Replacement power cable for Lumin X1

Will,

I will do. I made several upgrades all at the same time - bought the X1 (replaced an Esoteric N-05), replaced the home audio guy’s stock ethernet cable with a Nordost Heimdall 2 ethernet cable, added the EtheRegen, replaced the standard X1 cable with the AS DC cable - so it might be difficult for me to evaluate how each change added to the improvement in performance. But, the sound has definitely improved.

Take care,
Marilyn
 
My X1 is arriving soon and I would like to begin burning it in 24/7. Does the music have to be playing with the amp for the burn in?

thanks
 
Please play music of different sampling rates in repeat mode. If you use a solid state pre-amp, leave it on. You may turn off the power amp if necessary, but the interconnects must remain connected.
 
I am currently using a Lumin S1 with an X1 power supply. I have approached Steve about making me a 0.5 metre cable, however he needs the pinout diagram for the X1 to S1 cable. He suggested I email Lumin for this but they have not responded. Does anybody know where I can find this information?
 
petercalv said:
pinout diagram for the X1 to S1 cable.
Click to expand...

For the X1 to S1 DC cable, only need pin 1 to pin 6 (as labelled on the connector) connected:
1: +12V
2: GND
3: +12V
4: GND
5: -12V
6: GND

Note that pin 1/2 need to be rated for 1.5A.
 
wklie said:
For the X1 to S1 DC cable, only need pin 1 to pin 6 (as labelled on the connector) connected:
1: +12V
2: GND
3: +12V
4: GND
5: -12V
6: GND

Note that pin 1/2 need to be rated for 1.5A.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much Peter.
 
Just found out that the 1/2M (about 18") cable from AS costs $650! Wow! We are only talking 20-22 gauge wire that is approx. 18" long. The cost per inch is over $35 dollars!

ozzy
 
ozzy said:
Just found out that the 1/2M (about 18") cable from AS costs $650! Wow! We are only talking 20-22 gauge wire that is approx. 18" long. The cost per inch is over $35 dollars!

ozzy
Click to expand...

That price is nothing compared to the Westminster Labs cable.
 
AudioSensibilities have produced some very nice cables, all at somewhat reasonable prices.
However they seem to have lost their "Sensibilities" on this one.
 
Are you sure that quote was not in Canadian dollars as that's how Steve usually prices things and then Paypal does the conversion rate currently around 75 cents on the dollar.
 
The price quoted by ozzy is the price I paid, and in US$. Steve’s price is 1/3 the price of the Westminster Labs’ power cable.
 
That certainly does seem outside the pricing norm for him so I assume we are missing something with the parts cost or the amount of labor involved.
 
Yes, That is the first question, does the AS cable make an improvement in sound quality? Then, is it worth the money?

ozzy
 
Questions posed by BlueFox and ozzy are spot on. I do tend to add accesssory items when I change/add new components. Though I advise patience in doing so, I have difficulty often times following my own advice on this. My initial impressions were neutral on the change. I wanted the new cable to be in use for at least a few weeks first. I have found it best to do so with other cables, such as power cables, interconnects and speaker wire, even if these were burned in by the manufacturer prior to shipping. AS offers this service on other cables, but I suspect not done on this one--custom cable, not standard stock offering, and specialized terminations for him to source and purchase. eickenho's question on comparison prompted me to get on with checking this. Changing X1 cables is more challenging than my other components, as I would guess other owners have encountered. I did indeed find improvement in my system with the AS cable compared to the stock one. I found it so on the various sample rates and different music selections I tested, with some very noticable and some more subtle.

The next question as stated by ozzy, is it worth the money? Truly, that is a question that is applicable for all the items in our audio systems. Being involved for some time in this hobby, we are more forgiving of the dollars we apply, but others outside this hobby certainly question the sanity and advisablility of spending the dollars we do, and on "accessories". For me, the answer after testing is yes.

