Lumin Amplifier

Lumin Amplifier

The Perfect Partner — Designed to Let Your LUMIN Sing

Most amplifiers are designed to work with a preamplifier between them and the source. The LUMIN Amp was designed to work without one. Its 200 kΩ balanced input impedance and 100 kΩ unbalanced input impedance allow direct connection from any LUMIN player's DAC output — eliminating the preamplifier stage, its associated gain, noise, and distortion, and placing the amplifier as close as possible to the source.

This purist topology, in 6moons' Joël Chevassus' assessment, is perhaps one of the greatest achievements to get closer to recordings than ever before. The combination of X1 and LUMIN Amp, he wrote, easily competes with the very best by CH Precision or Constellation Audio — simply at a fraction of their price. That is a direct comparison to reference-class amplification costing multiples of the LUMIN Amp's price, made by an experienced reviewer after extended critical listening.

Mono & Stereo's Matej Isak described the level of immediacy, dynamic control, and absence of self-imprint as belonging to a league of its own. Fidelity Online called it a sensation — coherent, relaxed, broadband, confident, and somehow just right.

The Design Philosophy — Everything Needed, Nothing Else

The LUMIN Amp was engineered with the same clarity of purpose that defines every LUMIN product: identify what matters, implement it at the highest level, and exclude what doesn't contribute. The result is an amplifier that prioritises performance over feature accumulation.

True dual-mono design — from power supply to output. Each channel is a mirror image of the other, with its own independent power supply section. Dual-mono power supply design delivers full power simultaneously from both channels and keeps crosstalk to an absolute minimum. The sonic benefit of this architecture is consistent with what every reviewer found: a wide, stable, precisely located soundstage with maximum channel separation and a quiet, authoritative presentation.

Fully discrete voltage and current gain stages. No op-amps, no shortcuts. The LUMIN Amp's voltage and current gain are handled entirely by discrete transistors operating in Class AB. Class AB provides the linearity and low distortion of Class A at idle and moderate levels, with the efficiency and power capability needed for demanding loads — 160 watts per channel into 8 ohms, 320 watts per channel into 4 ohms, and 640 watts bridged into 8 ohms.

DC-coupled signal path. No output capacitors in the signal path. DC coupling preserves bass extension and transient accuracy — the coupling capacitors that many amplifiers use at the output introduce their own coloration and frequency response limitations that the LUMIN Amp eliminates entirely.

600 VA custom toroidal transformer. The power supply foundation is a massive custom toroidal transformer with advanced voltage regulation circuitry — an ultra-low-noise design that provides the current reserves needed for the amplifier's dynamic output without noise contamination.

Intelligent bias and thermal management. The LUMIN Amp monitors and adjusts bias and temperature throughout operation, maintaining optimal operating conditions without requiring manual adjustment. Built-in DC, overload, and overheating protection provides complete circuit protection for long-term reliability.

Three operating modes. Stereo for standard two-channel operation; Dual Mono for two separate channels with completely independent signal paths from input to output; Bridged for mono operation at 640 watts into 8 ohms for demanding speakers or dedicated subwoofer applications.

The Chassis — Built to Last and Built to Match

The LUMIN Amp's chassis is CNC-machined from a single billet of aluminium — the same construction method used in the X1, X2, and U2X. The front, top, and sides are milled from a single piece of solid metal with 8mm walls. The result is a chassis of exceptional rigidity that minimizes resonance, provides maximum electromagnetic shielding, and presents the same impeccable build quality as every other LUMIN flagship product.

The dimensions and slope angle of the LUMIN Amp are designed so that a standard LUMIN player sits on top and the curved-inclined panel fits seamlessly — forming an integrated, minimalist stack that is aesthetically complete as well as functionally superior. Available in the same black anodised and raw anodised aluminium finishes as the current LUMIN range, the Amp is the natural visual companion to any LUMIN player.

At 19 kg, the LUMIN Amp communicates its build quality before a note is played.

Direct DAC Drive — The Purist Connection

The LUMIN Amp's 200 kΩ balanced input impedance is specifically designed to accept the output of a LUMIN player's DAC directly. When a LUMIN player's Leedh Processing volume control is used for attenuation, the preamplifier stage is eliminated entirely — the DAC output drives the amplifier directly, through fewer stages, with less noise and less distortion than any preamplifier-based topology can achieve.

For listeners who use a LUMIN player as their primary or sole source, this represents the most direct path from digital file to speaker — one conversion, one amplification, no intermediate stages. It is also the configuration that 6moons evaluated against reference-level separates and found competitive with CH Precision and Constellation Audio.

The Amp also works with preamplifiers and other sources, accepting both XLR balanced and RCA unbalanced inputs. Its high input impedance makes it compatible with tube preamplifiers and passive preamps that struggle to drive lower-impedance amplifier inputs.

Press Recognition

• 6moons — Blue Moon Award, June 2020 "This combo easily competes with the very best by CH Precision or Constellation Audio, simply at a fraction of their price. Lumin have chosen to exclude an analog preamplifier from their high-fidelity circle and that's perhaps one of the greatest achievements to get us closer to our recordings than ever before." — Joël Chevassus Read the review
• Audiophile Style — CASH Award, October 2022 "The fully balanced dual mono design, from front to back in both T3 and Amp, really makes a sonic difference that can be enjoyed thoroughly. The Lumin T3 and Lumin Amp are both CASH Listed, without hesitation." — Chris Connaker Read the review
• Mono & Stereo Magazine — Highly Recommended Award, October 2019 "The level of LUMIN Amp immediacy, dynamic control and the absence of self imprint belongs to a league of its own. The LUMIN Amp has manifested a very broad synergy with several preamplifiers — and its ability to be directly driven by DACs puts it among very few amps in which input impedance allows such a purist partnering." — Matej Isak Read the review
• Fidelity Online — Full review, May 2020 "It's all very coherent, relaxed, broadband, confident and somehow just right. I have rarely enjoyed working with a power amplifier as much as with the Lumin. A sensation." — Michael Vrzal Read the review

Specifications

• Operating modes: Stereo / Dual Mono / Bridged (selectable)
• Power output: 160 W/ch × 8 Ω; 320 W/ch × 4 Ω; 640 W × 8 Ω (bridged)
• Inputs: XLR balanced (pin 2 hot) × 1 pair; RCA unbalanced × 1 pair (selectable)
• Input impedance: 200 kΩ balanced (XLR); 100 kΩ unbalanced (RCA)
• Output impedance: 0.1 Ω
• Input sensitivity: 1.16 Vrms
• Gain: +26 dB (stereo/dual mono); +32 dB (bridged)
• Frequency response: 20 Hz – 40 kHz, ±0.1 dB
• Signal-to-noise ratio: 103 dB unweighted
• Power supply: 600 VA custom toroidal transformer, dual-mono, ultra-low-noise regulation
• Power consumption: <0.5 W standby; 40 W idle; 700 W maximum
• Protection: DC, overload, and overheating
• Chassis: CNC-machined single billet aluminium — 8 mm walls, front, top, and sides
• Finish: Black anodised or raw anodised aluminium
• Dimensions: 350 mm W × 374 mm D × 104 mm H
• Weight: 19 kg
• Price: [PLACEHOLDER — contact us for current pricing]

Pairing the LUMIN Amp with a specific LUMIN player, or wondering about direct DAC drive vs preamplifier connection? We're happy to help you configure the system.