With the Bluesound Node 2i you are absolutley correct, you need to add an external DAC. I have a Node 2i paired with a Benchmark DAC 2 HGC and my dad has a Node 2i paired with a Mytek Liberty. Both are great options in my opinion and are often described as accurate and uncolored which I would agree with. So that may or may not be the sound profile you enjoy. Another interesting option that I have no actual experience with is the Topping D-90 which comes in an MQA variant, as well as a non MQA variant at a reduced cost. The Topping has good reviews but again I have no actual experience. All three DACs mentioned are obtainable for under $1000.
System- so many questions
I’m just trying to figure this streaming stuff figured out! I’ve searched these forums and they tend to just confuse me more it seems.
I’m looking for a “blueprint” for priority for improved streaming SQ to be upgraded over time.
At present I’m Only streaming directly from the services and NOT using any stored music on a hard drive etc. but I’m not adverse to that especially if it would benefit SQ.
My system-
Odyssey Audio Kismet amp
Supratek Chardonnay preamp
Bluesound Node 2i streamer/DAC
Ascend Sierra 2EX stand mount speakers (pair)
Audioquest Niagara 1200 conditioner / protector W/ Audioquest Monsoon power cable
Audioquest Edison 15 amp outlet (not yet installed)
Rel 5/SHO sub
mix of Cullen and Groneburg cablesArris Surfboard SB6183 modem
Netgear Nighthawk router ( not sure of the model but it was pretty decent about five years ago)
CAT 5e cable from router To Node
Cat 6 (I believe) from modem to router
I’m using Qobuz, Deezer hi-res and Radio Paradise streaming from within the Bluesound OS controlled by IPhone 11. I’m also quite intrigued by Roon and am thinking about getting into that as well.
I’m only concerned about 2.1 channel and i’m also not wanting to stream to other rooms etc.
I really do think that I have a pretty darn good setup especially for the money but I would like to wring all the SQ possible out of it.
Regarding money, please know that it has taken me quite a long while to get this system together and much of has been/ still is being financed. In other words, my funds are very limited and especially in these chaotic times.
Ok now down to brass tacks:
No strict budget because I’m looking to add things in the order of (hopefully) maybe a few hundred dollars at a time.
I would say that The Node 2i is the relatively weak link for me equipment wise and I am looking for suggestions as to a better DAC and/or streamer.
Some things are pretty obvious even to me such as upgrading my modem , router and Ethernet wires especially since they need to be upgraded anyway for gaming etc.
Qobuz is recommending UBiquiti products and they look pretty good and fairly reasonable to me.
The question from me though is exactly what to purchase and how to set it up? Would the addition of a laptop etc. be beneficial in terms of SQ and ease of use? I have two now but both are about 8 years old and were pretty low end even then. One has an older Windows OS on it ( which I hate) and the other has an older Linux Distro. I’m not very computer savvy and I suppose that all things being equal I would probably prefer something as simple as possible and not have to keep a laptop running constantly. Would a switch(?) such as Uptone EtherRegen be helpful and if so where would it go? Would an Ethernet cable(s) with built in filter be helpful?
Sorry for the novel here but the only way That I feel that I could ever understand the best approach is to just lay it all out and go from there.
Thanks!
I’m looking for a “blueprint” for priority for improved streaming SQ to be upgraded over time.
At present I’m Only streaming directly from the services and NOT using any stored music on a hard drive etc. but I’m not adverse to that especially if it would benefit SQ.
My system-
Odyssey Audio Kismet amp
Supratek Chardonnay preamp
Bluesound Node 2i streamer/DAC
Ascend Sierra 2EX stand mount speakers (pair)
Audioquest Niagara 1200 conditioner / protector W/ Audioquest Monsoon power cable
Audioquest Edison 15 amp outlet (not yet installed)
Rel 5/SHO sub
mix of Cullen and Groneburg cablesArris Surfboard SB6183 modem
Netgear Nighthawk router ( not sure of the model but it was pretty decent about five years ago)
CAT 5e cable from router To Node
Cat 6 (I believe) from modem to router
I’m using Qobuz, Deezer hi-res and Radio Paradise streaming from within the Bluesound OS controlled by IPhone 11. I’m also quite intrigued by Roon and am thinking about getting into that as well.
I’m only concerned about 2.1 channel and i’m also not wanting to stream to other rooms etc.
I really do think that I have a pretty darn good setup especially for the money but I would like to wring all the SQ possible out of it.
Regarding money, please know that it has taken me quite a long while to get this system together and much of has been/ still is being financed. In other words, my funds are very limited and especially in these chaotic times.
Ok now down to brass tacks:
No strict budget because I’m looking to add things in the order of (hopefully) maybe a few hundred dollars at a time.
I would say that The Node 2i is the relatively weak link for me equipment wise and I am looking for suggestions as to a better DAC and/or streamer.
Some things are pretty obvious even to me such as upgrading my modem , router and Ethernet wires especially since they need to be upgraded anyway for gaming etc.
Qobuz is recommending UBiquiti products and they look pretty good and fairly reasonable to me.
