Lumin has been making Network Music Players for 10 years and with every generation, the improvements have been significant. While our product spotlight today is on the T2 we first need to go back 6 years to CES 2014 when its predecessor the T1 was unveiled. Lumin had already established itself as a prominent brand and the hope of the T1 was that it would give consumers performance that was somewhat close to the then top of the range S1 but at a lower price point. The T1 did precisely that and became an instant success. Fast forward and the T2 has been released to do the same thing – to give performance that’s dangerously close to the top of the range, now called X1, but at a much lower price.
The T2 borrows a lot from the X1 starting with the chassis. If you put the two players side by side you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference. That’s because the T2 uses exactly the same faceplate as the X1. Behind the faceplate, the X1 chassis is more advanced, but then it should be for three times the price! The X1 then goes on with outboard power supply, femto clock, fully dual-mono design, and a host of other technical advances which justify its hefty price tag, but that doesn’t mean the T2 is left in the dust. The T2 uses dual DAC’s, has the same precision 32-bit volume control to connect directly to a power amp, a discreet clock for precision timing and just like the X1 is fully Roon Ready and MQA compatible. Does the T2 sound as good as the X1? No, it doesn’t, but for 1/3 the price it gets you 90% of the way there which makes it an incredible value.
So should you buy the T2? If you have a sadistic desire for complicated hifi then the T2 is not for you. If you are looking for the cheapest streaming solution, the T2 isn’t going to win there either. If your budget allows for the X1, well just get the X1 and don’t look back, but if you are looking for an incredibly good sounding, good looking, easy to use, well built, reliable network music player, then the Lumin T2 is right up your alley. In fact, one would be hard pressed to find a player that even has all the capabilities of the T2, never mind at such a reasonable price.
T2 Features:
- New generation processor provides DSD512 and 384kHz playback
- Dual ES9028PRO SABRE DACS
- USB digital audio output
- Precision 32-bit internal digital volume
- Discreet clock system for precision timing
- Low-noise switching power supply with dual stage regulator
- Resampling to every supported format up to DSD128 and PCM384kHz
- MQA full decoding
- Roon Ready, Spotify Connect, MQA, TIDAL, Qobuz, TuneIn and AirPlay
T2 Price
- $4500.00
We have the T2 on display, along with its brother, the Streaming Transport U1 Mini.
Book your audition today at info@seattlehifi.com
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