Lumin P1 Network Music Player Review

Introducing the new Lumin P1 network music player – the cornerstone of any high-end hi-fi system. This powerful device offers flexible streaming capabilities and includes analog and digital interfaces, making it an all-in-one streaming media/DAC service pre-processor. With its versatility and advanced features, the Lumin P1 is a must-have for any audiophile looking to elevate their listening experience.

Pixel Magic Systems Ltd., the renowned high-end Hi-Fi manufacturer, has recently launched its latest offering – the Lumin P1 network music player. This versatile device has been hailed as the most flexible player ever created by the company.

The Lumin P1 combines an advanced streaming client with analog and digital interfaces, making it the ultimate all-in-one solution. In addition to its streaming capabilities, the Lumin P1 can function as a powerful D/A converter and preamp, enhancing its appeal to audiophiles looking for the best possible listening experience.

The Lumin P1 network music player has been designed to serve as the central interface for any high-end hi-fi system. True to its promise, the manufacturer has ensured that the Lumin P1 seamlessly integrates with other components, making it the perfect addition to any audiophile setup. With its exceptional performance, versatility, and ease of use, the Lumin P1 has quickly become a must-have device for anyone looking to elevate their listening experience to new heights.

Design

At first glance, the Lumin P1 network music player may appear larger than ordinary streaming players, but this is because Lumin has equipped it with many luxurious features. The extraordinary quality of this device is immediately evident from the input and output terminals on its back panel.

These interfaces provide the user with unparalleled connectivity options, allowing them to integrate the Lumin P1 seamlessly with other components in their system. Despite its larger size, the Lumin P1’s sleek and elegant design makes it a stunning addition to any home audio setup.

One of the standout features of the Lumin P1 network music player is its support for 3-in and 1-out HDMI terminals. This allows for seamless connectivity to various sources, including Blu-ray players, video game consoles, and other 4K devices. The output terminal also features an ARC audio return function, which has become increasingly important in the industry’s push for integrated audio and video products.

With this function, users can combine two-channel audio with video entertainment from a digital TV source, providing an immersive audiovisual experience. When streaming movies or TV shows on popular platforms such as Netflix or Disney+, the Lumin P1 allows you to enjoy high-quality sound effects from Hi-End speakers, making it a must-have for anyone looking for an elevated home entertainment experience.

In addition to the standard optical fiber and coaxial terminals, the Lumin P1 network music player features a new USB Type-B input, allowing it to function as a pure two-channel DAC when connected to streaming turntables, CD turntables, NAS, and other products. It can also be used with the L1 music server to store and organize your music collection. The device has USB Type-A ports for firmware upgrades or for playing music from a USB flash drive.

Regarding network connectivity, Lumin believes wired connections are superior to Wi-Fi as they minimize signal interference. As a result, the P1 features a conventional RJ45 network terminal and an optical fiber network input, which has been known to provide better sound quality than traditional conductors, according to some users. Overall, the Lumin P1 offers many options regarding digital inputs and network connectivity, allowing for endless possibilities for audiophiles looking to optimize their listening experience.

In the past, all Lumin streaming models were equipped with digital volume control, enabling them to function as digital preamps. However, the Lumin P1 is a true preamplifier, thanks to its support for two sets of analog inputs, including XLR balanced and RCA single-ended. If you have a high-end DAC or turntable, you can use the P1 as a pure preamplifier to achieve a higher sound quality grade.

Additionally, the P1 features both balanced and single-ended analog outputs, allowing you to connect external integrated amplifiers or post-amplifiers. It’s important to note that if you’re using an integrated amplifier at the back end, you should adjust the volume of the P1 to its maximum output (100%) and close the volume control interface, effectively bypassing the P1’s volume control to achieve optimal sound quality. Overall, the P1’s analog inputs and outputs make it a versatile and powerful addition to any high-end hi-fi system.

