U1 is better, but U1 MINI is a great value, so I’d leave you to other audio and user reviews. Better yet, please audition them if possible.
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thank you!
We have many Lumin U1 (MIN) customers using Chord with really good results - there was even a Japanese review for that. We also added DoP256 output specifically for Chord. If you get one, try it and I’m confident you would get better SQ than direct USB connection from your Roon core.
** hi Peter, what do you mean, you guys added DOP256 output specifically for Chord ? Is this something we should specify when we order a Lumin U1 mini if we intend to use a chord dac? please clarify ?
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DoP256 output is now a standard feature of U1 MINI, U1, and X1 / T2 in USB output mode. You do not need to specify this feature if you’re purchasing one of these models.
Yes we added DoP256 output feature specifically for Chord DAC users since Lumin Firmware 11. (It should also work for other DAC that supports DoP256 but not Linux native DSD256, but I don’t think there are many of these.)
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Hey Peter, I’m not seeing the Direct Stream Digital (DSD) menu that allows you to select Bitstream, DOP or PCM on either my U1 or U1 mini. I’m running firmware 12.0 on both. Where is it? On your website’s settings page for firmware 12.0 it shows this menu under Resampling but I’m not seeing it.
now using the T2; very happy.
But ordered a chord Qutest dac.
Will T2 usb out to Chord Dac sound better than U1 mini USB out to Chord dac ?
Should be roughly the same.
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This setting is absent on our newer models. Native DSD and DoP is automatically chosen based on USB DAC identification.
Conversion to PCM can be done by custom re-sampling, or for U1 and U1 MINI turning on the Volume Control. When using Roon, please perform PCM conversion using Roon DSP Engine.
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Thanks Peter for your great fast replies !
So just so I’m clear. If “Re-Sampling” is set to off for a U1/U1 Mini, and a Chord DAC is connected to them (in my case Dave), DSD will be automatically sent to Dave in DoP fashion? And the same happens if the U1/U1 Mini is connected to an upscaler (in my case Blu Mk2)? Please confirm.
If I have that right, since my Chord Dave can be set in either PCM or DSD mode and if set in DSD mode it is expecting native DSD so if DoP is used in that case that would likely not be optimal IMHO. Of course if set in PCM mode, DoP for DSD would likely be best. Since Blu Mk 2 converts either native DSD and DOP to PCM and upscales prior to sending to Dave, it probably makes no difference on which gets sent, but it would seem like it would make sense to be able to choose and certainly makes sense to be able to choose if Dave is in DSD mode without Blu.
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Yes and Yes.
Two different things here, so it’s a little confusing. The Chord PCM+ and DSD+ mode controls how its FPGA work - you need to know that Dave PCM+ uses 164000 taps and DSD+ only has 82000 taps but with better DSD processing (no decimation). You can play both PCM and DSD in both PCM+ and DSD+ modes, i.e. you can play PCM in DSD+ mode and play DSD in PCM+ mode. Native DSD vs DoP is just a transmission format for DSD and it does not affect DSD bit perfect transfer and does not affect SQ. There are factors for choosing the Chord PCM+ vs DSD+ mode, but DoP vs native DSD is not one of them. Unless you use Windows native DSD is not even available to you as a Chord DAC user at all, so please forget and do not worry about native DSD.
When using the Blu MkII, you should leave the Dave at PCM+ mode. Rob Watts said he preferred the new Blu MkII DSD decimating filter to the Dave DSD+ non-decimating filter, so the former was chosen. Since you’ve already got the Blu MkII, you may follow his choices as a baseline and experiment further from there (if desired). His reasoning is that whatever potential decimating losses is outweighed by gain in RF noise suppression.
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Has anyone connected the Lumin U1 to an Audio Mirror TUBADOUR III SE Nonoversampling Tube DAC ???
Looking at its specs I think you may connect the AES output from Lumin U1 MINI to the DAC, and let Roon convert DSD to PCM 176.4kHz.
Thank you Peter.
I have been updating my second system. Which now sounds better than my more expensive main system. I am on day two with new speakers, Spendor D9s, which replaces Rega RS7s. They sound amazing. But on some recordings I am getting a little too much purity and detail? My source is a Linn Majik DSM which feeds into a Pass Labs XP-20 preamp and a Bryston 4BSST-2 power amp.
So, thinking about a new streamer and a warmer tube based DAC? The Lumin U1 and the Audio Mirror sounds intriguing…
To follow up on this response, I have a problem with Roon output in DSD256 to my U1 and then to the Bricasti M3 DAC (with the recent upgrade that can handle DSD256 on USB). But there’s no output at this resolution, using either Bricasti’s native DSD or its Sabre option. I know it isn’t a problem with my Roon Core, which happily sends DSD256 through the same switch to my Sonore/Sony headphone setup. Is it impossible to have the Lumin pass DSD256 to the Bricasti?
Lumin already support Linux native DSD256 output to XMOS DAC with proper firmware, or DSD256 DoP output to DAC at PCM 705.6kHz.
I cannot find the Bricasti M3 “recent upgrade” (firmware?) you mentioned. Please post a link to it. If it is using XMOS, and you’re sure it is running a proper native DSD256 XMOS firmware, please find out its USB VID and PID.
When I google this problem, I came across this, which I don’t quite understand, is that hardware upgrade?
https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/55857-bricasti-model-3-dac/?do=findComment&comment=1055483
Yes, that’s right, it’s a new board. I contacted Bricasti and it’s quite an expensive upgrade. But then it turned out, after Bricasti guided me to find the version number, that my unit was one of the first with the upgrade but this hadn’t been notified or reflected in the manual, so I had set Roon to a limit of DSD128 going into Lumin. So then I thought I’d try DSD256 because now supported, and nothing… According to the manual, native DSD is DoP so I upgraded the Roon setting to a ceiling of DSD256 and PCM to 705.6. The manual (still not updated, although the website info on the unit has been) is here: https://www.bricasti.com/images/product_downloads/m3_user_guide.pdf btw the Lumin display shows the item playing when I’ve switched to DSD256, but the app just sticks and then jumps to the next track, sticks again…
Please bypass the Lumin temporarily. Connect your Bricast M3 to the Roon Core computer using USB. Select the zone in Roon and try playing DSD256. See if it works.
The Lumin DSD256 DoP output was verified with Chord and RME DAC.
I’ll have a go at this tomorrow - getting late - and I’ll report back. Thank you.