Lumin Owners and Discussion Thread

[MoonDrifter]

On 18/09/2023 at 11:15 PM, wklie said:

To verify the hardware, please put a few 16/44.1 FLAC files on a USB thumb drive.  Plug it into the P1 USB port.  In Lumin app, select the library to be Lumin USB Music Server.  Clear the playlist, add those files to the current playlist.  Turn on repeat.  Let it play for 24 hours.

Hi Peter,

I've now been able to run this test and the P1 worked perfectly.

I'm still getting the momentary blips in sound and occasional P1 lock ups on streaming Tidal and Radio Paradise.

I got my ISP to remotely check their Modem and all was OK except for speed tests which were less than half my 25Mbps service speed. The ISP then ran a 24 hour speed test and confirmed speeds were consistently too slow so they have now escalated the problem to the National Broadband Network who provide the network/service to the ISP to resolve the problem.

So will wait and see if that fixes the problem.

Meanwhile I've ordered a screened CAT6 cable to connect between ISP Modem and P1 just in case I'm picking up any interference behind my AV Rack that might be causing the problem, I've re-routed the current cable but this did not make any difference to the problem.

Will keep you posted on developments.

Regards, Mike

[Blackspider777]

@wklie

 

I noticed that my U2 Mini is taking a lot of time around 3-4 secs to play the next song on Qobuz. The app was also abit laggy in updating, example- If i clicked a song to play, the time bar would not update on the top in the app until 10 secs of the song has played. Was this always there? I got the lastest software on the U2 mini & also did a factory reset. Now its a bit better in selecting & playing songs but still slow & the time bar still starts later on. I m using an iPad 6th gen, any advice?

 

Thanks. 

Edited October 4, 2023 by Blackspider777

[wklie]

Please reboot your iPad and/or toggle the Google DNS setting in Lumin app About of U2 Mini.

Edited October 4, 2023 by wklie

[Blackspider777]

1 hour ago, wklie said:

Please reboot your iPad and/or toggle the Google DNS setting in Lumin app About of U2 Mini.

Hi,

i just did the toggle for the google dns & it improved for one song & now going back to the same issue. The next song on an Album plays after 4-5 secs & the time circle on the app updates only after the first 10 secs of the song is running.

Tried the lumin app from my iPhone same result. Any other suggestions?

 

Thanks.

Edited October 4, 2023 by Blackspider777

[Blackspider777]

@wklie

 

Got it to work, it's now fast in loading tracks & the time circle updates instantly, changed the dns on my main router & enabled NAT to Open.

Thank you for the help  

 

Edited October 4, 2023 by Blackspider777

[wklie]

On 05/08/2023 at 11:21 AM, wklie said:

Status of Lumin playing Tidal Hi-Res FLAC:

 

Please try Lumin Firmware 17 for models that support Tidal Connect - and update Tidal app to the latest version.

 

When you receive Lumin app 9.0 for iOS or 6.0 for Android, re-login to Tidal.

Edited October 10, 2023 by wklie

[billy170468]

Hey all.... 

 

I have a problem.

 

I have a T3 being controlled by iOS.

 

If I scrolll to  an album and just browse then using back button... I get back to where I started.

 

EG.Scroll to Led Zeppelin... browse but dont do anything else I get back to Led Zeppelin.

 

But when I scroll to Led Zeppelin and add an album of theirs to playlist then hit back button... I takes me to the top of my library so I have to scroll back down to led zeppelin.. annoying.... any thoughts

 

Cheers '

 

Andy

 

If any more details are required please ask

Edited October 11, 2023 by billy170468

[wklie]

After you added an album, the view should stay right where it was.  There is no need to hit the back button, which works like the back in a web browser.

[MoonDrifter]

Now getting full Hi-Res FLAC up to 24/192 on my P1 and Lumin App from Tidal.

Many thanks Peter @wklie

[wklie]

Over the years, among support requests of radio stations, I've more requests for Jazz than any other music genre.

