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Is anyone doing this with a Bluesound Node 2 or other streaming component?

I have a Bluesound Node 2 that I have been using as a streaming device for Tidal music files, Spotify music files and my own digital music files on a WD MyCloud device. The Bluesound Node 2 has been fed into a Benchmark USB/DAC1 as an external DAC running to a Parasound preamp and Amp. I wanted to know how good the Node 2 (internal DAC) was....so... I ran the Node directly into my Parasound A21. Essentially I am using the Node 2 as both preamp and DAC. It sounds really fantastic. I did this with the Benchmark with good results long ago. Does anyone else do this with a Bluesound device or other streamer? What is the downside, despite the obvious lack of preamp functions (switching sources, volume pot, etc).....
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uberwaltz's avatar
uberwaltz
13,381 posts
 
They must have improved the dac in the node 2 compared to the vault 2 which I own.
The dac in my vault 2 is considerably inferior in SQ compared to running it via spdif to my Mytek Brooklyn DAC.

Apart from that the vault 2 is STILL the best bang for the buck piece of equipment in my entire systems.

Gosta.

Owned the vault 2 for near 2 years and still have no desire to upgrade . have approx 2500 CD ripped in it as wav files although I mostly use it to stream tidal.
One point with the vault 2 is that it accepts wired Ethernet connection only.
kalali's avatar
kalali
1,977 posts
 
Depending on the rest of the system, you’ll need to try a fairly high end external DAC to hear a jump in SQ. I borrowed a friend’s Mytek Manhattan over a weekend and the improvement was significant. I also tried Border Patrol SE DAC and Ayre Codex on other occasions and they also sounded much better than the Node2 analog connection. It really depends on the resolution of the rest of your system and what type of sound you enjoy.
yashu
196 posts
 
I have run my beloved Node 2 directly through my integrated amp using rca connectors and it sounds quite good on Tidal. But when I run it through my AR DAC the sound quality is much much better.  Way more detail, resolution, and an expansive soundstage.

I have also compared SQ on Tidal through my Oppo 105.  The Oppo is far superior to the Node2.  Not as good as the Node running through the AR DAC, but close, and again much better than the node going directly to the amp.......
mr_m
1,900 posts
 
I too, have the Node 2 running thru a Ayre Codex Dac in balanced mode, and feel it is much superior to the Node's internal Dac. I still think the Node's internal dac is good though.
gosta's avatar
gosta
839 posts
 
Interesting. My hearing stops at 14 khz and unfortunately I seem not being able to register a difference in SQ above cd-quality level (or actually less). But I will try again to A/B-test the analog signal from a bluesound directly to the amp with the digital signal from the same bluesound passing a HQ dac, at exatly the same level (not easy) and with not more than one second changing time.
Maybe the problem is that I only use the standard free ethernet cable from the router to the bluesound? And the router receives the signal through 4G.


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