OPPO Sonica DAC to Lumin D2 Upgrade

@jreale

Another alternative to the D2, and I have owned both the D1 w/SBooster and the Sonica, is the Teac Reference NT-505. Like the Lumin and the OPPO it is a DAC/Streamer combination and like the OPPO but not the Lumin also has digital inputs so it can be used as a separate DAC also. It like it’s more expensive Esoteric brethren also uses the Lumin app. It can be found for $1999 at Sound Approach and HiFi Heaven. I bought one a couple of months ago to replace the Lumin and I prefer it’s higher level DAC chipset from AKM while the operation is the same as the Lumin.

Jpdk the D1 with an S/booster is nothing like a Lumin D2 the D2 sonically is far superior sounding to the original D1 and benefits from a completely redesigned unit with improvements made accross the board with a revised power supply, analog board and digital board. 

Not saying the Teac isn't good just that you didn't do an Apples to Apples comparison. 

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ

Wondered how long it would take you to put your salesman's two cents in.  The only differences between the two D's is the inclusion of an internal smps instead of a superior external LPS  option if you don't want to use the supplied wall wart and a modification to allow for DSD128 instead of DSD64 and that is direct from a Lumin spokesman who encouraged potential buyers who wanted the surperior LPS option to buy the D1 before the supply was gone.  

Actually no, the D2’s upgraded processor allows for higher rate DSD transcoding which makes the D2 sound better providing you are using the transcoding feature if you are not then yes their would be less improvements sonically.

Other improvements include new routing for the internal power supply and other circuit optimizations iin the board which make the D2 sound better over the D1 direct quote from the Lumin engineers.

Sorry if we were a bit presumtous and we never had the Sboster with our D1 the D2 in our shop sounded way better then the D1 we had initially.

As per major improvements the later T1 has substantially revised hardware and was a huge improvement over the D1 platform.

So you never did a D2 vs a Teac combarison however and AKM dac chip set sounds very different then the Wolfsons. If you prefer a more detailed sound then the AKM does that if you prefer a warmer sound then the D2 with its wolfson dac chip does that. 

@audiotroy

I will give you that the D2 out of the box will outperform the D1 sound wise connected as supplied out of the box especially with your four figure Wireworld power cable which would not be an option on the D1. Other than that I will believe what I was told by the representative of Lumin that other than the change in power supply, brought about as the result of complaints from customers having to buy an LPS to get best performance as opposed to the wall wart, the only change was with the ability to play DSD 128. Since you can’t sell a D1 with an upgraded power supply it is a mute point so you need to say the model you can sell is better. I have two friends on another forum that own the D1/SBooster that borrowed a D2 and both kept their D1 combo. Regardless I don’t sell anything so I was only providing an alternative to your choice that I do own as I did the D1 and the Sonica.

You need to realize that as a dealer who already has issues with many of the members here that it might be better to make your point one time and walk away unless someone contacts you for further information. Just my opinion which I doubt you will pay any attention to if history tells us anything.

Oh and don't look at my post count and think I am some audio newbie as that would be far from the truth with over 50 years experience even some in the "business."