I'm a hard core old school guy just coming around to digital and am in need of some advice. I'd like to get into streaming and am looking at the Lumin D2. As the unit stands you must have a hard wired connection to the internet for it to work. I've read that there are work arounds to enable the D2 to connect to a WiFi network. Is this true, and if so how is it done? I have no stand alone DAC so I would be connecting the D2 to my ARC LS 27 preamp. Aside from my stand alone CD player (Ayre C5MPxe), this will be my first venture into digital. From a plug and play perspective the BlueSound 2i maybe a better fit but given the rest of my system (ARC 150 monos feeding Wilson WP 6) I'd like to start higher up the fidelity ladder.
You have a really nice system. Just remember, no streamer will work well if the network connection is not very good. Probably, as @nekoaudio audio says, an extender will work. Make sure you can return the Lumin if it doesn't.
I use a Netgear wi fi extender, about $45, with my Node 2i. The Node is connected to the extender with a cable. If your results aren't satisfactory with the extender, the mesh network is a better option.
wifi extender question has been answered - it works fine to provide an ethernet jack to gear that must have it
re the lumin d2 vs bluesound node 2i... if you definitely don’t want more boxes (e.g., an outboard DAC to use with the node 2i), i would go lumin... it will sound better than the node 2i using its internal dac, and sound roughly as good as your ayre cdp
your system seems good enough you will definitely hear the difference between the d2 and 2i using their analog outputs into your ARC linestage
I have owned the D-2, A-1 And X-1. I can tell you there is a big difference in sound quality from the D-2 and A-1. Then there is a night and day difference between the A-1 and the X-1. So, if you have not purchased the D-2 yet, you may want to find a used A-1 or S-1.
@cmcdaniel5 definitely as willgolf says, if you can afford it then one of the higher-tier Lumin streaming DACs will get you farther up the fidelity ladder you're looking to climb.
Thanks to all who have shared their time and insights. I have decided to move forward with the D2. It sits right at my budget and should be a good introduction to streaming. I’ll follow up on the extender to see if I can get WiFi to the D2. If all else fails I can always run an Ethernet cable from my modem. I look forward to finally sitting at the digital table to feed my habit.
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