Lumin D3

LUMIN D3 Network Music Player

Audiophile Streaming Within Everyone's Reach

The D-series has been LUMIN's most accessible entry point since the D1, and across every version it has consistently done something remarkable: delivered performance that reviewers find difficult to reconcile with its price. The D3 continues that tradition with the most capable version yet — inheriting the ES9028Pro DAC from the T3X and T-series, the analogue buffer technology from the X1 flagship, and LUMIN's latest processing platform, all in a compact all-aluminium chassis with fully balanced XLR outputs.

Hi-Fi News called it "closer to the company's step-up T3 DAC/streamer than the £2,000 price difference suggests" — and advised readers to grab an audition and take their credit card along. Hi-Fi Class gave it five stars in every category and their Editor's Choice award, describing it as "a revelation at this price." Stereonet named it Mid-Price Streamer Product of the Year 2024, noting it was "near-impossible to beat at or near its price."

For a listener entering the LUMIN ecosystem for the first time, or building a high-quality system on a careful budget, the D3 is where the LUMIN house sound becomes accessible.

What's New in the D3

The D3 builds on the long-running D1/D2 lineage with three meaningful upgrades.

ES9028Pro SABRE DAC. The D2 used an earlier-generation DAC. The D3 steps up to the ESS SABRE32 ES9028Pro — the same chip used in the T3X — with support for DSD256 and PCM 384 kHz. The analogue output stage has been completely redesigned around this chip, using audio-grade output capacitors and an ultra-low-noise, high dynamic range buffer that incorporates technology from the LUMIN X1 flagship.

Latest processing platform. A completely new processor provides greater resampling flexibility — upsampling to DSD256 or PCM 384 kHz for all source files, downsampling to any supported format — and increased processing capacity for future firmware updates. The new platform also brings TIDAL Connect and AirPlay 2 support that the D2 didn't have.

Full aluminium enclosure. The D2 used a chassis with steel elements. The D3 moves to a complete aluminium enclosure — thick CNC-milled front panel and all-aluminium body — for superior damping performance and a chassis construction that more closely matches the rest of the LUMIN range. The silky surface finish, borrowed from the high-end P1, is less susceptible to fingermarks and easier to keep clean.

The LUMIN House Sound — Entry Level, Not Compromised

What distinguishes the D3 from competitors at its price is not simply the specification — it is the musicality that LUMIN has built into every level of their range. Hi-Fi Class described it as lively, joyful, and open, drawing the listener in from the first notes, swaying them, taking them into the world of music and bringing a smile to the face. Outstanding PRAT — tempo, rhythm, and timing — that could put more expensive constructions to shame.

Stereonet's Michael Evans found an easy, smooth, and open character combined with genuine dynamic grip — none of the brightness or harshness associated with less expensive streamer designs. The ability to set up a spacious recorded acoustic that places every element of the mix with accuracy. Vocals sitting rock-solid in the centre image, sounding vibrant and strong.

FIDELITY Magazine's Michael Vrzal was direct: fun from the first note. The little Lumin plays in the major league. A smash hit.

That combination — naturalness, dynamics, resolution, and the ability to place everything convincingly in space — is what LUMIN has refined across generations of the D-series, and the D3 represents the most complete expression of it yet.

Balanced Outputs — Included as Standard

The D3 retains the fully balanced XLR output design of its predecessors — a feature that is far from standard at this price point. XLR balanced outputs at 6 Vrms allow direct connection to balanced power amplifiers and preamplifiers with full common-mode noise rejection, and the maximum output voltage from the analogue stage without any attenuation. RCA unbalanced outputs at 3 Vrms are also provided for systems without balanced connections.

A BNC S/PDIF digital output allows the D3 to serve as a streaming source for an external DAC as well — PCM up to 192 kHz/24-bit and DSD DoP — giving the D3 flexibility beyond its integrated DAC if a system upgrade path changes the requirements.

