,723
Location
East Bay, CA
The Lumin U2 arrived yesterday. Today I hooked it up into the system via optical fibre, and it is presently serving as the "streamer", pulling content from Alita, Battle Angel, the Roon Core music server in the other room, and sending it the Lumin P1, which is now functioning as the DAC and preamp.

Even though it's got about all of an hour on it (and it needs 500 hours to run in), I can already tell the U2 is going to become my "go-to" recommendation for a streamer. Once again, Lumin has got it...goin' on.

I'll post additional info and impressions as I rack up hours on it. I can already state the LC/LC SFP optical interface is superb, as well as the U2's internal ultra-low-noise linear power supply and new dedicated “direct-coupled” USB digital audio output port, which is the USB interface that is connected to the P1. 👍

As someone who worked as a DFSS (Design for Six Sigma) Master Black Belt for 10 years in a sophisticated science and technology industry, I could teach a DFSS course on technical/engineering-based product development using how well Lumin designs and executes on it's VOC ("Voice of the Customer" aka customer requirements development), conceptual product design, R&D, firmware, and final product development & manufacturing. These guys just do not f*ck around. 👏

I'll post some pics tomorrow when I have some daylight to shoot with.
 
Just a quick iPhone snapshot of the U2 installed as the streamer. I'll re-shoot sometime when I have better light (this shot was backlit).

The U2 fits perfectly resting on top of the P1. It's impressive that the case sides and curved solid, machined-from-billet, front panel perfectly matches the curve of of the P1's front panel as well, so the stacked units give a very "unified" design appearance.

Lumin-U2_1.jpg
 
Puma Cat said:
Just a quick iPhone snapshot of the U2 installed as the streamer. I'll re-shoot sometime when I have better light (this shot was backlit).

The U2 fits perfectly resting on top of the P1. It's impressive that the case sides and curved solid, machined-from-billet, front panel perfectly matches the curve of of the P1's front panel as well, so the stacked units give a very "unified" design appearance.

Lumin-U2_1.jpg
Click to expand...



Looking good!
 
MichaelsMinute said:
Looking good!
Click to expand...

Yeah, Lumin executes at a really high level. For example, there's an SFP port so I can connect to the music server via optical fiber, and there's a chassis ground terminal on the rear panel so I can make the best possible connection to Altaira. 👍
 
Puma cat, can I ask why you added a streamer to the already excellent P1, which I also own? Most of your posts since owning the P1 have been praising it, so what made you want a change? I would think you would eventually add the Lumin amps moving forward.
 
No Quarter said:
Puma cat, can I ask why you added a streamer to the already excellent P1, which I also own? Most of your posts since owning the P1 have been praising it, so what made you want a change? I would think you would eventually add the Lumin amps moving forward.
Click to expand...

Oh, that's easy: Quite simply, the U2 is in for review. Once I complete the review for it, it will go back to Lumin.

And, yes, I've thought quite a bit about getting the Lumin amp, named AMP. ;)
 
XRS said:
Nice. That 2 stack of Lumin looks great together.
Click to expand...

Yes, it does. The industrial design of Lumin's products is superb. The two match up together perfectly. Knowing Lumin, though, none of this surprises me.
 
No Quarter said:
Ok that makes sense, I was not aware that you are a reviewer. Hopefully you will get your hands on the L2 at some point.
Click to expand...

Yes, I've also requested that for review, as well. The L2 is just getting out into the marketplace, so it may be a little while until I can get one in for review, and that's just fine, as I've already got three products in-house for review, and I need to knock those out before the L2 review.

First up will be the Q-Acoustics 5040 speakers. I've got the scope and key points of the review outlined already, and the core elements defined, I just to need "flesh it out" into a full review. Going to start on writing the review for those tomorrow, as they've been in-house for a month now.

Something that is already impressive about the U2 is that it needs a baseline of 400 hours of burn-in and 500 hours to burn-in fully, and it's already sounding wonderful, so that bodes well for a lot of potential to be fully realized. 👍
 
Puma Cat said:
Something that is already impressive about the U2 is that it needs a baseline of 400 hours of burn-in and 500 hours to burn-in fully, and it's already sounding wonderful, so that bodes well for a lot of potential to be fully realized. 👍
Click to expand...

I'm finding more and more of the gear and cables I'm getting are taking 500 hours to burn in. My Aqua La Scala was 600+ hours and the Stealth cables are 3-4 weeks of breaking in. Even the Puritan PM156 needed 3 weeks (the mfg recommends 2 weeks minimum).
 
Are you using a switch with SFP ports, or an external RJ45 (wired Ethernet) to SFP converter?
 
Elberoth said:
Are you using a switch with SFP ports, or an external RJ45 (wired Ethernet) to SFP converter?
Click to expand...

Not sure who your question is directed to, Adam. In my set-up, I'm using EtherREGEN with it's SFP cage on A-side. Alita connects via an Ethernet cable on A-side as well, and I've found connecting the dirty Pace router to the moat-isolated B-side provides the best audio quality.
 
I was to sugest EtherREGEN or Sonore opticalModule Deluxe as an upgrade.

But it seems you are all set.
 
I've been aware of the Lumin range of streamers for a while, but not really explored the alternatives there are quite a few!

I had imagined that the Lumin Mini U2 would be a U2 in a smaller enclosure and indeed the specs, display and socketry look similar. Then I look at prices and notice that the Mini is less than half the price of its big brother. Is there good reason for going big? I feel sure that the smaller case must be only one reason for its "bargain" price. How do the innards compare from a sound point of view? Thanks
 
U2 has linear PSU whereas U2 Mini probably has switching
U2 has one of the pretty Lumin aluminum cases, vs standard casing for the mini.
No “optical network” port on the mini. (SFP)
 
Bones13 said:
U2 has linear PSU whereas U2 Mini probably has switching
U2 has one of the pretty Lumin aluminum cases, vs standard casing for the mini.
No “optical network” port on the mini. (SFP)
Click to expand...

Thanks. I notice that both these units seem to have only USB output, so must be connected to a DAC with USB In. If so, no good!

Better perhaps for me to look at the P1 as this includes a DAC and preamp, so the method of connection between streamer and DAC becomes irrelevent. Also the P1 seems to offer much more flexibility including HDMI so it can be connected to TV for TV sound playback, or (presumably) album artwork display from streamer source to TV screen. OK, a possible alternative to the forthcoming NAD M66 that iI was planning to be my next purchase. Or possibly not as the NAD seems to offer even more, such as multi-sub balanced outputs, Dirac Live and Bass Control, whatever they may be worth, and a few features that would benefit vinyl users, rather than me
 
Hear Here said:
I notice that both these units seem to have only USB output, so must be connected to a DAC with USB In. If so, no good!
Click to expand...

U series has USB / AES / BNC / RCA coaxial / toslink outputs. If USB is used, the other outputs are turned off.
 
wklie said:
U series has USB / AES / BNC / RCA coaxial / toslink outputs. If USB is used, the other outputs are turned off.
Click to expand...

Got it thanks. Looking at the rear panel and the Specification from a dealer site, it appeared that the AES/EBU, BNC and Toslink were inputs, but I see now they are outputs. So this makes the U2 appear very costly, compared with the U2 Mini, if the latter's power supply, less fancy case and no fibre handling socket are the main differences. Or is there more to the much higher price of the bigger U2?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top