 

Jazz FLAC internet radio stations from Lumin default radio:

- Super Stereo 7 from Chile
- City Radio Chile
- Cro Jazz
- Mother Earth Radio Jazz
- Naim Jazz
- Jazz Groove (FLAC requires a paid subscription)

 

Jazz 320kbps / 256kbps internet radio stations via TuneIn favorite accessible to Lumin:

 

https://tunein.com/radio/Jazz24-885-s34682/
https://tunein.com/radio/SmoothJazzcom-Global-s16735/
https://tunein.com/radio/SmoothJazzcompl-s106565/
https://tunein.com/radio/Linn-Jazz-s122120/
https://tunein.com/radio/Hi-On-Line-Jazz-Radio-s223141/
https://tunein.com/radio/Jazzradio-Schwarzenstein-s290621/
https://tunein.com/radio/Europa-Radio-Jazz-s218749/

 

(Please login to your free TuneIn account in the web browser, open these links and mark them as favorites.  Ignore "no longer available" notices - certain unavailable stations are worked around in Lumin firmware.  In Lumin app, enter the TuneIn account name or e-mail, then tap Update Radio Channels.)

Edited November 14, 2023 by wklie

[wklie]

Someone asked about D3 reviews.

 

Firstly, review by Stereonet:

https://www.stereonet.com/uk/reviews/lumin-d3-networked-streamer-review

 

AI translation of the listening notes of the D3 review by https://www.audionet.com.tw/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=16541

 

During actual testing, I used the D3 as a preamplifier for streaming, paired with the Keces S300+ power amplifier to drive the Pioneer S-1EX floor-standing speakers that we have been using as a reference for a long time. During the process, I deliberately brought in the previous generation D2 streaming player for comparison. It had the familiar sound signature of warm and smooth undertones, with a huge and intimate musical presentation that created a relaxed and pressure-free musicality. However, when I switched to the D3, its sound evolution amazed me even more. Compared to the D2, the D3 completely elevated the sound to another level in terms of transparency, finesse, and dynamic effects. While the D3 still possessed the softness and directness of the D2's sound characteristics, it improved upon the shortcomings of the D2.

Many people may be curious about the difference in sound between the D3 and the higher-tier T3. In comparison, the T3 has a wider and deeper soundstage, a larger musical presentation, and outstanding transparency and finesse. On the other hand, the D3 exhibits a larger musical presentation and a direct and clear style in terms of detail reproduction. It is evident that Lumin's product lineup is clearly graded. Although entry-level models may slightly lag behind mid-range models in terms of features and sound quality, they still have their irreplaceable sound advantages. Therefore, regardless of your budget, Lumin's streaming players are worth investing in.

First, I played the album "Live at 'The Club'" by jazz pianist Cannonball Adderley. When I switched from the D2 to the D3, it was like lifting a thin veil. The music background instantly became clear and transparent, and the sound positioning was very three-dimensional. I could clearly perceive the sound positions and distances of the surrounding audience's chatter and applause, creating a realistic sense of space as if I were in a dim and lively jazz club. The saxophone had a prominent instrument presence with clear contours. The details of the performance were direct and revealed the intimate breath of the musicians. The brass instruments had excellent penetration, and this distinct and direct sound quality made listening to small jazz ensembles on the D3 feel incredibly realistic.

Next, I played Haydn's String Quartet No. 4 performed by the Modigliani Quartet from France. With the D3, I could hear the four violins arranged in life-size right in front of me. Although the string texture was not delicate and ethereal, the lines were solid and full. The contours of the violin were clear and transparent, and against the backdrop of the resonant acoustics of the concert hall, the lingering reverberation carried a charming sense of air. Even the subtle details of bowing were clearly presented. I could hear the tight and crisp bowing texture of the cello without any sense of bloating. It portrayed the delicate resonances and tremolo expressions vividly. From this, I could also perceive the significant improvement in the dynamic effects of the D3. Even in small chamber music ensembles, the contrast between strong and weak tones was very pronounced, making the string quartet more engaging and allowing me to experience the delicate dialogue of emotions and performances.

