Thread: Lumin D2+DAC or T2

Hello everyone, are any of you using the Lumin D2 with an external DAC?
After a few months with the Lumin D2 and having fully incorporated into streaming (Qobuz) I am very satisfied with the sound. I listen to classical music and for symphonic music the sound sometimes seems very compact, I would like more instrumental separation. A more airy stage and broad.
I am wondering if it is better to incorporate an external DAC (which one?) or change it for a T2.
I would like to know your opinion and especially that of those who have incorporated an external DAC.
Thanks a lot

My personal opinion is that the T2's analog output sounds much better than the D2's analog output, but whether or not it makes more sense for you to upgrade to a T2 or to purchase an outboard DAC fed by the D2 really depends on what you're looking for and what would work best for you.

I suspect that since you listen to a lot of classical music and music with a full orchestra, you would benefit from upgrading your DAC.

Tomorrow, Monday, I have the opportunity to test the T2 with my music equipment. I think it is the only way to see if I appreciate differences.
I will tell you ......Thanks for your opinions.

How did the test go?

For four days I have been doing the comparative tests between the D2 and the T2 using streaming music from Qobuz. In order to better determine if I appreciated differences I have used recordings ranging from one or more instruments to a symphony orchestra.
These are the files:
Bach JS Suite for cello Nº1 Celllo Misha Maisky
Chopin Etude No. 1 Piano Maurizio Pollini
Debussy Jardins sous la pluie. Piano Wikingur Olafsson
Vivaldi Sposa son disprenzata Voice / Piano Cecilia Bartoli
Bella Bartok. Sting Quartet Nº1. String Quartet Jerusalem Quartet
Haydn Symphony Nº84 Orquestra Le Concert de la Loge
Biber Requiem Choir / Orquestra Vox Luminis
Shostakovich Symphony Nº9 Orquestra Boston Symphony Orquestra

As you can see, it has been an exhaustive listening, since in each of the tracks I have made a D2-T2 comparison and then I have written down my impressions.
First of all I want to say that they both sound great but as expected but the T2 sounds better.
What is the difference between them?
The answer is in the annotations taken:
. The sense of space and placement of the performer is much more real, it is more centered and deep as in a concert hall.
. More global transparency.
. Each of the notes produced by the piano, cello or voice is more defined. In stringed instruments the friction of the bow with the strings is clearly appreciated. In the piano the harmonics are appreciated in the low octaves. The instrumental groups in the orchestra are very well defined.
The dynamics of music are much more evident
The human voice si more real

I don't know if the D2 with an external DAC would outperform the T2. Do any of you have this option? I would appreciate your opinion.
I am waiting for a change offer to decide.
Greetings

As you may expect, I'd recommend you get the T2 if you are pleased with its SQ. It also supports DSD512, and full MQA decoding to analog output.

If you choose to use an external DAC with the D2 BNC output and care about playing DSD64, please note that only some DAC supports DSD over SPDIF. You will not be able to play DSD128 or DSD256 via SPDIF.

Even if you do not use Tidal and stick to Qobuz only, some albums on Qobuz are actually in MQA format. So having full MQA decoding is still an advantage.

Thanks all of you for your advices
Wyklie, I want to ask you if de volume control does it work when using an external DAC, because it’s very usefull for mi.
I found DSD more clear and I listen to the files in that way.
l’m still waiting for the offer

Volume control can be used even for digital output. However, for volume-controlled digital output, DSD will be converted to PCM first.

If you care about digital volume, you really should get the Lumin T2, due to our Leedh Processing Volume optimized for built-in ESS DAC (that works better for analog output than digital output to an external DAC).

While not exactly responsive to your specific question, I investigated whether the T2, using its internal dual ESS 9028 DACs, sounded better than using the DAC in my Theta Digital Casablanca IV, which has its own proprietary "Extreme DAC" boards and software. For analog interconnects, I used Kimber Kable's 1 meter Silver Streak analog cables, with WBT silver connectors. (These cables were made for me on a custom basis, with two of the three strands silver and only one copper vs. the opposite in their standard product.) For the digital interconnect, I used Kimber Kable's 1 meter D-60 digital cable, which is almost made almost entirely of silver, with the T2 termination utilizing Kimber Kable's own BNC connector and with the other end being a WBT silver connector. The balanced interconnects to the Krell (Class A) amplifier were Wireworld Eclipse 8s, the speaker cables were Wireworld Silver Eclipse 8s, and the speakers were Revel Ultima Studios and Sub-30 subwoofers.

I listened to a lot of different types of music, including orchestral, choral, rock, piano solo, folk, electronic, etc. After a while, one general impression emerged. The Theta was more mellow and the T2 had more presence; both provided highly satisfactory, albeit different, listening experiences. Which was "better"? That is hard to answer because the decision was so personal and subjective. That said, with rare exception, I found I usually preferred listening to music streamed from Tidal that was processed with T2's internal DACs, not withstanding the high quality of the Casablanca IV's DAC processing.

After the tests that I carried out and since I have not been able to test the D2 with an external Dac, I have sold the D2 and I have kept the T2.
Do any of you use a different power cable from the standard one?

I use a Shunyata Research Venom 14 power cable with highly satisfactory results. Be sure, however, not to purchase the Venom 14 Digital power cable; that one incorporates a digital noise filter than interacts (to the detriment of the audio quality) with the T2.

Although only a T1 , i use Nordost Frey2 Power cord ... and yes it does make a difference with a better power cord.