Lumin D2 Review – HiFiReport

Lumin D2 music streamer is based on Lumin D1 for improvement and optimization. The outer shell is made of CNC brushed aluminum alloy chassis, and anti-slip foot pads are added to absorb shock to optimize vibration suppression. Just look at the Lumin D2 and other Lumin two-channel products that are similar, but there are other things inside.

The Streaming Trend is Unstoppable

In the era of vinyl and CD, the digital streaming market has emerged. Everyone has begun to study how to build a sound system that meets the Hi-End sound quality standard with a computer as the signal source. This subject must have been checked in immersion CAT (Computer As Transport) in the past.

Streaming music started from the earliest high-resolution music file downloads and occupied the hard disk space of audio fans. Looking at the music files that I carefully archived and organized, the sense of accomplishment was the first to collect high-resolution music.

But the key to making streaming music into the lives of the general public and achieving rapid growth is the rise of streaming music platforms in recent years.

Spotify has the highest market share globally (Spotify Hi-Fi service will be launched in designated countries this year), to KKBOX, which has a complete collection of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean music. Lossless music format. Among them, Tidal even has more than millions of MQA music.

Moreover, when it comes to MQA DAC, it can directly send Hi-Res music comparable to the studio level to the sound system of your house.

These market trends and improvements in streaming technology not only gradually disintegrate the ultimate bottom line of the physical CD collectors. But, at the same time, it has also driven the Hi-End audio brand one after another, launching a series of hardware upgrades, including high-end streaming players and audio switches.

In addition, most of the music I listen to daily comes from online music platforms. So it is natural to buy a streaming player that meets the expectations of sound quality, and this is why I purchased Lumin D2.

Design

Lumin D2 continues the classic style of Lumin’s high-end equipment. The front panel is made of an all-aluminum material hollowed out and cut out by CNC. It has a beautiful arc. The body is equipped with a beautiful high-contrast OLED display. It looks like a spaceship and has a taste of modern technology. It, Completely in line with high-end models.

Lumin D2’s digital input terminals include a set of RJ45 terminals and a set of USB (can be connected to an external hard drive). The digital output has the coaxial and the BNC. The analog output is a set of RCA terminals and XLR balanced terminals.

Lumin D2 uses Lumin’s particular SPS power supply module, equipped with a unique metal shell as a shield, and has the characteristics of preventing EMI/RFI interference. Although the chassis is highly compact, it still retains the features of a balanced circuit module. Each of the left and right channels is equipped with a set of Wolfson WM8741 chips, and the sound sampling can be up to DSD128 (5.6 MHz/1 bits) and PCM (192kHz/24 bits), etc.

Lumin D2 can correspond to the sound quality upscaling technology, which can upscale the sound effect file not higher than 96kHz to DSD or 192kHz specifications, making the sound density more detailed and rich. In addition to DAC conversion, D2 can also correspond to digital conversion functions, which can correspond to 44.1kHz to 192kHz / 16 to 24bit PCM files through the BNC terminal or 2.8MHz/1bit DSD files through the DoP method.

In terms of network functions, D2 supports wireless network wired connection operations. You can also use UPnP to read song files in the NAS and support Tune-In Radio. In addition, you can use the AirPlay function for wireless playback.

Lumin D2 does not have any physical remote control. Instead, you must use its official App as the host to operate. Lumin has integrated Spotify, Tidal, and Qobuz music streaming into the interface, supporting MQA decoding at the highest so that Tidal players can experience the most authentic Hi-Res audio specifications.

Furthermore, since this streamer has obtained Roon-Ready certification, D2 can be used as the core of the playback system, making the entire playback package more comprehensive and straightforward.

Sound Performance

Since Lumin D2 supports 5.6MHz DSD (DSD128) files, it can sample up to 24bit/192kHz for PCM and correspond to the “Re-Sampling” function, which has a vast improvement in source selection and sound quality optimization.

You only need to specify the Re-Sampling function on the official App, and you can easily sample and optimize the signal, or you can upscale the audio to 2.8MHz DSD (or 192kHz PCM) in one step. Songs with dull sound quality can quickly restore the original appearance close to the master.

Since D2 can directly correspond to Tidal MQA streaming, the sound field with acceptable sound quality can still retain a comprehensive sense. D2 has a significantly more vital sound transparency, and the distribution and positioning of various instruments in the song are more transparent.

In the test part, I tested the actual performance of D2 on NAS, Tidal, and Spotify. First, I tried Sam Smith’s “Too Good At Goodbyes” (MQA@ 88.2kHz /24Bit) in the NAS. The reproduction of the sound density is very high. , The imaging effect is clear and in place. Next, try Lady Gaga’s “Joanne” (FLAC@ 44.1kHz /16Bit) again, which is very good for sound details and personality presentation.

Lumin D2 can better reflect Lumin’s sound characteristics in terms of sound features. In addition, because of the built-in DAC and a Wolfson WM8741 decoder chip for each channel, D2 can maintain a unified sound personality from the signal source to the final analog signal output.

Use “Too Good At Goodbyes” to match the Cambridge Audio Edge suit for A/B comparison. Connecting Lumin U1 Mini via digital coaxial signal will tend to follow the analytical power route in sound orientation, vocal/instrument separation, and spatial details. The degree of reduction is very detailed.

As for the D2 connected to the Cambridge Audio Edge suit via the XLR balanced terminal is that the D2 sound is relatively thick and rich, and the sound analysis is not as good as the former. Still, the overall authenticity of the sound can be fully preserved. While diminishing the coldness of the digital streamer, it also effectively highlights the original details of the sound.

Compared with NAS, the sound level that TIDAL can adequately present is very prominent. The sound quality of “Hotel California” (FLAC@ 44.1kHz /16Bit) is no different from that of a physical CD. Coupled with the D2’s own “re-sampling” function, with the support of the DSD128 sampling function, it is evident that it can effectively restore the density that is close to the original master tape, and the overall sound quality and easy operation are parallel.

Conclusion

Lumin D2 music streamer can be regarded as one of the backbone models in the streaming player industry in recent years. It is worthy of being close to the people, but it is attentive to the details, and it has the ultimate Lumin personality in terms of sound quality and operation. The relative price is similar to the pure turntable U1 Mini. However, D2 retains the DAC function and has better sound consistency.

Of course, you can still use the BNC digital terminal to transparently transmit the native signal to a more powerful decoding system so that you can have a sound experience. As for the continued surprise of Lumin D2, the “re-sampling” function is still vital. Even files with lower than CD sound quality (44.1kHz/16Bit) can reshape the delicate sound quality close to the music master and reshape the song’s original sound details and emotions.

Lumin D2 Specifications

DSD SUPPORT: Up to DSD128 5.6MHz, 1-bit
PCM SUPPORT: Up to 384kHz, 16–32bit, Stereo
UPSAMPLING RATES & BIT DEPTHS: DSD upsampling option for all files up to 96kHz, PCM 192kHz upsampling option for all files up to 96kHz
ANALOG OUTPUT STAGE: Wolfson WM8741 DAC chips, 1 chip per channel, Fully balanced layout with high-quality components
DIGITAL OUTPUT STAGE: BNC SPDIF: PCM 44.1kHz–192kHz, 16–24-bit / DSD (DoP, DSD over PCM) 2.8MHz, 1-bit
POWER SUPPLY: Internal 100–240V AC auto-ranging
FINISH: Raw brushed aluminium or black anodised brushed aluminium
D2 UNIT: 300mm (W), 244mm (D), 60mm (H), 2.5kg
PACKAGING: 470mm (W), 340mm (D), 170mm (H), 4.5kg