@scthom 

It’s simple.  Just remove the top plate, unplug the old tube, plug in the new.  That’s it.  No bias adjust or anything.
 

@designsfx
Had to!

I'm holding on to the Orchid for now.  I still like it, will go in the garage system.  Future comparison, though possible, is so past "just different" not likely.  

Newly engineered DAC IV.

@decooney 

I use  Wireworld Starlight 8 coax, never tried the other formats.  Still new at this.  Been into analog forever.

My further impressions another 4 hours in:

Delicate signals have location, articulation and body.  I can easily follow backstage instruments and vocals to the micro level. Nothing etched or exaggerated.  Natural.

Treble is sweet.  Not rolled off or syrupy sweet.  Sweet as in "I love percussion, give more".  

Very dimensional.  It's as if the recording space is being recreated as well.

Very analog.  

About 25 hours now and it's a keeper.  The only downer is the stock knobs are frumpy.  I added guitar amp knobs.  They're beautiful.  View my virtual system for a peek.  

new

old

Larger images are in the virtual system view.

True color is satin aluminum, inbetween my flash blue and the stock photo sepia.

@chayro 

My experience is limited to my original post but I'll try.  

The AM recently opened up, bringing more feel to the venue. Powerful below 30 Hz or so (compared to the Orchid.)

A big factor in choosing this DAC (by reputation) was electric guitar glare.  That's been taken care of - on Spotify.  I'm just now giving Tidal a try.  One session so far.  Some songs were Very Good, some were meh, some were too hot on top - Is Tidal revealing the recording or the DAC or the streamer?  Too early to tell.  I'm giving Tidal, me and the DAC more time for the dust to settle and reality sink in.  Streamer next, I think.

@decooney 

Thanks for the heads up. I've tube rolled the Orchid including 6922 family to some effect.  Per my last post the biggest reason for moving on from the Orchid was predominant glare.  How is your output cap mod in that area?  It would be an absolute long time keeper for me (second system.)  Love the musicality.

@decooney 

Thanks.  Cutting to the chase, do you think all things being equal (room, cabling, source, gear, music, listener) will the caps eliminate glare from the Orchid when glare is not apparent with the AM or with analog?  Would be a must have for me.

The speakers and room sound fine with analog and the AM.  It’s the Orchid.  Sounds like your tube gear has a necessary synergy, 

Nothing changed out but the DAC.  Had the GE.  Have Millard installed.  Have used the Orchid with tube pre (Herron).  Now Have Luxman integrated.   Have tried cables.  It’s a good DAC for the money,  Has glare though.

They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!  

We now return to our regular programming.  AM

@decooney 

Sounds like you and your six friends have fallen for the  Orchid.  I'm falling for the AM.  Best wishes on your audio journey.

Update:

It's been four months and a couple things of note have happened.  

A Lumin U2 mini replaced the BS Node/Sbooster for streaming duty.  It's quiet, dynamic and grain free.

A NOS Telefunken E88CC in the Tubadour.  I don't know the vintage and whatnot but it is gold pin, diamond bottom and the ink is chalk dust that rubs off.  The Gawd-awful Russian 6h23n stock tube is suitable for target practice only.  Seriously, I want to shoot it.  What a bottleneck.

The DAC/streamer combo has a smooth, pure top end, a generous amount of the famous Telefunken midrange magic and a natural and cohesive stage. Music flows.  Listening is a joy for hours on end.  

Easily bettered by my best LP's. Average LP's bettered by my best digital (Tidal CD/MQA and FLAC radio sources).  

@ericsch ,

Honestly I hated the app at first.  My first impressions:

Intuitive it is not.  

Extra steps a few.  

Frustrating it is.  
For instance, on first fire up the control panel popped up, grayed out and unresponsive.  There are four inconspicuous icons with no text, not highlighted and containing  the symbols for Tidal, Quobuz, Spotify and Intune radio.  If you’re not familiar with those symbols too bad. Push the appropriate button and it’s time to play.  Or is it?  Radio FLAC stations pop right up with the radio button.  Some encouragement there, at least it’s not bricked.  Want to add stations?  Go to the Intune site, set up a free account, favorite some stations.  Go back to the Lumin, select the utilities menu, select options, select internet radio setting, select update radio channels.  Next.

Want Tidal for instance?  Push the button, sign in and you’re gold.  Or are you?  Find your Tidal playlists under My Music, Playlists, then pick your list.  You’ll find yourself back at the start page, which shows your selected playlist on the right (now called a “song list”) and an empty “playlist” on the left where the on deck tracks go.  Super!  Touch a track on the right, it transfers to the left and plays.  Hallelujah!  One track and stops.  Clear the playlist (left side) with the trash can icon. So how to populate the entire song list on the right  to the playlist on the left?  Go to utilities, choose song list double tap.  Then back to the song list (right side)  and highlight each song using a single tap.   A row of icons appears below the selected tracks.  Push the first one on the left.  Scroll the next set of songs and repeat.  When  all songs are transferred to the playlist (left side), go to the left side icons at the bottom.  Touch the second icon to create a new playlist and name it.  The list will be saved.  Don’t look for it anywhere but here.  The music note icon will bring it up again.  All lists will be saved here so do it one time and never again, thankfully.  Things get simple at that point.  All the extra work is done.  Radio stations access via the radio icon and saved Tidal lists access through the music icon, all on the same page.  
Ok, that sounds nightmarish but the truth is it’s only a couple of unfamiliar operations to learn, no worse than my first look at Bluesound.   The difference is a baby can figure out Bluesound, it takes time to realize Lumin.  They’re equally. convenient once you know the ropes.  Takes a few days.  

Update on playlists.  
With Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect enabled in the Lumin, those individual apps will stream direct from their server to the mini.  Just choose the U2 mini as player.  No need to create a Lumin playlist.