In fact I didn’t wanted to have the Farad, as I didn’t liked it with my ex Uptone switch. The Sbooster is an average ps, like the Israeli one or Uptone lps.
I also didn’t liked to have an other box, I will have now 4 , for the digital source only ( U2, Nds, 555 ps X 2, Melco).
So the Elite came to my mind.
@NO-QUARTER . I just read elsewhere that the Lumin P1 has an internal linear ps. So it’s much less mandatory to upgrade with an external ps. Or at a big cost, like with a Sean Jacob Arc 4 or 7.
But the U2 comes with a 10 dollars internal SMPS, so it’s different.
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I believe Elite is an SMPS and that’s why it sounds different. My experience is most things digital sounds better with SMPS. If you design the product from scratch with LPS as target I believe it is a different thing. But today I am a believer in using the technology the product was developed for be it LPS or SMPS. You can change the sound though so some might still prefer the change. But have in mind it’s easy to initially think a change always is better.
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Lumin designed the U2 with a LPS, thus one would assume is far superior sound quality wise than the U2 Mini which uses a SMPS. The U2 is twice the cost of a U2 Mini, there are ofher differences between the two, but they dont make much difference, or any, sound quality wise.
Going after market to bridge the gap sound quality wise you would focus on the power supply, whether another SMPS would be better than going LPS I would not know, but Lumin obviously thought the LPS was far superior, hence why there is one in the U2.
Maybe, after market modders, know better than Lumin, but I really doubt that is the case, but you could get a worthwhile sound quality improvement at less cost, if you get lucky with what you buy.
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Strange how systems differ. My Farad 3 with the upgraded DC cable and fed by a Vertere Redline power lead, placed on the rack next to the EE8 was a fabulous improvement. It’s very sensitive to the power cable I found.
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I thought that it was odd and contacted Farad, they asked for it back and sent me a replacement but that sounded exactly the same. Eventually that went back too. I’ve mentioned before that I’ve had around twelve of the mainstream linear power supplies that are available on the market today and none of them could really match the stock EE8 SMPS or an old modified cheap Chinese LPS that I have. In fact I’m still looking. I have a Plixir Elite BDC MKII on loan next week. Let’s see how that one stacks up against them?
Have you tried Meanwell SMPS? Both my former Lindemann Bridge II and my still going strong Ansuz Powerswitch D2 use Meanwell SMPS. Just like LPS all SMPS does not perform the same. Maybe you should evaluate different SMPS instead of of keep going with LPS 
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It is possible to source an external LPS that would be quite superior to that within the full sized U2, for much less than the price differential between the U2 and the U2 Mini.
The only LPS I had access to was the Farad3 (which I bought specifically for the Lumin)…but it turned out to be easily bettered by the iFi Elite. The Farad3 was then relegated to juicing the cable modem.
The latest Teddy Pardo LPS would probably be a good place to start looking for 12V LPS, although many other alternatives exist, going all the way up to the Sean Jacobs DC4 at over $7k.
PS, I know one guy who replaced a top-line SJ supply with the Elite and for that one specific application prefers the Elite.
Maybe at some point in the future, I will revisit different PS for my U2 Mini.
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Thanks to all who weighted in on my original question related to the sq/functional benefit of spending about $8000 CAN to add a second 555PS to a NDS/555 DR PS setup vs replacing the NDS with a 555 Streamer. My take away is that many advise that adding a second PS is a significant benefit but that those that have moved on to the 555 where it can also be used are extremely satisfied too.
Perhaps another angle is that given I have a 252/Supercap DR/250DR engine room wound the $8000 or so be better spent on a 300DR upgrade? I’ll mention I’m running Harbeth HL5XD+ speakers in moderate to large room 14’x 30’ at present. Mix of Jazz/Classical and Rock. There’s also a Rega P8/Ania analog 25% of listening currently. I’ll take it to another thread if that’s more appropriate..
Or get a 552.
Source first!
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In my simple mathematics - that comes to 5 .. 
I have to return to school I feel.
I know only one mathematical rule: 0
0 0
+
= Toto head
Look forward to hearing of differences / improvements delivered by Lumin / with and without the extra PSU (.. which will make it 6 boxes, right?)
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Selling all cables and 5 boxes getting ND555 and keeping one 555 was never an option?
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I would not sell my Melco, neither my cables.
So this option is at least twice expensive. No Nd555 to be sold in France. So you have to add taxes.
When I upgraded from the NDS to the ND555 I found that a significant upgrade at the time. Later on I got the 2nd PS and felt I was in heaven. However after the firmware gate things might have changed and the difference between the two streamers might be differently perceived. I belief some formnites have a clear opinion on this.
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Definitely sounds that if $ allow taking further steps to improve the source to 555 and adding that second 555 PS is all winning:) source first is a winning strategy!