The Full LUMIN Ecosystem

The D3 supports every major streaming service: TIDAL, TIDAL Connect, Qobuz, Qobuz Connect, Amazon Music Unlimited, Spotify Connect, Roon Ready, Audirvāna, JPLAY, AirPlay 2, KKBox, QQMusic, Plex, MQA, and TuneIn Radio. The LUMIN app provides full control from iOS, Android, and Mac — with high-resolution artwork, playlist management, and all the features of the full LUMIN platform.

Leedh Processing lossless volume control is included at no additional cost, eliminating rounding errors in digital attenuation. High Fidelity's Wojciech Pacuła noted the D3 is worth trying directly connected to a power amplifier or active speakers — that a separate preamplifier would need to cost as much as the D3 itself to improve on what the Leedh volume control achieves.

Press Recognition

• Hi-Fi News — Outstanding Product Award, March 2024 "The new D3 is closer to the company's step-up T3 DAC/streamer than the £2k price difference suggests. The deal is sealed by its performance — grab an audition and take your credit card along." — Mark Craven Download the review (PDF)
• Stereonet — Mid-Price Streamer Product of the Year 2024 "Although it's the new entry-level model, you wouldn't know by looking at it or indeed listening to it. Near-impossible to beat at or near its price." Read the awards article
• Hi-Fi Class — 5-star Editor's Choice Award, December 2023 "Lively, joyful, open sound that draws you in from the first notes. At this price it's a revelation — a player that simply sounds even better, regardless of musical preference, and can easily be a source in a high-class system." Read the review
• FIDELITY Magazine — Highlight Award, February 2024 "Fun from the first note. In terms of sound, the 'little one' plays in the major league. The latest version of Lumin's entry-level offering is a smash hit!" — Michael Vrzal Download the review (PDF)
• Stereonet — Applause Award, October 2023 "An easy, smooth and open character, yet dynamic and grippy too. None of the brightness or harshness associated with some less expensive streamer designs. Sonically, the new D3 is a winner." — Michael Evans Read the review
• Soundrebels — Full review, December 2024 "Surprisingly realistic reproduction and an almost physical materialization of the performer in your listening room — considering the very affordable price of the D3, fully deserving compliments. A full-fledged representative of the mainstream streamer, to which most of the competition is only just aspiring." — Marcin Olszewski & Jacek Pazio Read the review
• High Fidelity — Full review, November 2023 "A resolving device with a wonderful timbre. Plays all types of music with commitment and flair — worth trying directly with a power amplifier or active speakers." — Wojciech Pacuła Read the review
• wstereo — Full review, February 2025 "Great dynamics and spatiality — in this respect it makes a great impression and can compete with more expensive devices." — Maciej Stempurski Read the review

Specifications

• DAC: ESS SABRE32 ES9028Pro — balanced layout, X1-derived analogue buffer, ultra-low-noise/high dynamic range
• DSD support: Up to DSD256 (1-bit stereo)
• PCM support: Up to 384 kHz, 16–32-bit stereo
• Upsampling: DSD256 or PCM 384 kHz for all files; downsampling supported
• Analogue outputs: XLR balanced (6 Vrms, pin 2 hot); RCA unbalanced (3 Vrms)
• Digital output: BNC S/PDIF — PCM to 192 kHz/24-bit, DSD DoP
• Network: RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet
• Streaming: Roon Ready, TIDAL Connect, Qobuz Connect, Spotify Connect, Audirvāna, JPLAY, AirPlay 2, and more
• Volume control: Leedh Processing lossless digital volume
• Power supply: Internal 100–240 V AC auto-ranging, low-noise, shielded compartment
• Finish: Black anodised or raw anodised aluminium
• Dimensions: 300 mm W × 244 mm D × 60 mm H, 2.5 kg

Questions about how the D3 compares to the T3X, or whether the D3's integrated DAC is right for your system? We're glad to help.