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Blue sound Node 2 vs Lumin D1

I am looking for a streamer with a built in DAC.  I have backed off my original plan to purchase the Aurender A10 and am looking for a less expensive option.  The Bluesound and Lumin players do essentially the same thing  BTW, my immediate interest is streaming Tidal, so MQA is a possible plus for both players.  The obvious difference between $500 for the Node 2 and $2000 for the Lumin distinguishes the two players.  Does that price difference translate to a significant difference in performance/sound quality? Both are within my budget but I would rather not spend the additional $1500 unless the improvement is fairly dramatic.  I would really like to hear from anyone who has had both players in their system and have had an opportunity to compare them.
randyhat
gdnrbob
4,458 posts
 
I own the Bluesound Node (1), and output to my Schiit Gungnir or Ayre Codex.
I am essentially using the Bluesound for its' wireless connectivity and I have to say it works like a charm.
The Node 2 is a better unit-DACwise. 
I would recommend you try the Bluesound. You can find them on Ebay pretty cheap if you can wait. And, like I mentioned, you can buy a really good DAC and get unimpeachable sound as well as great wireless connectivity.
I have moved to digital streaming almost completely. It is unbelievable to have an almost unlimited library of music at high quality for a $10-20 per month. Though many love Tidal, I think the Spotify premium subscription is good enough.
B
glennewdick's avatar
glennewdick
1,717 posts
 

 Have you thought of one of the micro computers with a digital out and a good DAC. most can be set up to display on a tablet or phone or you could output the video to a small tv or monitor(touch screen is ultimate). I use an Asus Vivo mini pc it outputs optical as well as USB and HDMI. I run the Tidal ap and display it on my TV that is in the same room but I have tried it with a tablet and it works great. I output the digital to my MSB DAC to great effect. This also gives me the flexibility to use any other streaming service that's available on the internet also YouTube etc. Not to mention all the benefits of a small form computer. I payed around $300 for the Vivo and it also had 500gb hard drive built in and can also run a NAS so lots of options. I run mine wirelessly but you can hard wire it to the internet as well.

I use one like this one


https://www.asus.com/us/Mini-PCs/VivoPC_VM42/


jond's avatar
jond
5,886 posts
 
I use a device that's comparable to the Bluesound Node, an Auralic Aries Mini and like it very much paired with an AN Dac. Someone strongly recommended Lumin to me and I was intrigued by the Lumin D1 myself. However it was a non-starter for me when researching that it's not totally wireless. The Bluesound Node and Auralic products all are but the Lumin requires a hardwired ethernet connection to your modem. Not sure if that makes a difference to you or not, also whatever you end up doing I highly recommend getting a good outboard Dac.
2psyop's avatar
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2psyop
1,634 posts
 
If you plan on having access to your own digital database of music you should know that the Bluesound Node 2 has it’s own tagging system for playback and album art. For instance, I own a Bluesound Node 2 and I wanted to be able to play a very large collection (around 14K) of songs that were ripped from CDs and bought from Itunes. This was a library created by Itunes. Although the Bluesound Node two found the music, I had to redo many, many folders and tags for the BluOS (software) to find and play those files.

On the positive side, the customer support I had received from Bluesound was awesome. They helped me with the folders and retagging. You can see more details here http://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/bluesound-node-2-and-great-customer-service

Overall, I am very pleased with the Node 2, it is an outstanding product that is very flexible.
willgolf
939 posts
 
I know the Lumin A-1 is a little higher in price but I can say that I absolutely love the music that comes out of it.  
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