node 2i is an excellent unit - does a lot for the modest cost, does it quite well
- terrific user interface (yes roon is better but you pay yet more $ on top of streaming service cost... how much do you value metadata and integration of stored music vs streamed??)
- roon and mqa capable
- very capable pretty jitter free, nice sounding bitstream to feed outboard dacs
- nice form factor, well built
- can be one box streamer and dac for those not too picky on analog out sound quality
- can do multipoint/multiroom with ease within its well designed ecosystem
that being said, know the limitations:
- onboard dac is obvious weak point - smoothed over, lazy sound, tuned to be innocuous, sacrifices overall clarity transient response PRAT
- no usb digital output to drive some DACs which perform best using usb input
- gives a false sense of mqa SQ due to poor onboard dac - much better used for first unfold, let you outboard dac (or roon) do the rest
i have tested the node 2i bitstream SQ against more expensive streamers from innuos, brooklyn, lumin - sq depends greatly on receiving DAC... deltas are modest/marginal at best, and other streamers have their issues with convenience, sq, and user interface as well
- terrific user interface (yes roon is better but you pay yet more $ on top of streaming service cost... how much do you value metadata and integration of stored music vs streamed??)
- roon and mqa capable
- very capable pretty jitter free, nice sounding bitstream to feed outboard dacs
- nice form factor, well built
- can be one box streamer and dac for those not too picky on analog out sound quality
- can do multipoint/multiroom with ease within its well designed ecosystem
that being said, know the limitations:
- onboard dac is obvious weak point - smoothed over, lazy sound, tuned to be innocuous, sacrifices overall clarity transient response PRAT
- no usb digital output to drive some DACs which perform best using usb input
- gives a false sense of mqa SQ due to poor onboard dac - much better used for first unfold, let you outboard dac (or roon) do the rest
i have tested the node 2i bitstream SQ against more expensive streamers from innuos, brooklyn, lumin - sq depends greatly on receiving DAC... deltas are modest/marginal at best, and other streamers have their issues with convenience, sq, and user interface as well