Lumin T2 burn in time?

I have my Lumin T2 connected to a preamp.   I don't find the Lumin harsh, but I do find it a little thin sounding.   I do like the details and the spaciousness.   Bass is definitely lacking some slams, as compared to my Cambridge Audio 851N.   I'm hoping it will improve after burn in.   It would be a shame if it doesn't, because I do like a lot of the SQ about this unit.

hi @bwguy my preamp is pure analog, so no DSP processing.  Right now,  I'm just going to let it run continuously for another week and see how it goes.   Like I said earlier, SQ wise, I like everything about the T2, except I wish the bass is a little more pronounced.

As with the app, it's actually not so bad when it is WORKING.   Unfortunately,  it seems very unstable.  It quits (or crashes) all the time.   Sometimes when I restart the app, it won't connect properly, and I can't even control the playlist.   I really don't like the fact that the app is the only option to use this unit.   With the Cambridge Audio I have,  I only use the app to construct the playlist that I want to listen to, and even this step I can do it without the app.   I can do everything else via infrared remote, like start, stop, skip, and rewind, etc. 

If my experience with the app doesn't improve, it might be another show stopper for me to keep this unit.

I am currently running the latest firmware. I think @tuberist might have a point about network. My network does have issues sometimes. Spectrum is the provider, and I can’t tell you how much I dislike them. Don’t get me started...

Thanks @rossb It’s good know burning in does improve the sound.   i’m keeping my hopes up.  

No, have not tried the Leedh volume control.   Is it supposed to be good?

Hi @thingswelike thanks for the lengthy reply.   I'll try to take a look at your suggestion.

BTW, I have another comment about the Lumin App.   It's about the implementation of the "shuffle/random" feature of the playlist.

First of all, when the shuffle feature is turned on, the current playlist is still displayed in the original insertion order, and I noticed that some songs can possible be selected more than once before the playlist is finished.   Also, you have no idea what the next song will be ahead of time.   It seems to me that the shuffle implementation picks the next song randomly when the current song is finished, therefore it is possible that a song can be played more than once.  Am I correct with my observation?

I'm comparing your implementation against something like the Cambridge Audio app.  In the Cambridge implementation, when shuffle feature is turned on, the current playlist gets randomized and displayed in this new randomized order.  You know exactly what the next song will be, and also the same song will not be played more than once before all the songs in the playlist have been played.

Your comment on this will be appreciated.  Thanks.

Hi @thingswelike Thanks for the reply.   

Yes, on the Cambridge app, the playlist goes back to insertion order when you turn off the 'shuffle' feature.

Thanks!

Hi,  I just want to give an update to everyone on this thread on the Lumin T2 after a little over 2 weeks of burning in.

I have to say the T2 is sounding much better now.  Bass has definitely improved, and the overall sound is just so 'sweet', for a lack of better word.   I am really liking the sound of this unit.  The treble is not harsh or bright and bass goes pretty low.   Overall it is very musical, and enjoyable to listen to.   I think this is going to be a keeper for me.   Now I wonder how much better the X1 sounds at 3 times the price.   Anyone here who has heard both the T2 and X1 cares to comment?

There are still a few things I would like to see, and hopefully the Lumin team will consider it for the next version:

- more robust Lumin app.   I'm still losing connection to the unit every so often, and it's annoying as hell.  

- The Lumin app is actually not bad to use.  It is pretty fast when it is working.   There is one feature that I wish Lumin team would consider re-implementing and that is the 'shuffle' feature.  I had already described it in one of my previous posts in this thread.

- consider adding a desktop version of the app.

- Add infrared remote capability to the unit.   I'm talking just a handful of convenient features like starting, stoping, pausing, skipping, rewinding songs, powering on/off the unit, and for bonus, ability to scroll up and down the playlist.   I still find it annoying to always have to go to my phone for simple control.  I prefer to just use a remote control instead of reaching for my phone.  Simple things like dimming the display takes a handful of steps to get to.   I understand the Lumin team is probably trying to keep the unit as simple as possible, and I get that.  I think the unit looks simple and beautiful.  I am not asking for buttons on the front panel, but a simple infrared sensor.   I am willing to pay up to $1000 more for this addition.

Anyway, this is a great sounding unit from Lumin at a reasonable price tag for the sound quality that it delivers.  Kudos to the Lumin team.  Well done!

Thanks @rockrider Not a bad suggestion at all.  I have 2 iPads at home but they are primarily used by my daughter and my wife.   Can you recommend a cheap tablet?  I'm an Apple user, but as you know, Apple stuff are never cheap :-(

Hey @edin123 check out one of my last posts in this thread.   The Lumin T2 did sound better after some initial burn in and the bass had improved.   I think the Lumin crew recommended at least 200 hours of burn in.  I also added a sBooster power supply later on, and it seems to improve the bass further, but not drastically though.

Overall I'm very happy with the Lumin T2.  I'm now waiting to see if Lumin will be updating their flagship DAC X1, perhaps a X2, in the near future.   When that happens, I will consider upgrading my T2 to the latest and greatest model.

Great.  I'm glad you're liking it!   The Lumin T2 is definitely a great product!  I recently upgraded my cable from my T2 to my preamp and also from preamp to power amp, and it hugely improved the bass.  I'm now a happy camper.

Enjoy you Lumin T2!

Sounds good.  Thanks again @thingswelike!

OK. Thanks @thingswelike,  it’s good to know.  I’ll try it out.  

One other question if you don’t mind.  Does this shuffle feature work well with the repeat feature?  i.e will it repeat the same random order again after all the songs are played?

Thanks again. 

Hey @tah800, I actually think the lumin app is pretty good once you get used to it.  I especially like the pop up menu from any song on the playlist or the browse window to search for a song, album, or artist.   Sometimes you hear a song you like and want to see what other albums or songs does the artist have, or sometimes you might like to see if there are other covers of a particular song.   I think that's a great feature and it saves a lot of time.  I'm talking about using Tidal here.  This feature doesn't apply to Spotify.

The one thing I don't like which I already mentioned in this post is the 'shuffle/random' feature.  It is just poorly implemented.  Hey @thingswelike, are there any chance that you guys are going to fix the 'random' play feature?  Thanks.

HI @thingswelike, I’m cutting and pasting from my earlier post in this thread on the ’shuffle’ feature. Thanks!

For testing, just play a list of songs and turn on shuffle mode, and see if you can hear a song repeated before the current playlist is finished. I’m a software engineer myself, so I would say just look at the code, and see how the shuffle feature is implemented. If the logic does not keep a list of already played songs, then randomly picking the next song can possibly pick a song that’s already been played. My preferred logic for this feature is to first randomize all the songs and create a playlist in this randomized order and play from start to finish. If new songs are added to the playlist while it is still playing, then I would say re-randomize all the songs that haven’t been played plus the newly added songs.

Anyway, this is my original post on this issue. Thanks again!

"BTW, I have another comment about the Lumin App. It’s about the implementation of the "shuffle/random" feature of the playlist.

First of all, when the shuffle feature is turned on, the current playlist is still displayed in the original insertion order, and I noticed that some songs can possible be selected more than once before the playlist is finished. Also, you have no idea what the next song will be ahead of time. It seems to me that the shuffle implementation picks the next song randomly when the current song is finished, therefore it is possible that a song can be played more than once. Am I correct with my observation?

I’m comparing your implementation against something like the Cambridge Audio app. In the Cambridge implementation, when shuffle feature is turned on, the current playlist gets randomized and displayed in this new randomized order. You know exactly what the next song will be, and also the same song will not be played more than once before all the songs in the playlist have been played."