Can’t comment on Lumin but can on the Bridge II vs. Auralic Aries G2. I tried an Aries G2 after running the Bridge for 18 months. Put the Bridge II up for sale almost immediately. The difference isn’t subtle. If you value sound stage, transparency, separation and all other superlatives you owe it to yourself to audition alternatives to the Bridge. If you try Auralic, make sure you connect to the DSD via USB. I connected originally with a very expensive AES/EBU cable and there wasn’t much of a difference. I then tried the inexpensive USB cable provided with the Aries my socks were blown off. I then switched out to a Curious USB cable for even more impressive results. My dealer had suggested the AES for the connection to begin with. I took it up with him (since I had purchased the AES/EBU cable from him for this express purpose) and he admitted he had no idea and he is a dealer for both Auralic and PS Audio.
I still love the PS Audio gear I have, however, it is my firm belief that no one else in the industry currently matches Auralic’s G2/GX stack for streaming hi res audio. I was so impressed with the Aries G2 I’ve since added a Vega G2 and Leo GX. As impressive as the Aries G2/DSD combo was it doesn’t hold a candle to all three Auralic components connected via their proprietary lightning link.
Another suggestion if you try Auralic is make sure to try out their Lightining DS operating system. I dropped Roon. Lightining DS is very solid and works well for my needs but above all else SQ is simply better.
I have used an Aries for over three years and it still gets the job done everyday in my Family Room system. Since you have only asked about Innuos and Lumin I have kept my comments to what you asked about. daeone is correct about the Lightning DS software being good. It has it’s own way of doing things but it is also the most complete of the streamer software apps and is updated regularly. Another benefit is that as an original member of the MQA group they were involved in the development and developed their own software based solution. After they had a major disagreement about implementation they left the MQA group and went their own way. As a result their Lightning DS software will in fact do both unfolds though it is not “officially MQA.” I can’t tell the difference though if that matters to you. It will also operate in a wireless environment. You will however have to have a Nucleus + or other storage device and the ability to rip CD’s separately. If you are going to buy the Nucleus+ anyway then the decision between Innuos, Lumin and Auralic comes down to looks, software, convenience features and if the CD ripping in the Innuous is important or not.
I had the Auralic Aries wireless for months and it experienced frequent connectivity drops. I ended up connecting it via Ethernet and created a network share for it which helped a lot. The sound and Lightning DS were great. DSJ sound it better to me but again the Mconnect was a bear. I would not invest in the bridge II at this time and wait for Bridge III which will be managed by PS Audio entirely. I think you can’t go wrong with Auralic, LUMIN, or Aurender, no roon option, which may be a problem for some.
Just curious if you had any galvanic isolation on the Ethernet line before the Bridge when comparing it to the G2?
It really all comes down to noise. It appears the G2 is designed to transfer a pretty clean signal to the DAC, but has the disadvantage of having to use a cable to connect. On the other hand, the Bridge has the advantage of an ultra-short connection to the IIS bus, and the disadvantage of being inside the DAC and sharing a power supply… who wins?
My Bridge II caught up to my transport when I added fiber optic cable, so I was wondering if you compared it that way.
The Fiber optic method of connection (via sNH-10G) makes a huge difference. If I have time I will make a post about it. Hans Beekhuyzen did a video on it:
Interesting stuff. I was told by Thom at Upscale, that they compared the Bridge2, Lumin U1 mini, and Auralic G2, all side by side . Their conclusion was, the auralic and bridge sounded nearly identical, and, the lumin was significantly better than either. Guess I should look for a demo unit.
They sell all 3 brands.
FWIW, I prefer the Auralic Aries G2 to the Bridge II with my DSD Sr. in my system. It’s not all that close. I often wonder what the dealer margins are on the various products they carry and if/how that influences their recommendations.
Yeah. The Auralic G2 is double the price of the U1 mini. You’d think the’d push the Auralic, if profit was the motivation. None of Kevin’s guys work on commission.
My direct experience is limited to the Bridge II and the Auralic Aries G2 in my system. I’ve not heard the Lumin U1 which is more expensive though it seems to be very well thought of. I’d be interested in owners or non-dealers thoughts about the Lumin U1 Mini. So far, I’ve not heard about it being held quite so highly as Upscale apparently does. A Lumin rep posted on another site when judged only as streamers that the U1 mini and the T2 were about the same which steered me away from the T2. I spoke to a Lumin dealer (who also sells Aurender) who agreed and said the choice was “clear” because Aurender is not Roon ready. Huh? At that point, I tuned the guy out.
That doesn’t surprise me about Upscale Audio. If you watch their Youtube channel (and their frankly over the top promotion of Primaluna) you might understand why.
I wouldn’t trust their advice on anything because they seem to favour a certain kind of sound and certain specific brand items - that’s not necessarily a bad thing but it is not always going to fit everyone’s tastes. One also has to question if there is some other incentive there to flog a particular item.
For example when they are making claims that a certain amp is better than things that cost three or four times the price I tend to get suspicious. Ditto for streamers.
The Lumin units with the separate power supplies are going to be better than the ones with the internal SMPS so no surprise. They cost more as the separate power supply and matching case are not free. Auralic has also gone from external to internal power supplies.
Never tried fiber optic with the Bridge II when I had it. Glad you find it to be a game changer. Got rid of ethernet cables completely (except for firmware updates) since I find streaming wirelessly to be superior in SQ, which may also point to a potential improvement in SQ with the inclusion of galvanic isolation when cabled.
There are others on this forum that have either the Aries G1/G2 streaming to a DSD Jr./Sr… Maybe they will chime in.
Feedback : in my system, the Lumin U1 sounds better than Bridge 2.
And it should, given that it costs a lot more, not to mention the need for an additional cable.
In my system, the best SQ is with the Lumin, second the Matrix and third the Bridge, although on MQA files, the bridge is almost as good as the Lumin, probably because it performs the full unfold.
For the Lumin to DSD, I tried an Audioquest diamond usb, but in my system, a Chord Sarum super aray bnc to rca sounds better.
I will try a few other possibilities.
As for the Lumin, I pulled the trigger, it is not going back to the dealer, it will stay « chez Philippe ».
Same thing for the Nucleus, wich will replace my old laptop.
The improvement in SQ from the Nucleus introduction was even bigger than from the Lumin introduction.
Kevin Deal is a business partner with Prima Luna, which he doesn’t disclose. Many people rave about him. I had a less than ideal interaction when I spoke to him on the phone.
It’s hardly put out in a forthcoming way. Watch any number of his YouTube videos where he is doing A/B tests with an “audience” to show that the Primaluna is superior to product X or Y. He never once mentions his business interests. He seems to be a mere dealer posing as an advocate for the consumer. I find it to be least than best practice.