Lumin U1

Today's Firmware 7.08 for Lumin U1 fixes an issue with boot-up volume after power cycle, if volume was not 100% previously.

* As a transport, U1 should be used at 100% volume for best results anyway with Volume Control turned off as default.
 
For Lumin U1, Firmware 7.09 extends the feature of (optional) DSD upconversion to mp3/aac, so U1 owners with DSD-only DAC can now play all supported music formats. (This feature currently remains exclusive to U1. By design all other Lumin players can upsample lossless music but do not upsample lossy compressed music.)
 
wklie said:
S1 remains to be the flagship, and for coaxial output S1 may have an advantage from an engineering standpoint.
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Hello Peter -

You mentioned the S1 may have an advantage over the U1 for coaxial output...I forgot to ask in the past, but was always curious what advantage exists?

Thanks!
Mike
 
Peter, that's kind of disappointing. I thought that U1 was exactly an S1, without DAC / Peter, that's kind of disappointing. I thought that U1 was exactly an S1, without DAC / analog output transformers outpu
:(:(ut transformers
 
nonesup said:
I thought that U1 was exactly an S1, without DAC / analog output transformers
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Users have been asking Lumin for a network transport (i.e. without DAC) for a long time. So to explain what U1 is and to differentiate it from the rest of the Lumin products, its description would be S1 functionality without DAC - that is basically true, although U1 actually has more powerful function (especially resampling from/to DSD128) than S1 and provides USB output. Engineering wise it is just not possible to take the digital board from the S1 and release it as the U1 - S1 hardware cannot do what U1 does. Therefore U1 is designed from the ground up and has very different hardware (they share the same external power supply though).
 
There's a new Hong Kong review of Lumin U1 in Chinese:
http://www.post76.com/x2/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=250133&extra=page=1

I read that some users preferred Lumin U1 AES output to USB output, but in this review it's the opposite. So perhaps it's worthwhile to note the cables he used.

You can try google translate, but it doesn't work too well. So here's my summary and translation:

Lumin U1 AES output (Oyaide AR-910 5N silver with Furutech carbon fiber balance plug and shielding) to Antelope Zodiac Gold:

- Compared to Lumin U1 RCA output (Audio Synthesis SilverBlue SQ) voice is clearer, background is more silent, weak notes are clearer.

- The reviewer tried a Hong Kong song 24/96 "眼晴不能沒眼淚" by Leo Ku, found that the AES output has an analog feeling, with high resolution and a touch of vinyl sound. It is the best rendition of this song compared to 10 other streamers he tried before (listed in the review).

Lumin U1 USB output (Entreq Challenger USB + Entreq Eartha Silver)

- "Oh My God~!!!!!" Possibly aided by the Entreq Challenger USB connection to a ground box (PAC reference ground box from Hong Kong), the USB output is another level above the AES output, with even deeper silent background, and even clearer weak notes.

- It allows the reviewer to hear some weak notes from the song "春江花月夜/新版十面埋伏" he never heard before. There is no decrease of smoothness compared to AES, not matching some people's general belief of USB being more digital sounding than AES.

- Entreq Challenger USB + Entreq Eartha Silver performs really well here, with even better balance of treble/mid/bass. Voices convey an emotional affection, the high density of the music gives an even better overall atmosphere, with the decays sounding natural with no hint of noises.

- In the reviewer's setup with the same USB cable, Lumin U1 completely beats Aurender N100H (although the latter offers a marginally more relaxed sound)

P.S. Entreq's website explanation of the ground box connection:
"This entails the shielding / drain wire not being connected to the device’s negative pole, but is connected to another external earth point. One of our ground boxes is suggested.
This way, we drain off the interference/noise that the shielding absorbs to the ground outside of the signal paths, instead of the usual mixing it together with the signal wire at the connection to the devices."
 
I recently acquired Lumin U1 and am connecting it to Holo Spring DAC via Singxer U-1. The Singxer accepts USB in and outputs I2S to the HDMI input of Holo. The setup's sound quality is jaw-dropping.

However, I notice an issue with the U1. All music files, PCM from 44.1k to 384k, work flawlessly but not DSD. When played with Volume Control On (set at 100% inside the Lumin app), DSDs 64 and 128 are automatically converted to DoP at 352.8k; when played with Volume Control Off, the files are output as straight DSD 64 or 128, with sound level dropped by several dbs and the left/right channels reversed. In other words, raw DSD files output direct to the external DAC are flawed. I have tried straight USB output from the U1 to the Holo USB input with the same problem. So Singxer should not be the culprit. Just wonder if other U1 users have noticed the same problem and whether there is a solution to it.
 
ppnuts said:
However, I notice an issue with the U1. All music files, PCM from 44.1k to 384k, work flawlessly but not DSD. When played with Volume Control On (set at 100% inside the Lumin app), DSDs 64 and 128 are automatically converted to DoP at 352.8k; when played with Volume Control Off, the files are output as straight DSD 64 or 128, with sound level dropped by several dbs and the left/right channels reversed. In other words, raw DSD files output direct to the external DAC are flawed.
Click to expand...

Please make sure your U1 is running latest firmware (7.09).

U1 should be used with Volume Control OFF - this will send DSD as DoP. (U1 only supports DoP format, not the newer native DSD over USB format.)

