[smial1966]

Now this could be very interesting...
 

 

LUMIN U1 Audiophile network music transport is an all new transport-only unit based on the award-winning LUMIN S1 with 5 types of digital audio output including new USB.

 

Introduced at CES this week. 

 

[Yoga]

Yes indeed. I was expecting them to release a standalone DAC too.
 
I'd still prefer the A1/S1, single unit for DAC/streamer makes a lot of sense.

 

[smial1966]

An integrated DAC/streamer does make a lot of sense, but I already have a few top notch DAC's to pair with a server/streamer. 
 
Quote:

  Yes indeed. I was expecting them to release a standalone DAC too.
 
I'd still prefer the A1/S1, single unit for DAC/streamer makes a lot of sense.

 

[Yoga]

Yes, different market.

 

[preproman]

  Now this could be very interesting...
 

 

LUMIN U1 Audiophile network music transport is an all new transport-only unit based on the award-winning LUMIN S1 with 5 types of digital audio output including new USB.

 

Introduced at CES this week. 

 
Yes,
 
This interest me as well.  At the end of the day it's going to be this or the N10.  I hope they do the U1 in black..

 

[Yoga]

   
Yes,
 
This interest me as well.  At the end of the day it's going to be this or the N10.  I hope they do the U1 in black..

They will do, it uses the A1 enclosure which came in both silver and black.

 

[romaz]

They will do, it uses the A1 enclosure which came in both silver and black.

I'm in the Lumin room at CES with the Lumin engineer who designed the U1 as I write this. The U1 is basically an S1 without the DAC. There is a typo in the ad, there are only 4 clocks, not 6, one for each ouput. In his opinion, each output has equivalent SQ but USB is his preferred as it will play anything up to 4xDSD and DXD. Silver only for now, black expected "eventually" but not soon. Expected release in 1 month. Pricing not yet set but expected to be about $7k USD. Roon and MQA in the works but no definite date.

 

[Yoga]

I'm in the Lumin room at CES with the Lumin engineer who designed the U1 as I write this. The U1 is basically an S1 without the DAC. There is a typo in the ad, there are only 4 clocks, not 6, one for each ouput. In his opinion, each output has equivalent SQ but USB is his preferred as it will play anything up to 4xDSD and DXD. Silver only for now, black expected "eventually" but not soon. Expected release in 1 month. Pricing not yet set but expected to be about $7k USD. Roon and MQA in the works but no definite date.

Thanks for the heads up - enjoy CES :¬)

 

[bmichels]

..... Roon and MQA in the works but no definite date.

Very exciting time for people in the music server market !!

 

[Benny-x]

Very exciting time for people in the music server market !!

It's a great time, really. Only 1-2 years ago you used to have to get your hands pretty dirty with DIY solutions. Now you can pick up a streamer almost anywhere. Over here in China there are a lot cropping up too. Not to the same quality level, but a rising tide raises all boats, as they say. So the more of these in the market the better.
 
Also, I'm still waiting on the giant update you were going to post about a micro-CANJAM this past weekend. Wait, I'm in the wrong thread now... Where was that?

 

[britneedadvice]

I've mentioned this elsewhere,so apologises if already read:-
There's many new Streaming products being mentioned in this thread but why no mention of the Meridian 818 ??
Is it because Meridian themselves are failing to market their own products?
Is it a cost issue? Obviously not, given that some contributions to this thread seem only to endorse the mega expensive products as "what's best" !!
Now , I consider myself to be a bit of a Dinosaur but I've owned a 818 for several years !!
Like many, I don't go out of my way to actively audition new products unless it's clear there's something I need to try. So, it would be worthless asking me to compare the 818 with the products mentioned above.
However, given that Meridian ( as far as I'm aware) are at CES, surely someone will take the opportunity to undertake A/B comparisons???
I for one, would be interested to read such a review!
 
and......... the Meridian can come in any one of 270 colours !!!!!!

 

[britneedadvice]

Further to my above post,
the Meridian MS600 is pretty decent as well !!
 
http://hifi-advice.com/Meridian-818-review.html refers.

