They don’t have airplay chips in them. You can do AirPlay without the chips. There are various certifications Apple has and then there is just making things work. Some of these certifications require the chips. I’m not the source of truth for this field but if you’re just wanting to punt audio from an Apple device then the chip isn’t needed.
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Fair enough. I edited my post above to say I was wrong. I guess the important thing is that the AL doesn’t have Airplay, for whatever reason.
The issue has been discussed already 1000’s of posts up, haha.
Interested to see how the actual product performs
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Guys, I am really new to streaming ( so it this is a dumba$$ question. please cut me a break ). I have just got an entry level Lumin streamer that has native support of Qobuz. I have not yet got it operational but I assume with a subscription to Qobuz I can use the Lumin to pull down titles from Qobuz? Does the recent release of information about the Airlens mean that if I can figure out how get what is in the Lumin onto Ethernet cable and I send it to the Airlens that the Airlens will reject because it did not come from Roon?
Seriously, if there is something like “Streaming 101 For Dummies” out there, please point me to it.
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What Lumin did you get? With the Lumin, depending on exactly which one, you are probably no longer shopping for the AirLens.
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I got this one, it is their least expensive model, it is very new, but its predecessor got very good reviews.
Yeah, with the Mini you don’t need anything else.
The U2 Mini and the AirLens are competing products and you wouldn’t put them both in the same signal chain. If you decide you want a streamer with I2S (an output the U2 does not have) you’d replace the U2 with the AirLens. However, the U2 has a lot of software features the AirLens does not so they can’t be like for like swapped. Figure out how you’re using the U2 (it sounds like Qobuz via the Lumin App). To do the same with AirLens you’d need to supply your own “server” and app that supports Qobuz (of which, Roon is just one option but probably the most user friendly / straightforward).
And, certainly you’d want to side by side compare before committing to any product. The U2 gets very excellent reviews.
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I will buy a black one to match with the other gear…but I think you should improve the black surface of the PSA gear generally…imo it looks clearly less worthy in finish compared to the silver versions.
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I’ve had Lumin T2 for a few years now and use a Roon ROCK/NUC core. So my signal chain is basically ROCK → T2 → preamp. All streaming including Qobuz goes through Roon.
With the AL, it becomes ROCK-> AL-> DSDAC-> preamp.
The main problem I’m facing is what to do about Airplay that I occasionally use for convenience? AL won’t do it.
Was hoping up replace the T2 with the AL but looks like I’m stuck with the T2.
Yeah I really don’t like the new look.
Not so far in my experience. If anything, WiFi might have the edge….
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Ciao! And thank you, Luca!
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Happy Cake Day @ipeverywhere! You are three!
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Ok, at least as long as it’s powerful enough to handle also the highest sampling rates.
I thought the wifi receiver cirquit inside might be more active when wifi is used and produces more noise or pulls more current, which both could be negative. But the galvanic isolation might make this irrelevant.
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OK,Let me give you the complete picture. I have also recently bought ( what brand I bought will remain private until I evaluate it ) a somewhat more expensive NAS. The purpose of the NAS is to give me a place to store and retrieve my DSD needle drop recordings of my best vinyl which are currently stored on USB sticks that I play using my PST. Obviously a USB stick collection is NOT the way to store your music. The NAS has an Ethernet output that is meant to go to a DAC with an Ethernet input. ( The NAS does not have an I2S output. ) The DS MK2 does not have an Ethernet input, but the Airlens does. So my principle use of the Airlens is to convert my DSD files that are sent to it over Ethernet cable to I2S files and sent them to the DS MK2. Since I know how these files sound when played back through the PST I have a very simple way to determine how good of a converter the Airlens is. The only place I need the internet for this is using a tablet to tell the NAS which file I want to hear.
The streaming is an after thought to please my wife. She wants to use the same tablet to stream. I want no part of Roon ( way too complicated and I don’t really care what six other albums the bass player on the song I am listening to also played on ) so I bought the Lumin because it seemed simple enough and it has a USB output that I can connect to the DAC and if I can also get it to work through the Airlens that would be a bonus.
Now you know the whole story.
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You’re coming from a world where connector type = protocol. Coax or TOSLINK = SPDIF. HDMI = I2S. etc.
Networked audio doesn’t work like that. An RJ45 connector and catX ethernet cable mean nothing yet.
So let’s start with the hardware components you have in play.
NAS
DAC (DS)
Digital Transport (Lumin U2)
The digital transport sits in the middle of 2 things that cannot talk natively together: The DAC and the NAS.
We now need to identify a protocol on each side of the transport.
Let’s start with network. Now, you don’t mention NAS but most support UPnP. You need to configure UPnP on the NAS. This is outlined here on the Lumin side https://www.luminmusic.com/downloads/LUMIN-U1-quickstart.pdf
I don’t know what NAS you have so can’t link to that doc.
By enabling UPnP on the NAS, and using the Lumin App, it is now UPnP over Ethernet Network that allows the Lumin to find your files. This side is done.
Next we need to connect the DAC to the Lumin. You’ve got 4 options: SPDIF AES, Coax, Optical or USB. Pick one, I’d personally use USB. Select this as output on the U2.
Within the Lumin app select the UPnP or whatever option gives you access to select files from the NAS and hit Play. Good to go.
The AirLens also supports UPnP so if you really wanted to replace the Lumin with the AirLens you could… but there is a new issue…
AirLens doesn’t have any software so you now need to expand your DLNA/UPnP network to roll your own software solution. That is for a different thread.
The other option… and one I’m very fond of…
Install Roon, point Roon at your NAS (using SMB, a file sharing protocol different from UPnP there are advantages / disadvantages here but another thread on that maybe), let Roon index everything, point Roon at your Lumin, select output, hit Play. Note, Roon does not support UPnP, it will use Roon Advanced Audio Transport (RAAT) to stream to the Lumin. Again, pros / cons here. I happen to prefer RAAT over everything else available blah blah I’m a Roon Fanboy. 
This then, because AirLens is Roon Ready (supports RAAT out of the box), allows you directly swap the AirLeans for the U2. You just point Roon at the AirLens and hit Play.
That’s a quick high-level but I hope it helps.
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By “new look”, are you referring just to the AirLens? Anyhow, I have a different opinion than jazznut of the normal PSA black gear - I think it’s very classy. I have one silver PSA component and I kinda like the contrast in the system shelves, so count me as odd anyhow.
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I like the classic PSA look, like the DSDAC, PST etc. Don’t like the curve profile in the front of the AL.
I particularly don’t care about the color.
In any case, function over form is the important bit.
Yes, works; unless you also need airplay like me.
Very well outlined.
The crux of the matter is removing the U2 means finding another app that can scan and access the music on the NAS such as Roon. The less complicate route is keep what’s in place and introduce the NAS and use the Lumin app.
Personally, I wouldn’t discount Roon so quickly. Yes, you can see what the bass player has also done, but the real magic is Roon Radio. I can’t even begin to tell you how much new music I’ve been introduced to via Roon Radio.
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since I’m throwing around the recommendations today :)… For those that want AirPlay + AirLens I’d buy yourself a WiiM Mini or Pro and use another input on the DAC. Not as convenient as one box but cheap and, from all reviews I’ve read, plenty of sound quality to keep-up with AirPlay. The WiiM Mini was $78 during holiday sales at one point. You all know you spent more on cables this year 
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