Regarding the pricing on this compared to Steve Huang's model on other cables, I think there are additional expenses in parts and labor over what is typical for him. I also asked about use of carbon shielding, and Steve came up with a solution for me. I am hesitant to share more on this, preferring Steve provide what he wishes on this topic in a public forum, versus private emails to me. I have let Steve know about this thread, and suggeted he might wish to participate in this discussion. I believe he will do so. He responded end of last week he had registered for an account here and was awaiting activation email. I am hopeful he will be able to participate here in near future.

Will
 
further said:
I have let Steve know about this thread, and suggested he might wish to participate in this discussion. I believe he will do so. He responded end of last week he had registered for an account here and was awaiting activation email. I am hopeful he will be able to participate here in near future.
Will
Click to expand...
My apologies for the delay in responding. Was finally able to get the account activated this afternoon.

I added a full description of our Lumin X1 DC cable to the web site.
https://audiosensibility.com/blog/products-2/power-cables-2/#!/Signature-Lumin-X1-Silver-DC-Cable/p/232454256/category=2595837

The Lumin X1 power supply (PSU) provides five independent DC rails of power (one high current, four lower current). The Lumin X1 power supply cable uses top grade 10 pin Japanese DC connectors. All 10 pins of the connector are used with the required five twisted pairs of wire.

Like all high-end equipment manufacturers, Lumin provides very basic AC and DC power cables with the X1. This keeps the base cost of the X1 as low as possible. The customer can then independently decide if they wish to upgrade either of the stock cables.

The stock Lumin DC cable uses PVC insulated tough pitch copper (TPC) which is of a lower grade than OFC (better) or OCC (best) copper. Estimated cost is $2.00/m.

The Audio Sensibility DC cable uses cryogenically treated Teflon insulated OCC silver. This is the same OCC silver used in premium audio cables such as the Wireworld Platinum Eclipse 8 line.

OCC silver is very expensive and is the primary material cost of our cables. The Japanese DC connectors are also not inexpensive.

BTW: For this DC cable we are currently using Neotech solid core OCC silver wire. Wire use is 115% of the stated length of the cable.
https://audiosensibility.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/SOST-RetailPrice.png

The DIY parts alone add up to 2/3 of the price of the AS X1 DC cable.

Of course the proof is in the pudding. A cable is only worth its price if the customer is happy with the system improvement.

Feel free to post follow up questions in this thread (or contact me privately) and I will do my best to answer.
 
I was unaware till today that this DC cable had been added to the AS website,
Power Cables (OCC copper) – Audio Sensibility

Note that the pricing reflected, with various length options, is shown in Canadian dollars. His website is showing a 13% discount coupon that can be redeemed, so with it and exchange rate for U.S. customers, the .5 meter version is less than $650. Before being additionally critical of AS pricing for this, I suggest taking a good look at the materials used in this design per his site:
At the heart of these cables is Ohno Continuous Cast (OCC) silver with a purity of 99.99998% (7N). OCC silver does not possess the brightness/glare often associated with conventional silver due to the elimination of crystal boundaries.
Cable Geometry: 5 twisted pairs of Teflon insulated solid core OCC silver wire:
one 20AWG twisted pair for the high current DC rail
four 22AWG twisted pairs for the low current DC rails
special carbon fiber spacers provide separation between twisted pairs to reduce noise floor.
Connectors: The following connectors are available for use for PSU and component side:
Standard Lumin (10pin Hirose) connectors.
Covering: The cable is finished with Techflex expandable sleeving.
Other Details: The wire and connectors have been cryogenically treated. Mundorf Silver-Gold Supreme Solder is used for all solder connections.

Additionally, AS includes fabricated carbon fiber spacers--pictures of the cable done for me and the spacers and wire can be viewed on the above shown web link.

In case there is a concern, I do not have a business relationship nor personal relationship with Steve, other than being a very satisfied customer. I have found his products to be high quality, high value, and quite reasonable pricing, especially considering the materials used in his designs. From my experience, I will definately consider purchasing again as my needs--probably more accurate to label as desires rather than needs, dictate.

Will
 
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