The Lumin X2 dispenses with off-the-shelf chips and uses a custom FPGA DAC with fully discrete output stage.
A new streamer and streaming DAC from the Hong Kong–based digital master.
Lumin's first streaming DAC, the A1, used Wolfson DAC chips. Then, much to the chagrin of fans of that Wolfson growl, the S1 switched to ESS Sabre chips, and the X1 continued the pattern.
The X2 breaks it in a big way. It’s the first Lumin DAC to use a totally custom FPGA digital-to-analog processor, a feat seven years in the making.
Says Li On, Lumin’s product development manager: “The Wolfson was known for its warm and textured sound. The ESS is known for resolution and dynamics. We wanted—we needed—all of these! Hence the creation of our own discrete DAC.”
As you can imagine, the outgoing X1 set the bar very high. “We went through many iterations, over and over again,” says Li. “The final result is the sweet spot that put a smile on our faces! This is a new beginning.”
The Lumin X2 is available in December. Kevin Deal already has our demo unit to compare with the X1 in his main home system. As soon as we can pry it out of his hands, we'll do a deep dive ourselves. Look out for a video where Kevin shares his experiences.
Not Your Grandfather’s Clocking
Lumin was at the forefront of audio networking by introducing an optical network port on the X1 over six years ago. Now everyone offers an optical port, so Lumin takes the next step with its flagship streamer, the U2X, by including not just a clock input but two clock outputs.
The Lumin U2X has clock input and outputs, allowing you to minimize jitter across components.
A clock input means you can connect an external 10 MHz clock that, because of its own power supply, housing, and highly optimized crystal, offers much lower jitter.
The U2X also includes a high-end internal clock, and you can select whether the U2X outputs use the internal or external reference. Many DACs now have clock inputs, so the streamer and DAC can share a single timing reference, greatly minimizing or correcting jitter across the digital cable. The second clock output can supply an upsampler, for example.
What does better clocking sound like? Music. It’s the kind of improvement we describe as “subtle but profound.” It’s not like adding subwoofers or new speakers. Lowering jitter improves microdetail and flow in a way that’s beguiling and natural. After a few days, you only notice it when you remove the clock and everything gets a little flat and jagged.
With so many excellent budget streamers now available, many of you have heard how even a digital-only streamer can make a significant improvement to your sound. Streamer upgrades are not subtle. For those of you with good streamers and great DACs, the Lumin U2X is the way to make that DAC truly shine.