Lumin T2 impressions?

I demo’d a T2, but purchased a U1 Mini to use with my current Ayre QSB-9DSD DAC. To answer your questions

1. It is a ROON endpoint and will do complete MQA unfold. (My U1 Mini does only the first MQA unfold.  See MQA website for difference and full explanation of their technology.)  T2 worked seamlessly with ROON. 

2.  Can’t speak to LUMIN as a company. Have only had my unit a few months. Firmware upgrades are automatic. 

3.  Haven’t listened to Mytek products. 

4.  It is Airplay compatible. You turn on Wi-Fi streaming within Lumin App, which is a relatively well designed piece of software. 

LUMIN rep, who responded to my inquiry through their website, was very helpful. He indicated unit can take 200 hours to burn in and sound its best. If you have a local dealer see if you can get a demo unit that has met this requirement. I got a new T2 unit to demo and could only keep it over a weekend. Could tell unit needed time to sound its best. 

Compared to my Ayre DAC, T2 sounded a bit “cooler” but T2 was very detailed. Using DSD re-sampling provided a slightly “warmer” sound as suggested by LUMIN rep. Kept my DAC because with LUMIN front-end, the sound became noticeably clearer, with instruments better defined.

Using an Ethernet connection to transmit music files is far superior to a direct USB connection to a computer, in my experience. The USB connection from the LUMIN U1 Mini to my DAC  is much quieter with less distortion than the connection from my MAC Mini. The comments about computer USB being a “noisy” source for music was proved out to me. 

Dave, thanks for spending 15 minutes with me yesterday reviewing streamer options and especially highlighting the Lumin T2. After speaking with you it is definitely on my audio bucket list. I hope that sometime early 2020 I can purchase one. As soon as I sell a few extra amps I'll have enough $$. It is too bad I live so far from your store I come by to audition it. Some people on this site complain that you are always promoting your products however I find your insights as a dealer to be very informed and articulate. I always enjoy reading your comments in this forum.

I was attracted to the Innuos Zenith mk3 because it will serve as a Roon core. So I didn’t need to buy a Nucleus, or otherwise have two units. The Innuos Zenith will do it all and with high quality. My understanding is that the Lumin can be a Roon endpoint, but not a Roon core. 

So ethernet would be a better way to connect vs usb?  What are the T2s going for?  Im only seeing EU pricing or Australia online. 

USB sucks vs using Ethernet. Some people will try to sell you tweaks to improve usb which they might work, but it’s like putting lipstick on a pig. I tried a couple tweaks which helped a little but I was glad I sold all of that stuff. My server with many TB’s of SSD and spinning disks is located in a different area of the house, away from my audio room and my dac is connected to my 1Gb switch. 

Actually, i do not need the streaming part. The lumin would probably be overkill. The brooklyn + or the M2 Tech Young iii look interesting. Both have mqa and balanced outputs

Keep looking. You are getting warmer. You solution may be  $1.000
less.

I'd be curious to heart the M2Tech vs the Brooklyn +

Well i have just had the T2 on loan , and from my view its an highly musical streamer , it also has depth as well as being able to hear what instruments is being played , vices are great. Bass is solid and good with definition.
If you move up to S1 you get more of everything , and for the X1 i can only say waouuu its like you have a floating hologram floating in front af you.
I did try all of these out in my own system and had money not been a concern i would buy the X1 in a second..

For the Lumin as a company they are very responsive , Peter Lie is very active in different forums and always really helpfull...Before entering the HiFi scene they have done professional video equipment for broadcasting stations as far as i know.
Updates are very easy and free of charge , when you power the device up if there is an update it will just tell you that there is an update and you can then install it..MQA was offered as a free update as well , i have a T1 that i have had for 2 years now and never had a single problem.
You can do Spotify - Qobuz - Tidal and internet radio as well as having a nas with minim server installed and then play  music. 

Hello I can’t believe how nice this unit works we were listening and about 1 hour into the evening it opened up like a flower the sound stage is amazing and I’m a vinyl guy guy to the core nicest dac I’ve hear for the money !

So once one gets the T2 set up properly, I can just use Roon software as I do now and just have the Lumin as a roon endpoint. No need, after initial set up or use for firmware updates, to use the Lumin app...correct? 

As far as i know the answer is YES.
Normally in my view firmware updates are good to do as they usually bring something better with them , functionality or smoother operating.

Some of those updates have involved Roon tweaks and bug fixes.

Good to know. 

I was getting ready to pull the trigger on a D2 yesterday. However, I am going wait just a bit and go for the T2. After chatting with a few people, including Peter at Lumin, The T2 has latest tech. Plus, in the future if needed, the ability to output to another dac. 

Since my BHK preamp purchase, I am wanting to go go full balanced on my system. The T2 and BHK 250 are the next two components I'm looking at purchasing.  

And i am sure you will not be disappointed :)

With the Lumin T2 I have:
Sold my Oppo player and stopped playing SACD DVDA CDS
Stopped spending on expensive Vinyl
Started listening to a wider variety of music, not just the same audiophile recordings (via Roon w/Tidal and Qobuz) 
Play the next record without leaving my lazyboy ;) or just play one hit wonders


I’m not ready to sell the TT but it’s no longer superior to the digital front end. The Lumin w/Roon has all the conveniences of the modern digital age but you might confuse the sound for that of a superior analogue front end.

How about if NOT using Roon?  A decent native interface? 

How best to tie in all my ripped Cd's and hi rez files now sitting on a SONY HAP Z1ES (SONY hasn't added Tidal or Qobuz, which I now refuse to live without)  I've heard bad things about USB interfaces if I move all those files to say SSD.  Or am I better off if I put back on computer and run an ethernet line? 

If you like the T2, I would recommend the X1 or Bartok. The switching power supply is a deal breaker for me despite the favorable price. It doesn't get there. Happy listening :)