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Bluesound Node 2

I'm a complete newbie in the digital space, not counting CD players of course. I'm also on a path to upgrade my system from other various angles, mostly preamp and speakers. All that said, I'm currently using a Bluesound Node 2 with a hifi Tidal subscription. No computer files or hardwired USB connections. My first question is where does Bluesound fit in the digital wireless streaming quality hierarchy. And a related question is what would be a good upgrade path, again assuming only wireless streaming as the source. I see a lot of high end DACs out there, some several thousand dollars and wonder if those are only used for connection to a laptop and running computer hirez files, etc. Not a whole lot about wireless streaming. All in all, some guidance in the digital wireless streaming space would be appreciated. Thanks.
128x128kalali
kalali's avatar
kalali OP
1,977 posts
 
Thanks. I actually don't have much of a need to store my existing CDs in a separate storage device mainly because I can listen to almost all of those CDs using Tidal. At this time, I'm primarily looking to upgrade to another device that can play the Tidal-sourced content with higher quality audio. Of course it also needs to provide a simple user interface - similar to the Bluesound app, to access Tidal selections, etc.  Unless I'm missing the details, the majority of the high end outboard DACs or even the high end preamps with a built-in DAC only seem to support hardwire/USB connectivity for content retrieval.
mofimadness's avatar
mofimadness
4,943 posts
 
@mahler123, @kalali...sorry to hijack this thread, but I have a quick question.

On the Bluesound Node 2 using Tidal, does the Artists folder, list your saved (favorite) Artists in alphabetical order?
mahler123
3,109 posts
 

OP--it sounds like you just need a better dac.  The DAC in the Node is good, better than the dacs in the receiver that mine is hooked up with, but the Node 2 costs around $500, and that doesn't leave much in the budget for a high quality dac.

From the first post you appear to be a newbie, so if you don't understand what I am talking about, don't be afraid to say s  

  However, one cause for pause...Tidal is supposedly going to add a lot of MQA content, and Blue sound dacs are MQA compatible.  If that is important to you, then you might want to use the Bluesound Dac.  My suggestion would be to upgrade to a better DAC now, and if MQA ever actually hits the market place, you can always switch on your preamp between the two dacs .

  Again, if you are trying to figure out what I've just written...don't be afraid to ask.


mofi--regrettably the answer to your question is no, the favorites section tends to be helter skelter.  However, blusound itself keeps alist of Artists

in alphabetical order.  I listen primarily to classical music so the bluesound organization scheme winds up being haphazard, but it probably works well for non classical

jond's avatar
jond
5,705 posts
 
I would agree with mahler123 that an external DAC is the way to go. I use an Auralic Aries Mini which I suspect is pretty much on par with Bluesound quality wise and it benefits tremendously from running into my standalone DAC. Definitely check one out and if you have a budget and want specific recs let us know.
kalali's avatar
kalali OP
1,977 posts
 

Thank you guys again for your great input. I feel I'm really spoiled by the ease of using the Bluesound/Tidal combo to play any music I like, or don't like, from my mobile device. It has allowed me to explore the music genres that I never knew I liked this much. I have also used this opportunity to educate myself about various audio coding formats out there just to keep up with what some of you guys talk about. We have a brick and mortar hifi store nearby and I might stop by and see if they'd let me borrow one of their high quality DACs for a few days. This would at least help me decide where to focus for the best bang for the bucks upgrade path in my audio chain. Maybe after all, this piece is not the weakest link in the chain. My current set up is:

Bluesound Node 2 -> NAD C165BEE (MP input) -> McIntosh MC2200 -> ML Aerius I.

I also have a Vincent SP-331 amp being fed from the second preamp out port driving a pair of Definitive Technology BP20s in an adjacent room.

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