The amazing Lumin P-1 is now the Heart of my system.

[Mike]

I have spent the last 2 weeks comparing the X1 internal DAC with fibre along with SPDIF out and USB out. The SPDIF was to a Benchmark DAC3B and the USB was to a Musetec 005. The comparison was with the same DACs streamed with fibre using the Sonore OpticalRendu. I have 3 oR's and I am a ROON user. I GROUPED the ROON end-point streams so that I could quickly switch between the endpoints via my Benchmark LA4 preamp or the DAC source digital inputs. I did not run oR into the X1 to test that via USB (I should). The fibre stream was comping out of a Ubiquiti network switch with 2 SPF outputs.

There were differences in sound between the 2 streamers. The X1 was louder and more in your face. The Sonore OpticalRendu seemed to have all the details of the X1 but was not as loud and seemed a bit more refined. Not saying one was better than the other. However, at around $1K-$2K the oR is a great streamer. I have 3 of them.

I just sold 2 of my Musetec 005 DACs this week and will likely get rid of 1 or 2 oR.

The Lumin X1 is really growing on me in my office system. Not too warm or too dry, just right with amazing features. It goes into my LA4 preamp in the office.

X1 is amazing. It sounded the best in our Lumin shootout, but I still have a soft spot for the engagement factor of the P1 .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[No Quarter]

I have spent the last 2 weeks comparing the X1 internal DAC with fibre along with SPDIF out and USB out. The SPDIF was to a Benchmark DAC3B and the USB was to a Musetec 005. The comparison was with the same DACs streamed with fibre using the Sonore OpticalRendu. I have 3 oR's and I am a ROON user. I GROUPED the ROON end-point streams so that I could quickly switch between the endpoints via my Benchmark LA4 preamp or the DAC source digital inputs. I did not run oR into the X1 to test that via USB (I should). The fibre stream was comping out of a Ubiquiti network switch with 2 SPF outputs.

There were differences in sound between the 2 streamers. The X1 was louder and more in your face. The Sonore OpticalRendu seemed to have all the details of the X1 but was not as loud and seemed a bit more refined. Not saying one was better than the other. However, at around $1K-$2K the oR is a great streamer. I have 3 of them.

I just sold 2 of my Musetec 005 DACs this week and will likely get rid of 1 or 2 oR.

The Lumin X1 is really growing on me in my office system. Not too warm or too dry, just right with amazing features. It goes into my LA4 preamp in the office.

I am curious of your thoughts on the Musetec 005 Dac, I was close to buying one of these ( unheard) last year, based on all the good things I read about it.
At that point I was using an IFI Zen stream with Sbooster BOTW power supply as my streamer. I was using it with my Musical Fidelity MX Dac. I also demoed a Saturn Dac with the Zen stream.
There just became too many boxes, cables etc. to deal with so I went with the P1.
I will try and find a photo of the Zen/Saturn Dac with the jungle of cables, power supplies that drove me nuts. This was a temporary location for the gear, until I sort things out.
I never did get to hear the Musetec.

 

[yyzSB]

I am curious of your thoughts on the Musetec 005 Dac, I was close to buying one of these ( unheard) last year, based on all the good things I read about it.
At that point I was using an IFI Zen stream with Sbooster BOTW power supply as my streamer. I was using it with my Musical Fidelity MX Dac. I also demoed a Saturn Dac with the Zen stream.
There just became too many boxes, cables etc. to deal with so I went with the P1.
I will try and find a photo of the Zen/Saturn Dac with the jungle of cables, power supplies that drove me nuts. This was a temporary location for the gear, until I sort things out.
I never did get to hear the Musetec.

The Musetec 005 is a very good DAC. The sound is as detailed as the Lumin X1 and it is mostly similar to the X1 except for the slight warmth and additional smoothness that it has. I have done side by side comparisons with the same gear and it is easy to hear. Sometimes I liked the Musetec over my Lumin X1 and Benchmark DAC3B. My last 005 is going to be picked up by a local buyer tomorrow and I will do a final listen to hear what I will be missing.

I tested out my KEF LS50 Meta + KC62 sub in my small office with the Benchmark LA4 preamp and CODA #16 amp. You are really hearing the interaction with the Musetec and CODA here since the LA4 gets out of the way. This combo was sometimes favored by me over adding the Lumin X1. That extra smoothness of the 005 seems to play nice with the slightly warm CODA #16. The Lumin X1, LA4, and CODA #16 are very good, but I am not sure if it is the best combo. I am kicking that decision down the road since I will not be using the CODA #16 for another 9 months. I will be buying KEF Blade 2 Meta to go with the CODA #16. I am most likely going to get another X1 direct-to-amp, a P1, or another DAC (maybe 005) with LA4.

My office system is Benchmark LA4 + AHB2 mono amps and now the Lumin X1. I really love this combo. I was not planning on using the X1 in my office, but the sound is way too good to ignore. I like this better than the Musetec 005 with the same gear. I thought the 005 was great with this gear but the X1 is even better in this setup.

Near the end of the year, I will have to get another DAC that will work nicely with KEF Blade 2 Meta and CODA #16. I think the X1 or P1 for both sound quality and simplicity are the 2 favorites.

BTW - another reason that I sold both 005's this week is because they do not sound good with my RAAL VM-1a headphone amp. The sound of this amp with the SR1a or CA-1a phones approaches unbelievable levels with the Benchmark DAC3B and to a lesser extent the Lumin X1. With the 005 it is not too good.