 

[smial1966]

Isn't the Meridian 818 designed as a `lifestyle' product? As it incorporates a preamplifier, DAC and Sooloos multi-zone management, so it's an audio hub bundling components together for convenience and a high WAF - wife acceptance factor. It would appear that most thread contributors prefer to mix and match their components rather than bundle them into a single chassis, so this could be why the Meridian 818 has been overlooked. At £8,000 it appears to offer a lot of functionality for the money, though the crux of the matter is of course it's sound quality.

  
 
Quote:

  I've mentioned this elsewhere,so apologises if already read:-
There's many new Streaming products being mentioned in this thread but why no mention of the Meridian 818 ??
Is it because Meridian themselves are failing to market their own products?
Is it a cost issue? Obviously not, given that some contributions to this thread seem only to endorse the mega expensive products as "what's best" !!
Now , I consider myself to be a bit of a Dinosaur but I've owned a 818 for several years !!
Like many, I don't go out of my way to actively audition new products unless it's clear there's something I need to try. So, it would be worthless asking me to compare the 818 with the products mentioned above.
However, given that Meridian ( as far as I'm aware) are at CES, surely someone will take the opportunity to undertake A/B comparisons???
I for one, would be interested to read such a review!
 
and......... the Meridian can come in any one of 270 colours !!!!!!

 

[romaz]

  but why no mention of the Meridian 818 ??

David, personally, I tend to report on things I come across, for better or worse, and somehow, Meridian products rarely cross my path possibly because they are not a headfi-centric company.  Auralic, Aurender and more recently Lumin, for example, have had a steady presence at the CanJams here in the U.S.  Even European companies like Chord, B&W, Nagra, etc., go out of their way to make a presence at the events I go to whereas Meridian does not, even though they make a headphone amp.  The other factor for me is that I've always looked at Meridian as a system rather than as individual components that you can mix and match with other brands because much of their stuff in the past worked only with their gear.  Sometimes, it's difficult to shake a long-held reputation.
 
But it's good you bring it up now.  Please provide more details on what you like about it, especially as it is probably the first server available with MQA.
 
You should know that Meridian has no official presence at CES this year.  Bob Stuart is here and I had a brief chat with him today but he was here to exclusively promote MQA, not Meridian.  In fact, the MQA room had a minimal amount of Meridian gear (one set of speakers) and the room was instead dominated by other brands like Wilson, Audeze, Mytek, Auralic, etc., because I think Bob is intentionally trying to promote the idea of MQA as a universal standard rather than a proprietary Meridian product.  And I believe he has succeeded given the throngs of people in the MQA room and the seemingly endless banners everywhere.  "MQA" seemed to be a bigger buzzword than even "Roon Ready."  Having sat through the demo and as I was given the opportunity to A/B MQA on a Mytek DAC where you could flip MQA on and off, the difference was easily audible and very desirable.  I think this will be the "must have" for 2016.

 

[britneedadvice]

Hi Andy
 
"Lifestyle product" ??
Whatever !!
 
As we all would contest, the 'worth' of this product (or any product ) is in the SQ . Multi box systems were 'fashionable' at one time but many high-end Manufacturers  are now finding the 'one-box' approach has many benefits.
Clearly, the 818 is hardly 'desk-top' but a two box system, has clear advantages where space is at a premium. ( 818/Amp or as others have recently found - Source/DAC with Headphone out)
(forgetting Power Supply units/ Grounding units etc etc!!)
 
However, the main point of my post was simply to throw the Meridian 'into the mix'. Given that Meridian were the originators of many things Digital ... and... having recently introduced  'MQA' , a facility not yet available from any other Manufacturer, surely at least, it's got to be mentioned?? I'm told some Artistes on hearing their recordings played back through the Meridian MQA system have "Cried with joy" 
 
So, if this thread, originally started by Roy, is to be expanded to include other Streamers,then Meridian is surely worth consideration?
 
So, whilst sitting here at my Desk,having just listened to Radio 3, then a bit ripped CD(from a library of over 3000),then some streamed music , at the same time as programming my Wife's listening(on the Speaker system downstairs- although she could have done it herself on the ipad but like a lot of Women , can't be bothered) then if that's a "Lifestyle product" , then I hold my hand's up !! Bloody hell, does mean I'm not so much the Dinosaur?? Good God,I'll be going to Head-fi Meets next !!!!!