Lumin U1 vs Lumin U1 mini + sbooster?

Interesting topic. I just had my Ayre QB9 upgraded to a Twenty. I bought my QB9 after it was first introduced in 2010 and that was a big deal back then. I find the premise of the 432 EVO Master intriguing but I’m not in the market at 11,000 Euros. By the time I will be able to make a large purchase, everything technological will have changed. It wasn’t long ago that MP 3 was the only file format we could download, so in ten years, these transports might seem archaic. When I bought my reference stereo, I purchased an ASR Emitter 2 amp and have never regretted it but an amp is far from being a digital streamer or a DAC or even a CD player. I think I’ll buy one of Cullen Cable’s Mac mini power cables and see if that makes an improvement. It’s the law of diminishing returns at this point and since I don’t stream a music server just isn’t pragmatic. However, if anyone might recommend an affordable way towards making a DAC (being used with a server, or DVD player) sound exceptionally better, please let me know.

The Bricasti M5 has gotten good reviews!

macdude, it’s still six grand for the U1. If you already own one then great but for me, spending that kind of money should come with the peace of mind that I’ll be content for the next ten years.
From reading around, it seems that Bricasti owners have compared their M5 to other transport/streamers and claim that for around 2,000.00, it’s a better option.

Maybe I’ll start saving for the M5 and hopefully by the time I’m ready to make a purchase, Bricasti will have made more improvements.
I can say however that my stereo sounds very good given the quality of the recording I’m playing. Great recordings sound great and mediocre recording’s sound mediocre. The idea of making an average recording into a great sounding recording is for me, a fool’s errand.
With my Ayre DAC, I am using the Uptone Audio reclocker with the linear power supply. And, I added an xlr Akiko tuning stick as well as a Synergistic Blue fuse and I found nothing objectionable about them. Sure there is always something better and I don’t object to improvements but I don’t want to spend more than I have to.

macdude, did you have to disable the Lumin power output and install the Uptone linear power supply? If yes, how was it done, how difficult was that?

That’s what I was thinking but it sounds like the kit is well thought through. I’m guessing that cutting that red wire will negate any warranty from Lumin so buying second hand isn’t really a compromise.

mrcypruz, this is why I brought up the Bricasti M5. It sells for a little over two grand and with a possible discount even less.

I’ll probably opt for the Uptone JS 2 amp linear power supply with their Mac Kit. Comes to around a thousand. In the long run, I’ll probably purchase a Naim Uniti Core and add the JS 2 to that. It’s precarious given whether I can find the Naim second hand but I’m on that path.

macdude, yes of course everything in the chain matters, that’s why my stereo sounds so good. However the problem with changing technologies is a serious consideration, especially for the companies building DAC’s and digital streamers. Ayre is a company that continues to upgrade their components because they want to keep there customers current. If Lumin had a reputation for doing the same, then I’d be less apprehensive about buying their product. I don’t want to have to drop a few thousand every six years in order to play a larger file size. 

sfseay, are still using the Debussy?

macdude, the cd's I heard in 1983 were poor transfers from an analogue source. Today with MOFI, Analogue Productions, etc... there is time and care given to making cd's as good as they can be. The art of digital recording, i.e. DSD recording, is also advanced when compared to just twenty years ago. And like you said, the equipment is becoming more technologically advanced. But for me, I personally do not believe that streaming is an optimal choice when it comes to sound quality. Quobuz and Tidal do not offer speciality labels like MOFI and I find that they are well worth purchasing. So I am more interested in a CD transport than a streamer. As ar as I can see, the Lumin U1 mini doesn't have a server for CD storage.