 

[No Quarter]

The Musetec 005 is a very good DAC. The sound is as detailed as the Lumin X1 and it is mostly similar to the X1 except for the slight warmth and additional smoothness that it has. I have done side by side comparisons with the same gear and it is easy to hear. Sometimes I liked the Musetec over my Lumin X1 and Benchmark DAC3B. My last 005 is going to be picked up by a local buyer tomorrow and I will do a final listen to hear what I will be missing.

I tested out my KEF LS50 Meta + KC62 sub in my small office with the Benchmark LA4 preamp and CODA #16 amp. You are really hearing the interaction with the Musetec and CODA here since the LA4 gets out of the way. This combo was sometimes favored by me over adding the Lumin X1. That extra smoothness of the 005 seems to play nice with the slightly warm CODA #16. The Lumin X1, LA4, and CODA #16 are very good, but I am not sure if it is the best combo. I am kicking that decision down the road since I will not be using the CODA #16 for another 9 months. I will be buying KEF Blade 2 Meta to go with the CODA #16. I am most likely going to get another X1 direct-to-amp, a P1, or another DAC (maybe 005) with LA4.

My office system is Benchmark LA4 + AHB2 mono amps and now the Lumin X1. I really love this combo. I was not planning on using the X1 in my office, but the sound is way too good to ignore. I like this better than the Musetec 005 with the same gear. I thought the 005 was great with this gear but the X1 is even better in this setup.

Near the end of the year, I will have to get another DAC that will work nicely with KEF Blade 2 Meta and CODA #16. I think the X1 or P1 for both sound quality and simplicity are the 2 favorites.

BTW - another reason that I sold both 005's this week is because they do not sound good with my RAAL VM-1a headphone amp. The sound of this amp with the SR1a or CA-1a phones approaches unbelievable levels with the Benchmark DAC3B and to a lesser extent the Lumin X1. With the 005 it is not too good.

Thanks so much for all that info, given its price, the Musetec seems to be outstanding.
I live in Canada, and I found a dealer near Chicago that could get them. I was a bit apprehensive of buying a Chinese Dac from the US, while living in Canada…so never bothered to pursue it.

 

[No Quarter]

Peter, I just read that Qobuz will be available in Canada in May, can you confirm this on your end? I currently use Tidal, but will definitely give it a try if it is true.

 

[Puma Cat]

There just became too many boxes, cables etc. to deal with so I went with the P1.

I will try and find a photo of the Zen/Saturn Dac with the jungle of cables, power supplies that drove me nuts. This was a temporary location for the gear, until I sort things out. I never did get to hear the Musetec.

Ha! Yeah, exactly! That looks very comparable to my previous set-up. It was just so complicated, it was getting ridiculous. Moreover, it would not function consistently, based on my home network's wonkiness. Here's a photo of just part of all the gear: components, digital cables, analog cables, power supplies, power supplies for the digital components, power cords for the power supplies for the digital components, blah, blah, blah. Gah! And, this doesn't even show the amp...

All that gear inside the red borders, now replaced with this:

The current system main rack...

The P1 is cornerstone and foundation that allowed all of this...

SO happy, it always works, never gets wonky like the Eunhasu server for my SOtM network bridge, and it sounds frickin' amazing... :celebrate008_2:

 

[Michaels HiFi]

Ha! Yeah, exactly! That looks very comparable to my previous set-up. It was just so complicated, it was getting ridiculous. Moreover, it would not function consistently, based on my home network's wonkiness. Here's a photo of just part of all the gear: components, digital cables, analog cables, power supplies, power supplies for the digital components, power cords for the power supplies for the digital components, blah, blah, blah. Gah! And, this doesn't even show the amp...

All that gear inside the red borders, now replaced with this:

The current system main rack...

The P1 is cornerstone and foundation that allowed all of this...

SO happy, it always works, never gets wonky like the Eunhasu server for my SOtM network bridge, and it sounds frickin' amazing... :celebrate008_2:

Looks great!!!

 

[Puma Cat]

Looks great!!!

Thanks. Yeah, it looks nice.

Only need 1 pair of ICs and 2 PCs; no digital Ethernet cables, no digital USB cables, no power supplies, no power cords for power supplies, no external DAC, no IC for the DAC, no PC for the DAC, yada, yada, yada.

Simple. Most important thing is...it always works.

 

[MaxH13]

Looks great Puma

 

[Puma Cat]

Looks great Puma

Thanks, Max. Sounds great (actually, REALLY great), too. Listening to it right now.

 

[brodricj]

Thanks, Max. Sounds great (actually, REALLY great), too. Listening to it right now.

Far more condensed system. I see the Altaira-SG and Altaira-CG there, they can't be condensed into anything else. I'm told my Altaira-SG isn't far away.

 

[Puma Cat]

Far more condensed system. I see the Altaira-SG and Altaira-CG there, they can't be condensed into anything else. I'm told my Altaira-SG isn't far away.

Actually, it's two SG-Altaira hubs. Which is Shunyata's guidance for configuring a segmented system. The P1 is plugged into it's own Altaira-SG, and the other is Altaira-SG solely dedicated to the Constellation Inspiration integrated. If I was using a single Altaira for an entire system, then it would be a Altaira-CG.