If U1 Volume Control is ON - U1 will convert DSD to PCM, because we cannot manipulate volume for DSD.

I tested U1 USB output to Esoteric N-05 USB input, with Volume Control ON and OFF, with CD and SACD (DSD64) versions of the same album, and a DSD128 music. In all tests I've done I've verified that left/right channels are correct as compared to Esoteric N-05 network input, as well as CD compared to SACD. The volume of CD vs SACD, from U1 with Volume Control OFF, is exactly the same from N-05 balanced output.
 
wklie said:
Please make sure your U1 is running latest firmware (7.09).

U1 should be used with Volume Control OFF - this will send DSD as DoP. (U1 only supports DoP format, not the newer native DSD over USB format.)

If U1 Volume Control is ON - U1 will convert DSD to PCM, because we cannot manipulate volume for DSD.

I tested U1 USB output to Esoteric N-05 USB input, with Volume Control ON and OFF, with CD and SACD (DSD64) versions of the same album, and a DSD128 music. In all tests I've done I've verified that left/right channels are correct as compared to Esoteric N-05 network input, as well as CD compared to SACD. The volume of CD vs SACD, from U1 with Volume Control OFF, is exactly the same from N-05 balanced output.
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Many thanks, wklie, for your quick reply. Have been out of town in the past few days and could only check the firmware of my U1 today. It is indeed the 7.09 version. In the circumstances, I shall get hold of another DAC to see if the Holo Spring and U1 is a mismatch.
 
For now U1 review in Polish, but English version should be available during next few days ...

U1-0016.jpg

U1-0011.jpg

U1-0006.jpg
 
We have had 2 firmware updates in the last couple of days. I can't find any news of what these updates fixed or offer new. Anyone know?
thanks
Larry
 
Dguitarnut said:
We have had 2 firmware updates in the last couple of days. I can't find any news of what these updates fixed or offer new. Anyone know?
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http://www.luminmusic.com/firmware-notes.html

Version 8.02 (Mar 16, 2017)
Enhancement and Fix:

Auto stop Roon playback in order to apply re-sampling setting changes.
Other minor bug fix.

Version 8.01 (Mar 8, 2017)
Enhancement and Fix:

Support Roon Ready, LUMIN works as Roon speaker.
 
Usually the Firmware Release Notes page is shown when Lumin app prompts for a new firmware and the user chooses to view it.

I don't think it's accessible from the web support page. I'll discuss with related personnel and see whether this should be added. Thanks.
 
ppnuts said:
when played with Volume Control Off, the files are output as straight DSD 64 or 128, with sound level dropped by several dbs and the left/right channels reversed.
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In case anybody experiences similar DSD left / right channel reverse problem, here is ppnuts' solution from hiendy forum dated 2017-1-17:

Just like to report that I have 'downgraded' my SingXer SU-1's firmware from ver2.02 to 2.00 without any hustle. DSDs through the Holo Spring now have their channels put right, i.e. left is left and right is right. Thanks to contributors here, especially clplarry. What remains on my wish list now is Jeff of Holo Spring releasing a firmware update boosting by 6db the output level of DSD files played thru his brainchild.

I would also like to share my experience in enhancing the sound quality of the Singxer plus Holo in a system involving the use of a streamer:

1. Cat. 7 ethernet cables must be used. This gives audible improvement in removing 'edginess' in the music.

2. Connect your music streamer and NAS to a switch and then to your router. This seems to be against the law of physics not to connect them directly to the router. But it must be heard to believe. With a Zyxel switch sitting between my streamer plus NAS and the router, every musical note becomes sharply focused, and the background stage definitely gets darker.

3. Where possible, replace the stock power supply of the switch and NAS with an LPS (linear power supply). Improvements obtained under 2 above are further enhanced.
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Hello
I recently bought a Lumin U1 , and used the Analysis plus Oval cable in AES EBU , to be connected to the Chord DAVE
Music is stored in a Melco N1A
The Lumin U1 is connected to the Melco via RJ45
I have in my set up
Auralic Aries femto one
Aurender N100 H

Well , the U1 does offer jaw breaking music
It has been running continuously for about 24 hrs now .
Firmware has been updated to the latest one

One question : is the PSU , the newly designed one , coming with the S1 (reviewed on 6 moons I think ? )
I have read some pages (here and elsewhere) about Kenneth Lu PSU for Lumin
What is the manufacturer's point of view ?
I read that Peter didn't test the Kenneth Lau PSU ..but is it a real upgrade or just a hifi geek perception (LOL)

Cheers
 
Zaheer said:
Hello
I recently bought a Lumin U1 , and used the Analysis plus Oval cable in AES EBU , to be connected to the Chord DAVE
Music is stored in a Melco N1A
The Lumin U1 is connected to the Melco via RJ45
I have in my set up
Auralic Aries femto one
Aurender N100 H

Well , the U1 does offer jaw breaking music
It has been running continuously for about 24 hrs now .
Firmware has been updated to the latest one

One question : is the PSU , the newly designed one , coming with the S1 (reviewed on 6 moons I think ? )
I have read some pages (here and elsewhere) about Kenneth Lu PSU for Lumin
What is the manufacturer's point of view ?
I read that Peter didn't test the Kenneth Lau PSU ..but is it a real upgrade or just a hifi geek perception (LOL)

Cheers
Click to expand...

How would you compare the U1 to N100H?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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