When you open the case of the P1, you will see a neatly arranged circuit configuration. Lumin has put much effort into the digital audio control part, using its exclusive 32Bit LEEDH Processing digital audio control, which achieves higher precision and effectively reduces distortion. It avoids the problem of lower resolution caused by general digital audio control at low volume. The decoding part adopts a fully balanced circuit architecture and inherits the clock system of the flagship X1.

The left and right channels use an ESS ES9028PRO DAC chip each. This is an 8-channel 32-bit DAC and ESS’s sub-flagship decoding chip. As a monophonic application, it dramatically improves the dynamic range and can correspond to PCM 32bit/384kHz and native DSD 512 music file decoding. The P1 also has MQA Full Decoder and Roon Ready functions, which means that it can fully decode MQA files, and you can hear the best performance of Tidal sound quality.

Yes, the power supply of the P1 is one of its key strengths. Using a separate linear power supply with high-quality toroidal transformers can significantly reduce noise interference and provide stable and clean power to the circuitry. That is especially important for digital audio components, as any noise or interference in the power supply can affect the sound quality. The fact that Lumin has used the same power supply as their flagship X1 model in the P1 shows their commitment to providing the best possible performance in their products.

The App

The Lumin P1 offers an impressive range of music streaming capabilities. It supports major platforms such as Spotify, Qobuz, AirPlay, Tidal, TuneIn Internet radio, and Roon Ready. When playing Tidal, the P1 supports full MQA decoding, providing an even richer listening experience. The P1 supports various music file formats, including DSD, FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF, and MP3. For PCM music, it can handle up to 384kHz/32bit, while DSD playback can reach up to DSD512.

The Lumin P1 offers a wide range of streaming playback functions, but accessing them requires using the original factory app. While the P1 has a beautiful remote control, most functions can only be adjusted through the app. Fortunately, the app offers built-in connection functions for popular streaming platforms such as Tidal, Qobuz, and Spotify. Additionally, it can read files in NAS and music servers in the same network domain through UPnP/DLNA.

The Lumin app provides a convenient playback method, allowing users to easily add albums or tracks from major streaming platforms or NAS to the playlist for listening. The app displays the album cover art, song attribution, and music file sample rate, enhancing the listening experience. Moreover, the P1 supports Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect functions, enabling direct playback control through the streaming playback interface of a mobile device or computer under different network domains after the initial pairing.

The Lumin app offers many adjustable items that allow users to customize their listening experience. In addition to the streaming playback function, users can upscale DSD and PCM audio and make detailed choices for the upsampling sampling rate. Additionally, users can choose whether to decode the MQA format, enable the front-end audio control function, adjust the display screen’s brightness, and set the automatic shutdown time. These options allow users to tailor the P1 to their individual needs and preferences.

Sound Performance

For my audio setup, I decided to use the Lumin P1 as a streaming player and preamplifier, along with the Keces S300 power amp to drive the Pioneer S-1EX floor-standing speakers. I began by playing some Oobuz streaming music. I was immediately struck by the P1’s detailed and soft sound. Compared to my D2, the P1’s sound quality exceeded it by several levels in terms of sound density, transparency, and dynamic effect. The sound was well-balanced, with no one element overpowering the others.

In the live performance album “Grigory Sokolov at Esterhazy Palace,” I was blown away by the dense, transparent piano sound that flowed like clouds and water. The pure black background imprinted the graininess deeply, making for a rich listening experience. Despite the brightness of the piano, it was sweet and never harsh, with each key sounding elastic and natural.

Even the high-pitched keys were textured and woody, giving the listener a sense of the instrument’s physicality. The dynamic contrast between soft keys and thunderous chords was sharp and clear, allowing the music to evoke a range of emotions in the listener.

Playing “Beethoven String Quartet No. 1” by Maggini Quartet on the Lumin P1 reveals its excellent spatial texture. Unlike the airy sound field, the instruments are presented with good depth and high density. The four stringed instruments are fully separated and positioned with a remarkable three-dimensional effect. The P1’s interpretation of string music is also impressive.

