Lumin X1 After Market Umbilical cord

[ozzzy]

I own a Lumin X1 and I have a AudioQuest Dragon power cord and a Synergistic Master fuse in the external power supply.
So, to me the natural evolution would be to upgrade the umbilical cord that connects the power supply to the Lumin proper.

So far, I have found only 2 companies that make a 10-pin configuration that will work with the Lumin equipment. That is, Westminster Labs and Audio Sensibilities.
The Westminster Labs cord is quite pricey, so I ordered one from the Audio Sensibilities.

Can anyone who has used this cord share their experiences?

Thank you,
ozzy

 

[FDPDK]

Thats an interesting topic...as i am almost in the same situation at a later point in my upgrades.

 

[ozzzy]

Well, I should have the Audio Sensibilities cable tomorrow. (If USPS comes through)

ozzy

 

[gleeds]

We have a customer who has owned both cords and says his Westminster is "more better" in his hi-rez systems. We always suggest the AS cable for those on a budget (albeit Westminster does not cost all that much more).

Whatever you choose a well designed DC cable can make a noticeable difference in the sound of the already solid X1. Good luck.

 

[viola]

We have a customer who has owned both cords and says his Westminster is "more better" in his hi-rez systems. We always suggest the AS cable for those on a budget (albeit Westminster does not cost all that much more).

Whatever you choose a well designed DC cable can make a noticeable difference in the sound of the already solid X1. Good luck.

I own a Lumin X1 and I have a AudioQuest Dragon power cord and a Synergistic Master fuse in the external power supply.
So, to me the natural evolution would be to upgrade the umbilical cord that connects the power supply to the Lumin proper.

So far, I have found only 2 companies that make a 10-pin configuration that will work with the Lumin equipment. That is, Westminster Labs and Audio Sensibilities.
The Westminster Labs cord is quite pricey, so I ordered one from the Audio Sensibilities.

Can anyone who has used this cord share their experiences?

Thank you,
ozzy

Ozzy,

I have a Lumin X1 and have used both the Audio Sensibility and the Westminster Lab umbilical cords. My system is a high resolution system using the Tidal Audio Presencio preamplifier into the Westminster Lab Rei monoblocks driving Tidal Audio Contriva G2 speakers. Power is fed by a hard-wired 325 lb EI-style transformer that outputs 60v - 0 - 60v balanced power with an isolated technical ground.

If I were to rank the umbilical cords on a scale of 0 to 10 with 0 being awful and 10 being perfect (and by definition, unattainable), I would put the stock umbilical cord at a 2 or 3, the Audio Sensibility umbilical at an 8 and the Westminster Lab umbilical at a 9 or 9.5. The AS umbilical is a HUGE upgrade over the stock umbilical, and as a value proposition, it gives you the best bang for the buck. The WL umbilical is a smaller upgrade over the AS, but it provides, at least in a high-resolution system, noticeably more resolution, deeper bass, more extended highs as well as a greater control over attacks and decays. It's the law of diminishing returns -- you get more versus the AS umbilical, but the incremental cost per unit of improvement is much higher than the incremental cost per unit of improvement afforded by the AS umbilical over the stock umbilical.

I hope that helps. By the way, I am not using my 0.5 meter AS umbilical cord, which I bought from AS in January 2022, so if anyone wants to purchase it for $400, just send me a PM. It is in mint condition and fully broken in.

 

[FDPDK]

Viola , that was a very fine description on the cables. And makes me in a better position to make a choice weather to go for the Westminster Lab or the AS.
Thank you very much
Flemming P

 

[ozzzy]

viola,
Thank you so much for your comparisons. It is really helpful. Too bad I already purchased the AS cord, or I would have bought yours!
I hope to get it today!

ozzy

 

[ozzzy]

Just received it!
Boy, connecting up the DC cord to the Lumin proper is a PITA! what a design.
ozzy

 

[ozzzy]

viloa,

Did you find that the cable also required some burn in time?

ozzy

 

[treitz3]

Just received it!
Boy, connecting up the DC cord to the Lumin proper is a PITA! what a design.
ozzy

Man, you got that right!

I am paying attention to this thread because I have the Lumin UX1 (Which is a U1 with the X1 PS). Thanks for your thoughts @viola and I could use your AS before I get the Westminster Labs UB. If it's still available, I'll take it.

Tom

 

[viola]

viloa,

Did you find that the cable also required some burn in time?

ozzy

Yes, all of the umbilicals require breaking in before reaching optimal performance. However, I noticed a meaningful improvement over the stock umbilical immediately after inserting the AS umbilical. After continuous play for about 4-5 hours, you'll get a much better picture of what it's really going to sound like, but continuous play for about 3-4 days should get you to optimal performance. All of the connections to the X1 are a PITA due to the overhang of the top cover. It's a brilliant piece of equipment, but for the life of me, I don't understand what they must have been thinking with such an unfriendly ergonomic design -- maybe protection from dust?

 

[sujay]

Hi Viola, i am assuming the AS is compatible with the U1 as well? I am currently using the X1 power supply with my U1.

 

[treitz3]

From what I understand, it is a proprietary cable and the umbilical is compatible with the S1, U1 and A1 into the X1.

Tom

 

[sujay]

Great thanks, Tom. If for any reason you are not purchasing Viola’s cable, I would be interested to buy.

Cheers

Sujay

 

[treitz3]

I regret to inform you that I have already purchased the cable. I figured I'll use this while I either wait for the WL umbilical's to go on sale (apparently they do on occasion) or get lucky on a used set in mint condition. My wallet laughs at paying retail. My ears won't but my wallet sure does.

Tom

 

[sujay]

No worries Tom. I wrote to AS to purchase it new. Apparently the one I need to buy is with 8 pins input. So I went ahead and bought it. And also got a 12% discount. So all good!

 

[SoundQcar]

Ozzy,

Mine took about a full week's worth of running in before it really settled down. It really is a big improvement over the stock umbilical. I've not heard the W Labs cable to compare.

Bob

 

[Blake]

I have a U1X in my speaker system and another U1X in my headphone system. I upgraded to the Audio Sensibility cords for both of them. Big improvement over the stock cord (big in "audiophile" terms, not sure how big of a difference to a non-enthusiast). Money well spent.

 

[ozzzy]

SoundQcar,

Well, it's been a couple of days now and the lean sound that was first present seems to be gone. I was a little concerned.
If it is made truly with high grade silver, then I guess some break in is expected. I think Steve said 150 hours.

ozzy

 

[treitz3]

No worries Tom. I wrote to AS to purchase it new. Apparently the one I need to buy is with 8 pins input. So I went ahead and bought it. And also got a 12% discount. So all good!

Well, I found out the hard way that you ARE correct. I needed the same one. So, I called AS and ordered the one that I needed. I was surprised that they picked up the phone on the weekend but they did. It should be here next week.

The one I just purchased from Viola is now available once again, if anyone is interested. As a reminder, it is a 0.5 meter AS umbilical cord, which Viola bought from AS in January 2022, so if anyone wants to purchase it for $shipped to your door within the continental US, just send me a PM. It is in mint condition and fully broken in.

Tom