The low-frequency performance of the D3 is also its strong point. Compared to the D2, it has significantly improved control and transient effects. For example, when playing rhythmic and energetic pop music like "One Last Kiss" from Utada Hikaru's album "BAD MODE," I could feel the fast and precise low-frequency punch, as if being struck by rapid and powerful punches to the chest. The plucking of the electric bass strings was clear and distinct, with controlled energy and no sense of bloated thickness. This improvement addressed the slight softness in the low-frequency range of the D2, resulting in a solid, clean, and sharp texture. Not only is the low-frequency speed faster, but I could also hear more subtle low-frequency details. For example, in the electronic music album "Aphex Twin - Blackbox Life Recorder 21f / in a room7 F760," I could hear clean and deep electronic bass that extended down to extremely low frequencies, sounding smooth and full-bodied. The humming low-frequency resonance rippled like waves, devoid of mid-low frequency standing waves, and I could also hear more subtle beat variations and surround sound effects in the song.

After three years of waiting, the D3 streaming player has certainly not disappointed anyone. Its materials and design are on par with the high-end T3, allowing the D3 to retain the direct and transparent sound and the warm and gentle undertones of its predecessor, while surpassing it in terms of audio performance. If you happen to be looking to enter the world of streaming audio this year, congratulations! Because this D3 streaming player is definitely one of the most sincere and impressive entry-level models in recent years!

 

[wklie]

AI translation of the listening notes of D3 review by HighFidelity.pl https://highfidelity.pl/@main-4565

 

Tidal playlist for review:

https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/8fe910ec-fc55-4f95-b52c-8ed7446d6190

 

⸜ JOHN SCOFIELD, Uncle John's Band, ECM Records/Tidal, FLAC 24/96 (2023).
⸜ CLUSTER, Grosses Wasser, Sky Records/Bureau B/Tidal FLAC 16/44,1 (1979/2012).
⸜ KENICHI TSUNODA BIG BAND, Big Band Scale Tidal, FLAC 24/96 (2015).
⸜ SMOLIK/KEV FOX, Belly of the Whale, Kayax/Tidal, FLAC 24/44,1 | 24/88,2 (2023).
⸜ PAUL MAURIAT, Grandes Éxitos, Charm Music/Tidal, FLAC 16/44,1 (?).
⸜ ROBBIE ROBERTSON, Robbie Robertson, Geffen/Tidal, FLAC 16/44,1 (1987/?).

The latest generation of their products, including the T3 model I'm using, and the significantly cheaper D3 model, are returning to density, warmth, and natural sound attack, but now under new conditions. With much higher resolution.

Just the first sounds of Bill Stewart's drums, and then John Scofield's guitar in the song "Mr. Tambourine Man" from the guitarist's latest album titled "Uncle John's Band," brought out the best in it. The transmission had a very nice filling and was incredibly colorful. To some extent, the darkening of the sound, so characteristic of early models from this manufacturer, returned, but not as a withdrawal and softening of the high end, but as a deepening of the blackness behind the sounds.

These, especially the drums, were three-dimensional thanks to it, both in terms of stereo and stereoscopy, meaning not only in width but also in depth. They were truly distinct 3D shapes, perhaps not as clear as with this manufacturer's twice as expensive T3 model, but quite good nonetheless. However, the device builds a rather strong foreground rather than pulling everything back. On the other hand, when the guitar struck harder in the recording of "Avanti," the opening track of the album by the krautrock band Cluster, the reverb carried far back.

Whatever you may say, the D3's transmission is built on a strong foreground. The instruments are large and substantial. It is the opposite of what many other manufacturers propose, even reputable ones who fail to understand that sound must be both clear and full-bodied to be perceived as natural. Let's play the D3 in any well-assembled system, and we will see that this little device can build a transmission on a scale that we associate with large, heavy, technologically advanced products.

