Usability Issues with Tidal

@wakethetown, I am not familiar with the Cambridge Audio CXN DAC.   I suggest you go to the digital forum of Audiogon and search for DAC's.  Schitt makes several lDAC's at various prices points.  See:
http://www.schiit.com/home

You need to determine your price range and then research DAC's in your price range.   It is my opinion that spending a little extra for a high quality DAC is worth the money for improved sound quality but you need to make that decision.  I suggest you not rush a decision, and audition some DAC's in your price range.  

I agree that hardwiring is a pain, and expensive, but it is worth every penny.  I hired my audio retailer to help me install an under my house Ethernet cable.  We ran a cable to my family room where I already had a cable connection.  We installed the Luxul XGS-1008 switch box and plugged the new cable into the Luxul.  It works perfectly.

@wakethetown, The Ayre Codex DA is excellent and, yes, I own one.

https://www.ayre.com/codex.htm

"I am using wi-if rather than Ethernet, and I wonder if that is affecting the sound quality"

This is 100% why your are not happy, try plugging it in using Ethernet :-)

If you want the best performance from streaming Tidal you must use a wired connection.


Matt M

wakethetown, The Node 2 is a $500 streamer and DAC. It will give you good but not great sound. You will probably be able to distinguish some but not all MQA albums with it. It’s not one of the "giant killers" we hear about from time to time.

If the rest of your system is fair to average, a better streamer/DAC will give you a little better sound but will not transform your system. Before you spend any more money, you might want to hang on to the Node 2 and enjoy the wide variety of music it gives you access to while you do some research.

We might be able to help you more if you tell us what your system consists of and what you would like to hear in an upgrade.

Thanks for the great feedback. I jury-rigged an Ethernet connection between my router and Node 2 using an old Netgear switch as a link between two cables so I would have enough length (over 25 feet). I immediately noticed a difference.

To confirm what I was hearing I invited my wife and daughter to conduct an A/B/C test to see which one they preferred. I played an MQA track from Tidal. A was wireless streaming, B was CD, and C was Ethernet wired Tidal. They preferred C, the hard wired connection to the Node 2. I was still leaning toward the CD (option B), but my wife, a trained musician, and my daughter also a musician with very keen hearing, pointed out that there was more detail and resonance with the Node 2 compared to the CD player. Their least favorite was the wireless connection, which confirms my initial reaction.

We ran the test two more times. For the second and third tests I eliminated the wireless option for convenience. I tested two tracks from Tidal that were non-master quality (e.g. CD quality). For the second test, an Adele song, both my wife and daughter preferred the CD player. Interestingly, for the third test, a Gregory Porter song, both my wife and daughter overall preferred the Node 2--although certain passages had more attack and decay with the CD player. There is no doubt, however, that they sound different.

My working hypothesis is that the MQA tracks really make a difference--and are better than CD quality as advertised--providing the Node 2 is hard wired.

Regarding my gear and my set-up. I’ve just purchased some new components after living with my current system for nearly 20 years. In my teens I was quite the audiophile: my first speakers were stand-mounted Spendors :) After finishing my education, broke as I was, I bought an affordable kit based on recommendations of a now defunct hi-fi magazine called $ensible $ound. I bought PSB Alphas, an NAD intergated amp, and a Marantz CD changer.

My current set-up is PS Audio BHK 250 amp and Signature preamp, Focal Sopra 1s, and an aging Oppo 83, Canare balanced interconnects. They sound great and I’m really happy with this foundation for my system.

In terms of my goals for streaming digital music, I’m not really educated about what is possible. I was able to hear an A/B test between a Sonos and an Arcam rPlay and I could immediately hear a big difference. I decided to buy the Node 2 because I read it was a step up from these units without a major price jump. I was focused on wireless capabilities because I didn’t realize it would compromise the SQ so much. I am open to exploring what would happen at the $1000-1500 price point. I read rave reviews of the PS Audio DirectStream but I’m not ready for that level of investment after just purchasing new amps and speakers.