2. digital
  3. 141712-17758

How much would I lose going to a Bluesound Node 2i

I'm considering going a much simpler route for digital. I play to a lot of vinyl on my Lenco TT and Era V phonostage, and so digital comprises 30-40% of what we typically listen to. My current setup is running Roon on a Synology NAS that connects wirelessly to an Auralic Aries LE, then connected to connected to my Metrum Octave DAC via Curious USB Cable and Audiophillio 2. That's a lot of links in the chain, thus the desire to simplify with a single box solution if I can.

I have really enjoyed what I've heard from MQA so far, even though I'm not getting all the goodness yet. My Aries will decode MQA but my Metrum Octave does not support MQA, so I'm not getting the full monty. I am using ROON DSP to convert streams to 96kHz and 176kHz when possible. 192kHz is not supported on the Octave.
It's my understanding that the Bluesound will provide Full Decoder support for MQA and that the internal DAC punches well above its weight, especially compared to the Node 2. So my question is whether I should expect MQA to sound better on the Bluesound than it does on my current setup, and how much Redbook will sound degraded, if at all.

I'm tempted to buy a Node 2i to compare for myself but before I do, I thought I would garner some opinions here.
Thanks!
smccull
andynotadam's avatar
andynotadam
169 posts
 
I'm running Tidal and an SSD with AIFF files into a Node 2 and then into a Mytek DAC+ via spdif and, as decent as the Node 2's DAC is, going through the Mytek's DAC sounds way better, especially on MQA files.

Used in this configuration, it pretty much competes toe to toe with my loaded Bryston BDP-2 streamer. Also, the Node2's iPad interface is so much simpler and easier to navigate than the Bryston.

Have at it...
mahler123
3,353 posts
 
Andynotadam 
  I’m curious about your statement about the Nod2 iPad interface being simpler and easier to navigate than the Bryston BDP2.  I am currently having some problems with my Bluesound (detailed in another thread) and have been looking at the Bryston BDP 3 as a replacement.  Besides the price of the Bryston, my other cause for hesitation has been the Bryston app, which I don’t know much about.  Are you using their Manic Moose software?  Can you elaborate on the difference with the Bluesound app?
uberwaltz's avatar
uberwaltz
13,381 posts
 
Andy.
Your findings pretty much mirror my own.I am pushing Tidal MQA through my Vault by spdif into Mytel Brooklyn and it is sublime, much more detailed and spacious than the Vault DAC brings to the party.
However the latest 2i versions are supposed to have better DAC than their 2 forbears so that I cannot attest too.
I would say right now the Vault 2 into Brooklyn via spdif is at least as good if not better than my Aries Mini into BrooklyN via USB.
2psyop's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
2psyop
1,590 posts
 
I would say that the Bluesound Vault and Node products are like the Magnepan MMG speakers. Very good sounding budget audio products.
andynotadam's avatar
andynotadam
169 posts
 
mahler123 

What I like about the Bluesound app is that you can easily navigate between your library of ripped files and Tidal (and whatever other streaming resources you might use). It's automatically grabs the album artwork. The Node 2 automatically finds the library attached to the Bryston but not vice versa. 

99% of the time I use the MPDlluxe app instead of Manic Moose to navigate my library. The Bryston does not automatically find the album artwork despite my using the AIFF file format which includes metadata in the wrapper. Your technical abilities likely exceed mine so you might find Manic Moose easier to navigate than I do.

I will say that Bryston's customer service is exemplary. When I was having problems with my BOT-1 CD drive, I was transferred to one of the company principals on his home phone and he was able to diagnose the problem remotely and then talk me through the hardware fix at his family dinnertime.
More to discover