Oh, how wonderfully the large ensemble of a big band sounded thanks to it, recorded by the Japanese on the album "Big Band Scale" featuring the Kenichi Tsunoda Big Band! Released by Warner Bros. Japan, the album showcases dynamics and fullness. The D3 played it brilliantly precisely because it can beautifully render strong, dense upper bass and low midrange. The high tones are powerful and have the right weight but are not pushed to the foreground. They are not rounded; they have a clear, swift impact, so it's not about softening them. I would say, however, they have a "golden glow" rather than a "silvery sonority," if you know what I mean.

I highly recommend this album, especially since it is now available on Tidal in FLAC 24/96 format, without MQA encoding. By the way, it's one of the biggest changes I've come across lately in streaming. Tidal still offers hi-res FLAC MQA files, but apparently, they are trying to transition to non-encoded files after the owner of the Master Quality Authenticated patent announced financial problems. In any case, both the previously listened to Scofield and the currently listened to Kenichi Tsunoda big band sound excellent because of it. I know and like MQA, but it's not always the solution to all problems.

D3 delivers a full-range sound with grandeur, creating large, enjoyable, tangible sound sources. And it's not only with purist recordings but also with heavily processed ones, like the latest album by the duo SMOLIK/KEV FOX titled 'Belly of the Whale.' Fox's vocals on this album are not as strong and clear as on their previous record because they have been integrated more deeply into the mix, which the Lumin player beautifully showcased. It didn't artificially bring them forward, even though it plays with a strong range in which the British vocalist operates.

It's actually an interesting case regarding the files. The album was mastered for streaming in 24-bit resolution. The title track 'Belly of the Whale,' which starts with a rattling barroom piano reminiscent of the opening theme of the TV series Westworld (Michael Crichton, Jonathan Nolan, 2016–), is sampled at a frequency of 44.1 kHz, the same as a CD. The same goes for all other tracks except one: 'Move Honey.'

For some reason, that particular track is sampled at 88.2 kHz. It seems that the entire album was prepared that way, and for some reason, the label decided not to provide the full studio resolution, and the mastering engineer forgot to downsample that one track. This wouldn't be possible with MQA because, at least theoretically, the authentication of such files requires the label to provide the original 'master' file. However, it could also be the case that assumptions are assumptions, and we didn't really know what was happening with the files before they reached us. That's actually a significant problem – their absolute anonymity.

Getting back to the player, I'd like to add a few words about the low frequencies. They are powerful, full, dense, and slightly soft. Therefore, they won't be as clear in impact and as selective in sustain as with the previous generation of this company's players or with devices from Linn or Aurender. It's just a different type of sound reproduction. But it sounds so good because of it. That's why we have such a large scale, and that's why all the recordings come alive, vibrant, and spacious with it.

The softness of the bass is controlled by high dynamics. For example, if the bass drum strikes in an orchestra in a recording by PAUL MAURIAT, it is a quick, strong hit without a lingering 'tail' behind it. I mention Mauriat because there is an excellent compilation of his hits available on Tidal. And, let me remind you, he is one of the most famous Italian conductors who became known in the late '60s for his orchestral version of André Popp's hit 'Love is Blue.' He was previously the artistic director for Charles Aznavour and Maurice Chevalier and also collaborated with Petula Clark. It's worth checking out.

[maximus]

Hi every one, just an FYI, I have a QOBUZ  account but am currently listening to a band called Hoff Ensemble, album, Quiet Winter Night, running Roon with MQA at 3.9 processing 352.8 KHZ . I'd have to say it's the one of the best if not inclusive of Qobuz recording I've got, but more importantly how did I receive it, I thought Tidal was affiliated with MQA.. This is wonderful news if Qobuz acquired bits of MQA.

