PC & Servers — Lucas Audio Labs Maximus

The Maximus is the most expensive music server from Lucas Audio Labs, the company founded in 2017 by Lucas Domansky, who went full-time in 2020 and works in the UK and Poland with a small team based in Poland. The servers are sold under the LDMS name, short for Lucas Domansky Music Server. The range consists of the Maximus at GBP 16,500, the MiniMax at GBP 9,450 and the Pico at GBP 2,900. Each unit is built to order, usually within 10 to 14 days.

Key specs that matter

The Maximus is an all-in-one box of 430 mm wide, 420 mm deep and 180 mm high. A 430 W programmable linear power supply is included as standard. It uses a larger server-class Intel processor, an internal USB reclocker and reclocked S/PDIF and I2S. Storage takes up to four SSDs, with 4 TB as standard and up to 16 TB possible, and an external NAS is optional. Outputs are S/PDIF Level 2 on BNC, AES/EBU, USB and LAN. The software runs on an Intel and Windows platform with proprietary drivers and a proprietary renderer, and it includes Roon Core, UPnP, video streaming and DSP functions, and it also works with JRiver and Squeezebox.

Engineering and use context

The larger processor is what allows higher-rate real-time DSD upsampling than the smaller models can perform. A reclocker regenerates the timing of the USB signal before it leaves the server, and the S/PDIF and I2S outputs are reclocked in the same way, so the DAC receives a cleaner clock. Lucas lists EMI and RFI shielding and true galvanic isolation, and the case is damped against vibration, cooled by design and paired with a tuned operating system and playback chain. Compared with the MiniMax, the Maximus has more shielding and grounding and more passive heat dissipation, so it runs without fans. The chassis is large enough to hold the linear supply inside, although Lucas recommends keeping it separate where possible, which moves the transformer away from the computer. The top cover comes in five colours, with seven logo inserts, three front panels in black or silver aluminium or wood, an optional brass or stainless strip, five LED colours and five engraving colours. Owners receive four free software updates, round-the-clock support, remote assistance and membership of the LDMS Family Club.

Pairing

The AES/EBU, BNC and USB outputs connect to any DAC with those inputs, and the LAN port links the server to a network streamer or Roon endpoint.

Alternatives

The Lucas Audio Labs MiniMax is the lower server in the range, with storage up to 8 TB.