Just an update on my Lumin P1: I now have >400 hours of burn-in on my Lumin P1 (which replaced my First Sound preamp, SOtM network bridge, and Lampizator Baltic 3 DAC), and just as the nice folks at Lumin have said, once you get past 400 hours on the P1, things get
considerably better. I honestly didn't understand how that was possible, but sure enough, once I got past 400 hours, what was already a VERY impressive integrated streamer, DAC, and preamp just..."EXPLODED" with a notable increase in overall audio quality: increased resolution, clarity, depth, imaging, soundstage, detail, articulation, dimensionality, presence, and most importantly, unparalled
expression of tonality, timbre, and musicality. I continue to be "blown away" by just how good the P1 is...and, from what I've read, it will continue to improve past 500 hours. I know my comments appear to be "waxing poetic", but...goddam!
I had a good audio buddy over a couple weeks ago, before I had 400 hours on the P1, and he is very knowledgeable about music and very discriminating, and I let him listen to tracks of his choice, and he remarked that he heard things in the presentation by the P1 on tracks he knew really, really well that he had literally
NEVER heard before. So, he left VERY impressed, as well.
Honestly, I'd rank the P1 in the top 5 or 6 components I have EVER heard, along with products from Technical Brain, DarTZeel, TAD, Esoteric, and Constellation. And while not inexpensive, I think the Lumin P1 provides an exceptional value proposition, on the whole, especially when one considers they're getting a veritable SOTA streamer, DAC, and pre-amp in a single "box". I used to think that in order to obtain maximal perforance, one needed a seperate streamer/network bridge, DAC and preamp. But...the Lumin P1 proved me
entirely wrong on that front. It's not only been an illuminating journey, but an informative and educational one, as well. And, I know some guys will read this and still say to themselves,
"Yeah, well, that's all well and good, PC, but...I still need a separate streamer/network bridge, DAC, and preamp."
Look,
I get it...I
used to think that, too. But the P1 proved me to be
completely wrong on that point.
And, now my view is:
"No...you DON'T."
Bottom-line: when it comes to a streamer, DAC, and preamp, I'm...
done. And...VERY happy.