[NonPlayableCharacter]

1 minute ago, maximus said:

Hi every one, just an FYI, I have a QOBUZ  account but am currently listening to a band called Hoff Ensemble, album, Quiet Winter Night, running Roon with MQA at 3.9 processing 352.8 KHZ . I'd have to say it's the one of the best if not inclusive of Qobuz recording I've got, but more importantly how did I receive it, I thought Tidal was affiliated with MQA.. This is wonderful news if Qobuz acquired bits of MQA.

It's on the 2L label - they only offer mqa to all streaming services, so that is what you'll get in this instance from Qobuz.

 

Thankfully Qobuz won't be offering anything else mqa under normal circumstances. There is Tidal for that (for now).

[maximus]

Thanks for the info Terry, I really got carried away with it, still listening now, I'm stoked....Sounds incredible, might have to look into a tidal account $$$$.

 

cheers

[NonPlayableCharacter]

1 minute ago, maximus said:

Thanks for the info Terry, I really got carried away with it, still listening now, I'm stoked....Sounds incredible, might have to look into a tidal account $$$$.

 

cheers

 

No worries - I only knew about 2L's preferred format as it is frequently mentioned on the Roon forum as anomalous as far as Qobuz is concerned.

 

[Bass13]

To all the Lumin owners,....with Roon.

 

Do you find when processing the upscaling via Roon, that you can hear a significant difference in Sound quality when at a higher processing speed, from the same core unit.

 

Example: DSD512 or DSD256 running through Roon,  processing at 1.7 or processing at 3.4 or processing at 5.2  or  12.2etc

Does this make any difference in the SQ to the music, thanks for your time & views.

Edited December 22, 2023 by Bass13

[wklie]

Do you happen to find that DSD256 sounds better than DSD512?

[Bass13]

Just now, wklie said:

Do you happen to find that DSD256 sounds better than DSD512?

 

He said No...Just trying to understand a friends issue, who advised his Lumin sounds better on either DSD 256 or DSD 512 when at a higher processing speeds via Roon  via the same core,  Is there a minimum where SQ will be affected or when it comes to that extremely low level processing, the music degradation, it will crack up or stop.? Thanks 

 

 

[DVDHack]

I found that using DSD 256 improves the sound quality when I drive my MSB DAC with that resampled feed.  I set Roon to do nothing except stream the original file.

 

Im unsure why the difference but it is quite noticeable.

[maximus]

I'm streaming DSD512 via ROON using an Apple macbook air M2, and found running DSD512 on my Lumin T2 sounds so much better at 4.1 than at 3.5, trouble is , I cant seem to process at 4.1 anymore, it might've been an anomaly. If this is the case, it might mean the processor is just if not more important than the streamer or the file. 

 

[maximus]

@DVDHackI drive my MSB dac with that resampled feed....what do you mean by this?

 

[DVDHack]

5 minutes ago, maximus said:

@DVDHackI drive my MSB dac with that resampled feed....what do you mean by this?

 

I set the Lumin U2 to DSD 256 resample, the resampled stream goes to my MSB via its Pro ISL USB input.

 

 

Edited December 22, 2023 by DVDHack

[maximus]

@DVDHackok, understood.....cheers, bet it sounds nice.

[DVDHack]

8 minutes ago, maximus said:

@DVDHackok, understood.....cheers, bet it sounds nice.

I shared it because I was astounded at the difference it made, it might just be my particular configuration.  I'm entirely unsure why it should be so.  It is worth trying different options.

 

I read your post above about the Roon Mac scenario and I share your experience.  I run a Mac Mini M2 Pro as my Roon server (also does Plex), connected via a 10Gb switch to a Synology NAS and it doesn't perform as well as the Lumin (both upsampled). I assume the fibre connection to the U2 made a difference to the sound quality, eliminating signal noise - just an assumption.  Directly connecting my Mac Mini to the MSB is not very good which is unfortunate because I'd like to try Dirac Live running on the Mac.

 

My conclusion, Lumin does good quality resampling.

Edited December 22, 2023 by DVDHack