Lumin U2 will be announced today at Norddeutsche Hifi Tage in Germany.
I’m really very curious about this device.
It looks like it will be a single box and most importantly it will have a fibre network connection.
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Yes, with SFP port for fiber network and internal LPS.
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Is LUMIN recommending Ethernet or fiber connection?
I encourage users to try fiber isolation, do an A/B comparison and tell me what sounds better to them.
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Im really disappointed by 2 things with this.
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Moving away from the more luxury single piece CNC chassis for one made up of bits put together. When I first seen the U1 I was god smacked at how amazing it looked. The metal line grain has been replaced for a smooth finished and its no longer single piece.
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No hdmi, If im going to use Leedh then it needs to accommodate all my source inputs and that includes a HDMI arc connection for TV/Movie use.
No doubt this product will be amazing, I’m just upset by the drop in quality and lack of modern inputs.
Hi Paul
Yes, the solid Billet CNC is really nice in the flesh (especially when you pick it up or open it up), but feedback from dealers/distributors was that a 2-box system was less appealing at this price point than all-in-one. There are additional machining steps involved to squeeze the LPS inside the main chassis, but we’re really pleased with the final result. Every panel is still CNC machined and T3/U2 still feel really high quality in the flesh. Worth going to see one if you can.
Regarding HDMI - there is only one LUMIN model which features inputs of any kind - LUMIN P1. This has additional circuitry and features to handle a range of inputs and would be worth investigation. Note that there are restrictions on which inputs can be routed to which outputs as detailed here:
https://luminmusic.com/manual/lumin-p1-connections.html
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Hi,
Im certain it will be lovely but it will never match single piece and is almost certainly a cost saving exercise. The only reason I am a Lumin customer is because you drew me in with stunning aesthetics and the U1 became an aspirational product. The U2 no longer has that. Auralic have done the same and dropped the ultra high end chassis in favour of a cheaper and easier to manufacture chassis. The CEO explained the reasons himself and no doubt Lumin have the same reasons.
The P1 is a totally different product category to the U2. I dont want to pay for a DAC I dont need and only need the transport. This is currently a gap in your product offering (referencing hdmi).
I will keep my U1 mini for another generation and with some luck and perhaps a decrease in manufacturing costs we will one day see the stunning chassis return. I have my fingers crossed, Lumin are still my preferred brand.
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Anyone know if it’s it just bigger than the U2 Mini, or is it significantly different in operation, features and sound quality?
To be honest I never knew there was a full-sized “U” model.
Despite my negatively its likely to sound amazing, if the rest of your sysyem is up to the task. I would wait for reviews but its likely to cost a fair bit.
Yes, there are quite a few differences.
Yes, it’s bigger, heavier, more rigid and better shielded with CNC panels instead of the folded aluminium chassis of the Mini. Obviously the aesthetic more closely matches the higher-end LUMIN models too.
It has a Toroidal Linear Power Supply built in (instead of the switching power supply of the Mini).
There is the Fibre Networking port (as seen on the P1 and X1) which is a fairly inexpensive way of isolating from network noise (compared to some of the expensive ethernet cables around).
The ‘dual-network’ system means there is a built-in network switch - allowing the connection of a NAS, or other networked device in the system without requiring another box+noisy psu.
U2 also features a new direct-coupled USB port explicitly for digital audio output. This is lower in noise and also frees up 2 other USB sockets for a remote control or music storage.
In terms of software functionality, there are deliberately no significant differences between all the LUMIN models.
Whether these changes are worth the price difference between U2 and U2 Mini in your own system, only you can decide. I’m sure it will be a common demo request for dealers. In general, we like to leave descriptions of sound quality to professional reviewers and users.
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Are the crystal clock oscillators the same as in the U2 Mini?
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Will the SFP port accept an SFP+ transceiver? The Finisar FTLX1475D3BTL is said to improve even more on my current 1G Finisar single mode SFP, but I do not have a device which will accept a 10G transceiver to experiment for myself. Thanks.
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Will there be an upgrade path from U1 to U2? Maybe keep the original LPS or upgrade to an X1 power supply with new features of the U2.
Bigger. Toroidal LPS. Fiber network.
Yes.
SFP+ is not supported.
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Lumin does not offer hardware upgrades, but some dealers may accept trade-ins.
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This is very interesting. Has anyone seen it appear at a retailer yet? Any clues about the USD retail price? $5Kish like the T3? A little lower, one hopes, because it doesn’t have the T3’s analog outputs?
T3 does not have the toroidal LPS, SFP fiber network support, or AES / toslink outputs etc. U2 does (but no internal DAC).
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I’m guessing ~$8k but I sure hope you’re closer!
I don’t know the US price, but it will be 5K Euro in Europe.
Considering its price, I guess it will not be at the U1x level in terms of sound quality.
Otherwise, I think Lumin wouldn’t have continued to sell the U1x for nearly twice as much.
There seems to be no choice but to wait for the comparison tests to be made with the U1x and P1.
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