Lumin P1 Network Player – The outstanding high-end audio hub

The new Lumin P1 Network Player is supposed to be the heart of a high-end hi-fi system. Not only can it be used as an extremely flexible streamer, but it also has analogue and digital interfaces and therefore serves as a streamer, DAC and preamplifier in one.

The new Lumin P1 Network Player is the most versatile player offered so far, according to high-end hi-fi manufacturer Pixel Magic Systems Ltd. about the latest solution of the Lumin brand. The Lumin P1 Network Player is not only an extremely versatile streaming client, it is also equipped with analogue and digital interfaces and can therefore also be used as a D/A converter and even as a preamplifier.

The new Lumin P1 Network Player is thus designed to be the central interface of a high-end hi-fi system, according to the manufacturer’s promise.

The most versatile solution yet…

The description of the new Lumin P1 Network Player by Pixel Magic Systems Ltd. reads like a list of what a modern hi-fi system must have in order to offer the highest possible flexibility. Instead of dividing this up into different components, however, you get it here in the form of a highly integrated solution and the quality standard that befits a high-end hi-fi forge.

Lumin P1 Network Player – An extremely flexible streamer

The most important task of the new Lumin P1 Network Player is of course its role as a streamer, whereby the manufacturer relies on the only actual industry standard, namely UPnP, more precisely the UPnP AV protocol with Audio Streaming Extension and OpenHome Platform.

This enables the new Lumin P1 Network Player to play back all relevant data formats up to hi-res audio, with Linear PCM audio data with up to 32 bits and 384 kHz as well as DSD including DSD512 being supported, and signal processing of lossy compressed MQA is also possible. In this respect, Lumin speaks of MQA full decoding.

The possibilities of the new Lumin P1 Network Player are not limited to UPnP, however; it is also Roon-ready, understands Apple AirPlay and Spotify Connect and TIDAL Connect are also on board.

But back to UPnP, the user has the option of using a variety of different apps for convenient control, although the company itself also offers a suitable app, the Lumin App for Apple iOS and Google Android.

First and foremost, this app allows you to play back your own content without interruption (gapless playback), create and manage playlists, and multi-room audio streaming is also supported via Songcast. With the app, however, direct access to Spotify, TIDAL, Qobuz and TuneIn Internet Radio is also possible.

You can also control the playback of content that is directly available to the new Lumin P1 Network Player via USB, such as data that can be used via the rear USB-A interface and corresponding storage media.

The new Lumin P1 Network Player has a special feature in terms of network integration, because it not only has a Gigabit Ethernet interface in the form of an RJ45 socket, but also a Fibre Network in the form of an SFP port. It must be emphasised here that both interfaces can be used simultaneously, so that for streaming in one’s own network, for example, one can rely on the optical signal transmission to the NAS (Network Attached Storage) alone.

A multitude of digital interfaces

A really outstanding feature of the Lumin P1 Network Player is that it has a large number of digital interfaces. Not only are there optical and coaxial S/PDIF and AES/EBU ports, but also three HDMI 2.0 ports as inputs, rounded off by another HDMI 2.0 interface as an output that supports ARC, i.e. an audio return channel.

Two-channel AV system – HDMI with AV passthrough

It is worth mentioning here that the Lumin P1 Network Player does not process any video content itself, but at least passes through content in 4K, i.e. it has a 4K passthrough. In addition, HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and DTS are also passed on, so the manufacturer quite rightly speaks of an AV passthrough or even a two-channel AV system and thus describes the possibility of direct integration into home cinema solutions.

But that’s not all: there is also a coaxial S/PDIF interface in the form of a BNC output and, of course, a USB port with USB Audio 2.0 for connecting a PC or Mac directly to the new Lumin P1 Network Player.

The optical and coaxial S/PDIF as well as AES/EBU allow signals in Linear PCM with up to 24 bit and 192 kHz as well as DSD in the form of DoP (DSD over PCM), the HDMI interfaces support audio signals in Linear PCM in stereo with up to 24 bit and 192 kHz. The USB interface, on the other hand, allows Linear PCM with up to 32 bits and 384 kHz as well as native DSD up to DSD512.

Dual Mono Design with two ESS ES9028PRO Sabre DACs

The new Lumin P1 Network Player features a so-called dual mono design, right down to the actual signal processing of the D/A converter, as two ESS ES9028PRO Sabre DACs are used here in mono mode. A femto clock system based on an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) serves as the basis for the signal conversion from digital to analogue.

Optional Upsampling and Leedh Processing Lossless Digital Volume Control

It must be emphasised that the Lumin P1 Network Player offers the option of upsampling all signals, either to Linear PCM with 32 bits and 384 kHz or DSD128.

By the way, the developers rely on a solution of the French specialist Leedh Processing, namely the so-called Leedh Processing Lossless Digital Volume Control, which is supposed to contribute significantly to achieving a signal quality at the highest level without losses.

Fully balanced output stage

There are also inputs for analogue signals, although they are limited to a pair of RCA sockets and a balanced input in the form of XLR connectors.

By the way, there will soon be a possibility to integrate the solution into a home cinema, as described above, because the manufacturer announces a “passthrough function for home cinema integration” for the analogue interfaces, as it literally says in the company’s product data sheet.

The output stage is fully balanced and built solely with particularly high-quality components, such as Lundahl LL7401 output transformers. Analogue signals are output here unbalanced via a pair of RCA sockets or balanced via a pair of XLRs.

The manufacturer explicitly emphasises that the analogue and digital circuits have been placed on separate circuit boards and are arranged inside in such a way that there are no influences that could damage the sound.

The power supply is also impeccably equipped and is referred to as an Integrated Dual-Toroidal Linear Power Supply.

Superficial…

Of course, the new Lumin P1 Network Player presents itself in the design language familiar from the Lumin brand, once again relying on a very specially designed, somewhat futuristic-looking housing that nevertheless conveys a very appealing impression.

The rounded front is adorned only by a display that provides all relevant information for the user. There is much more to be found at the back, because here there are indeed numerous interfaces of various kinds to ensure the promised flexibility as the central component of a hi-fi chain.

The housing is made entirely of aluminium, with a choice of silver or black anodised finish. However, Lumin is likely to use a slightly different colour tone than before, this should be mentioned at this point as a hint.

The new Lumin P1 Network Player measures 350 mm in width, 380 mm in depth and 107 mm in height, so it doesn’t really correspond to the usual hi-fi standard dimensions, but as already mentioned, this fits perfectly with the unusual design language that the manufacturer relies on with the Lumin brand.

It should also be mentioned that the Lumin P1 Network Player weighs in at a hefty 12 kg, a clear indication of the solid workmanship, but also of the high level of integration that this component has.

The scope of delivery includes a matching infrared remote control, which should not be forgotten either.

The new Lumin P1 Network Player should be available in specialist shops in a few weeks. The recommended retail price is € 9,900.

Getting to the point

When Pixel Magic Systems Ltd. says that the new Lumin P1 Network Player is the most versatile of its kind of the Lumin brand so far, then this is really impressively underlined by the now announced features. The Lumin P1 Network Player is an extremely versatile streamer, which makes its excellent D/A converter available flexibly to a wide variety of other sources. It also serves as a preamplifier, and even offers analogue inputs, so that in the end an outstanding hi-fi chain can be realised alone in combination with a power amplifier and speakers or – even simpler – alone with active speaker systems.