Lumin X1 or U1 + PS Audio DSD DAC

I had a Lumin A-1 acting as a transport between an EMM LAB Dac 2V and Laufer Teknik Memory player.  I sold all three and went with the Lumin X-1.  The sound quality was way better than my previous system and I echo the comment above.

One aspect of Lumin I love is the App.  It is easy to use.  You do not need Roon or any other music storage.  It incorporates Tidal and Qobuz seamlessly.  I have mine tied to a 4tb Synology NAS with over 10,000 music titles on it.  It integrates super easy with the Lumin App.  

I have also had the D2 and now own a U-1 mini for my theater room.  The combination of the Lumin App and sound quality make it hard to beat by any DAC / Streamer under $18k imo.  

I can comment on Lumin X1 compared to PS Audio DSD, but I used my DirectStream DAC with microRENDU, not Lumin U1.  I initially ran DirectStream with USB, but later on added the Matrix X-SPDIF 2 and used I2S from from the Matrix to the DirectStream.   I still have all of that but not actively using.   The DS has always been a very reliable unit for me, but I prefer the Lumin X1 for both sound quality and simplicity.   The X1 is a network streamer DAC and must be connnected to the network to function.  Upstream of these I used a SMG SonicTransporter i5, which worked well for all.  I will be making a change there soon.

In my experience, the X1 has better imaging and soundstage plus dynamics have been superior for me.   Be advised that the X1 needs considerable burn-in time for best sound presentation.   I had read 400 hours, and believe that is a good projection.   I noticed much improvement after 100 hours and kept improving.   Lumin now offers an accessory remote control, which I have and like, but does not eliminate my use of iPad or iPhone when I am setting up/changing settings for the X1 and/or using the Lumin App for music control and selection.  I also have Roon, which does not require the use of the App, other than turning Roon Ready On or Off for the X1.  

I highly recommend the X1.       

Bumping this old thread to see if anyone else has comparisons of the Lumin X1 vs the PS Audio DSD + Lumin U1 combo.  Any insight is appreciated.  

The last Innuos update has made Experimental Mode much more stable.  I rarely have drop outs and the benefit in SQ is worth it.

Yes, roon user here. I've tried running the Innuos as a core, an end-point, and as a core in experimental mode. The last option has definitely the SQ but is too flaky with frequent skipping.

TBH, there's not really any SQ diff running the first two configurations.

Do you use Roon to manage your music--ie., core is running in the InnuOs?
If you use Roon and jettison your existing chain you will now need a dedicated Roon server. 
After many different configurations on Roon core integration (two different Lenovo i7 laptops, i5 and i7 full sized pc's, and finally a mac mini), I have found the best result from running Roon core on the InnuOs Zenith MK III. I would NOT sell the InnuOs if I were you.
If you got rid of all your current stuff in favor of one streamer you might satisfy your desire to simplify but you will likely take a step backward in performance.
Perhaps keep the InnuOs Zenith MKIII and your current stuff and maybe get a new rack or way to organize the layout?
Of course if you don't use Roon then the Lumin sure seems like a convenient way to go.

Yes, or you could do some research on the product itself.  They have a great website with lots of info.

Can you use an external hard drive with the X1?

ozzy

Yes, the X1 is a very well designed product.  You get a lot of benefits from having everything so well integrated in one chassis.