Lumin Adds LEEDH Lossless Volume Control To ALL Models
What is LEEDH?
LEEDH is a digital volume control algorithm that, unlike every other digital volume control available, is lossless. It's complex algorithm eliminates rounding errors (dither). It modifies the digital signal amplitude exactly, without any changes to its shape and free from any kind of information loss. When used as a preamp/volume control directly connected to an amplifier, you get a purity of signal that is tough to match when using a preamp.
This has long been the promise of DAC's with volume controls, but only a few have come somewhat close to delivering. With LEEDH, this promise is now made reality. Not just to the five figure priced components, but in this case, even the $2000 components in the Lumin lineup. Folks, this is huge.
This has long been the promise of DAC's with volume controls, but only a few have come somewhat close to delivering. With LEEDH, this promise is now made reality. Not just to the five figure priced components, but in this case, even the $2000 components in the Lumin lineup. Folks, this is huge.
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| The Vaunted Lumin X1 streamer/DAC in Darth Vader black finish. |
Why Is This Such A Big Deal?
On the surface, this may not appear to be a big deal. After all, an analog preamp is lossless isn't it? Not really. There are colorations, which are not a bad thing if you enjoy them. There are losses from the circuitry, no matter how good. Noise, extra connections, extra circuits, extra wire. All of these have an effect of veiling the sound. The best preamps minimize these effects a great deal, but not completely. Sixmoons' Joel Chevassus so aptly describes:
"Whatever volume control you use from the best analog beasts such as Robert Koda's Takumi or Ypsilon's PST 100 to more convincing digital algorithms inside a Mola Mola Tambaqui or big Soulution DAC, LEEDH processing reveals how destructive they can be."
He's throwing around some fairly big names in his comparison. Can it be that good? I mean, after all Lumin added it to all of their models, from the $2000 U1 mini to the nearly $14,000 X1 streamer/DAC for free. Our trained audiophile brains ask "How good could it be if it's free?" I understand your thoughts, as I also have the disease. I thought the same thing. Then I listened.
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| The Lumin T2 streamer/DAC in silver finish. |
Dispensing With Your Preamp & Using LEEDH
Connecting the Lumin directly to your amplifier involves making sure your Lumin streamer has the latest firmware and software. If it does, then LEEDH is the default volume control. You will want to open the Lumin app, venture into the Settings for your streamer, and turn the volume control on. The LEEDH Processing Volume will automatically be turned on. You may also notice an additional volume setting called Max Volume %. This is the gain setting, and can be set to that if the volume control is accidentally boosted to 100, you won't blow your amp or speakers.
The Sound
The audiophile world is a crowded street bazaar, with everyone using ever more colorful hyperbole to describe their experience, grab your attention, and make you want their product. It's tough for a genuine technological advance to break through the noise these days. This is a genuine advance, and I am glad a company like Pixel Magic (Lumin's parent company) saw the value in the idea, and shared it freely with Lumin owners. My hope is that you who are already Lumin owners will try the LEEDH lossless volume in your own system, sans preamp, and hear what I am talking about.
When it was time set up my X1 directly into my Modwright amplifier and see what this was all about, my expectations were not all that high. I thought the 32 bit volume control on the X1 was very good. Amongst the best I had heard up to now. It's hard to express the level of shock experienced hearing the Lumin with the LEEDH volume control at the helm for the first time.
To be fair, not only was I hearing the LEEDH algorithm, I was also hearing the absence of my preamp. Still, I had used the X1 without a preamp before, but this was something altogether different. It did not sound like the same component. It sounded much, much better. The first thing I noticed was dynamics had real snap and impact, much more live sounding than before. The energy and jump factor increased markedly. After my ears settled in, I began to hear more. Literally. All throughout my listening session the word "purity" kept coming to the forefront of my mind. Purity in this instance meant clarity, more texture, low level information that makes the music real. Tonal colors were more saturated, the image, soundstage became more dense. But the biggest benefit was my analyzer brain shut off after a few minutes and I just listened. Audio therapy. Good stuff.
This was not something one needs to strain to hear. At least in my system it wasn't. Perhaps if you own one of the preamps mentioned in the Sixmoons review it might not be as eye popping, but no doubt Joel was right when he said "LEEDH processing reveals how destructive they (preamps) can be".
When it was time set up my X1 directly into my Modwright amplifier and see what this was all about, my expectations were not all that high. I thought the 32 bit volume control on the X1 was very good. Amongst the best I had heard up to now. It's hard to express the level of shock experienced hearing the Lumin with the LEEDH volume control at the helm for the first time.
To be fair, not only was I hearing the LEEDH algorithm, I was also hearing the absence of my preamp. Still, I had used the X1 without a preamp before, but this was something altogether different. It did not sound like the same component. It sounded much, much better. The first thing I noticed was dynamics had real snap and impact, much more live sounding than before. The energy and jump factor increased markedly. After my ears settled in, I began to hear more. Literally. All throughout my listening session the word "purity" kept coming to the forefront of my mind. Purity in this instance meant clarity, more texture, low level information that makes the music real. Tonal colors were more saturated, the image, soundstage became more dense. But the biggest benefit was my analyzer brain shut off after a few minutes and I just listened. Audio therapy. Good stuff.
This was not something one needs to strain to hear. At least in my system it wasn't. Perhaps if you own one of the preamps mentioned in the Sixmoons review it might not be as eye popping, but no doubt Joel was right when he said "LEEDH processing reveals how destructive they (preamps) can be".
Sixmoons reviewer Joel Chevassus sums the sound up brilliantly in his review of the Lumin X1 and Lumin Amp using the LEEDH lossless algorithm:
"Leedh Processing has significantly boosted the performance of Lumin's network players. There is more clarity, more detail, more timbral accuracy, higher dynamics, less distortion. It's a bit complicated to explain what happens exactly but as soon as you trigger Leedh, you understand to what extent all usual preamplifiers add their own colorations." - Full Review
Sixmoons awarded the Lumin X1 and Amp with a Blue Moon Award.
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| The very popular U1 Mini Streamer only. |
Simplifying Your System
For those looking to simplify their systems, I can think of no better product that enables one to do this. The LEEDH volume control is so good, so transparent, so much better than any preamp I have ever heard, it makes the process of simplifying your audio system, simpler. The Lumin Streamers , already very good in their own right, are now leading edge, state of the art audio components for their price point and well beyond. Just add powered speakers or your own amp and speakers, and you will finally hear what the rest of your system is capable of, and hear what you may have been missing.
Curious?
For the curious, I have an in-home audition program, and a 30-day money back guarantee. The LEEDH lossless volume is available on every Lumin product. So pretty much whatever your system configuration, there is a Lumin for you. One could sell their preamp, DAC and Streamer and go for the T2 or X1 Streamer DACs, or if you really like your DAC, just sell your preamp and streamer and go for a U1 or U1 Mini streamer only.The elimination of my preamp, and handing control of the output to the built in LEEDH algorithm is one of the best things I have done for my music listening.
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