In July 2023, I mused here on likely features for an X1 successor. The recent introduction of the Lumin U2X and a few other Lumin products got me thinking about this even more.
In no particular order:
– New processor
– Network switch capacity (multiple RJ45 and fiber connections)
– Femto and OCXO clocks, with external clock connection
– Maintain separate linear power supply
– Best possible ESS DAC chips with improved Field-Programmable Gate Array
– Possible room correction
With the introduction of the L2, I don’t think Lumin will ever offer storage inside a streaming device though the company has introduced the L2’s functionality as a network switch in some of its products.
Interesting, I wonder what the FPGA does if the DAC chip is in place.
Chord, PS audio and Playback designs do everything custom in the FPGA without the need for the chip. I have no udea why a DAC would use both. Unless 1 is just controlling the DAC itself and they are calling that distribution.
The X1 uses a femto-second precision clock system, managed and distributed via the on-board FPGA. This ultra-accurate timing significantly reduces jitter—tiny timing errors in digital audio—that can degrade sound quality. By tightly controlling clock signals for the dual ES9038Pro DAC chips, the FPGA helps deliver crisp, stable, and highly transparent playback.
The FPGA also supports advanced upsampling, such as 16× DSD processing from PCM (pulse-code modulation) audio, elevating lower-resolution files to near-high-resolution quality. This contributes to the X1s ability to play DSD512 and PCM768 formats natively.
Additionally, it hosts the “digital nexus” framework, coordinating signal routing, volume control (via LEEDH lossless volume processing), and potential future firmware-based feature upgrades.
It would be cool if we could upgrade just the x1 processor on existing units - everything else is already top notch, and the latest DAC isn’t better in specs - it just supports mobile MQA which is irrelevant now.