The soft and sweet violin tone is full of luster, and the details are condensed and full. The cello’s nasal sound has a slightly warm rendering, which enhances the resonance of the piano cavity, making it more intense and full of moisture. Even when played with a strong bow, the energy is well controlled, without sounding stiff or tense, and the details of string rubbing are clear and deep, giving chamber music a soft and delicate texture.

The delicate and transparent sound signature of the Lumin P1 shines through when playing popular music as well. For instance, in the second track of the “Utada Hikaru-Bad Mode” album, “Kimini Muchuu,” the P1’s electronic low-frequency control is exceptional. The energy is no longer overwhelming, and the low-frequency particles have a more vivid sense of body, with even the dive and details that were difficult to express before now being fully audible.

The shape of the human voice is firmly positioned in the center, with a tight and raised outline, and the shape of the lips and teeth sounds incredibly delicate, without any feeling of tightness or oppression. This song’s rich ambient sound effects complement each other in the spacious sound field of the P1, creating a dense sense of musical immersion in electronic music.

Great to hear that the P1 can still deliver high-quality sound when used as a digital source with your Sony A80J 4K OLED TV through the HDMI ARC connection. It’s impressive that even playing a YouTube video like “Sibelius Violin Concerto” by Maxim Vengerov can still showcase the delicate textures of the orchestra that might not be heard on a surround amplifier.

The P1 provides a well-structured orchestra accompaniment with a high level of separation of instruments, allowing for the smooth hydration of strings and the gorgeous golden luster of brass to be well interpreted without any rough or blunt feeling. Overall, the P1 is a versatile and high-performance audio product that can deliver exceptional sound quality across various media sources.

You point out that P1 is a two-channel source product and does not support movie-related audio specifications or have a subwoofer output. As a result, playing Dolby Atmos movie content on Netflix and Disney+ may not provide a fully enveloping surround sound experience. While it may be possible for the original factory to add support for these audio specifications, doing so could compromise the original intention of Hi-End audio and negatively impact the sound quality performance.

However, it’s important to note that P1 still offers excellent integration with the TV and delivers a more delicate and refined two-channel music texture. For those looking for a full theater sound experience, using a surround amplifier with multi-channel speakers may be a better option. But for those who prioritize high-quality two-channel music playback, P1 is an excellent choice.

Conclusion

Regarding product rank, P1 is second only to the current flagship X1 and has also obtained a lot of X1 technology decentralization. It should be Lumin’s sub-flagship streaming model today, but its functional support far exceeds the flagship model’s. Because the previous Lumin streaming players, including the flagship X1, pursued the ultimate simplicity of design, which I appreciate very much, but for some users, it may feel that its functions are somewhat limited.

This time, the P1 has wholly broken this tradition. When you turn to its back panel, you will find that the terminal support of this machine is superb. First of all, its most prominent feature is that it supports 3-in and 1-out HDMI terminals. The input terminal allows you to connect to a Blu-ray player: or video game console and other 4K sources. The output also has the ARC audio return function. Everyone has noticed that the audio industry has recently attached great importance to integrating audio products and video displays.

The ARC function allows you to use digital TV as a source to combine two-channel audio with video entertainment. When you use Netflix and Disney+ When watching movies and dramas on other streaming platforms, you can also enjoy the high-quality sound effects of Hi-End speakers.

Specifications of Lumin P1

• Type: streaming preamp
• Digital input: RCA digital coaxial x1, BNC x1, optical fiber x1, AES/EBU x1, USB type B x1, USB type A x1, RJ45 Ethernet x1, optical fiber x1
• Analog input: RCA x1, XLR x1 Analog output: RCA x1, XLR x1 Audio decoding: DSD 512, PCM 384kHz/32bit HDMI terminal: 3 in 1 out Support audio formats: DSF, DIFF, DoP, FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF, MP3, AAC, MQA
• Network function: Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, Roon Ready
• Size (WxHxD): 350x380x107mm