The question from me though is exactly what to purchase and how to set it up? Would the addition of a laptop etc. be beneficial in terms of SQ and ease of use? I have two now but both are about 8 years old and were pretty low end even then. One has an older Windows OS on it ( which I hate) and the other has an older Linux Distro. I’m not very computer savvy and I suppose that all things being equal I would probably prefer something as simple as possible and not have to keep a laptop running constantly. Would a switch(?) such as Uptone EtherRegen be helpful and if so where would it go? Would an Ethernet cable(s) with built in filter be helpful?
Sorry for the novel here but the only way That I feel that I could ever understand the best approach is to just lay it all out and go from there.
Thanks!
13 responses Add your response
Agree the next step is upgrading your DAC. I have a Node 2 and it has 2 digital outputs, coax and optical. If you get a new DAC, you just run a digital interconnect (coax or optical) from the digital out on the Node 2i to the digital in on your new DAC. The DAC analog outs go to your preamp. You don’t want to put a laptop in the chain. There have been many threads on streaming lately. You should be able to get plenty of ideas for a DAC from them. If you do a forum search for "Streamer" or "Streaming" and, "Sort by date" and "Search titles only", You will find many recent threads on this topic. |
Agree with all the points made in the posts above. The DAC in the Node 2i is the weak link in your system. So definitely start there. Having said that, the Node 2i even as a standalone streamer is still going to be the weak link. I recently replaced my Node 2i with a Sonore opticalRendu which made a significant difference in SQ. If you buy it from SmallGreenComputers, they sell it as a bundle that contains everything including the opticalRendu, power supply, fiber optic cable, as well as a media converter to convert ethernet to fiber optic. |
Some options you could consider near term that could help squeeze more out of your digital front end: 1- Replace the switch mode power supplies on your cable modem and Netgear router. I recommend the Sbooster LPS ($400), but you could try less expensive ones. Many people have purchased LPS's on Ebay for much much less that they are happy with. 2 - Aris Modem to Netgear Router ethernet cable: Check out Blue Jeans cable Cat6a. A quality, affordable, shielded ethernet cable. They will send the cable with a test report. ($14/foot) 3 - Netgear to Node 2i cable: Look out some of the affordable audio grade ethernet cables, like the Pangea SE sold by Audio Advisor ($35). 4 - Upgrade power cable on Node 2i. Audioquest makes a C7 power cord for $75. I agree with everyone above: time for an external DAC - which is a journey in itself. But, in my opinion, it's a good idea to get the above network plumbing done - regardless if it's before or after you get a new dac. Once you get an external dac, you can look into ethernet filtering (Etherregen, Gigafoil, fiber converters, etc) and/or upgrade your node2i to something else (or have it modded). At least, that's the approach i would take - many ways you could go depending on available funds. Good luck! |
One possible “hiccup” regarding upgrading my modem/router is that fiber optic is not available to me at the moment but I do expect it reasonably soon. Even then, I’m not sure which companies will be providing it. Maybe this is an issue, or maybe not and perhaps I’m just overthinking things. While searching through posts on streaming it seems that Chord, Benchmark, Mytek ,RME and others were well represented. I had kind of more or less talked myself into keeping to an R2R DAC but now I’m thinking that one of those might POSSIBLY be too smooth with too little detail? In my system with a SS amp and tube preamp, my overall goal is to try to get as much detail possible without any glare or fatigue. Perhaps that’s just everyone’s goal too but I’m Definitely actively working toward that goal. |
A few other thoughts: Is there a way to implement ROON into my system at reasonable cost and complexity that doesn’t introduce more noise pollution? Modding the Node 2i is an interesting idea but it seems that from the (admittedly) little research that I’ve done , the upgrades actually cost MORE than the unit does itself. I really wish that the BluOS could at the very least have the same functionality as the standalone Qobuz app-hence the interest in ROON. I seem to be somewhat rambling here .. sorry. |
While searching through posts on streaming it seems that Chord, Benchmark, Mytek ,RME and others were well represented. I had kind of more or less talked myself into keeping to an R2R DAC Some people swear by R2R DACS other people like sigma delta DACs. I think there are good DACs in either camp, so I wouldn’t rule out either. There are just so many options in high-end audio now and so many conflicting opinions on those options that it gets very confusing. BluOs is a pretty good UI so I would stick with the Node 2i for now and get a DAC. Then you can decide what you want to upgrade next, maybe a better streamer. You can always upgrade any part of your system. The sky’s the limit. So just take your time and do it systematically and try to get a solid upgrade each time, not a sideways move. |
Is there a way to implement ROON into my system at reasonable cost and complexity that doesn’t introduce more noise pollution? Yes there is, but I don’t know what it is. The answer may be in one of the recent Roon or streaming threads. If not, just start a new thread with that question and I’m sure you’ll get opinions on that. I'll guess that the answer would suggest that you separate the streamer and DAC functions in your system. |
My two cents is that Roon is a music management system. I gave it a one month trial and it had zero impact on the sound quality of my system. The reason you'd want it is that it makes it easier to find the music you want to listen to, with added info presented, such as artist bios, lyrics, additional pictures and the like. (Roon does offer a room correction option, aka equalization, but that's another issue.) |