How many of you believe in MQA?

Larry,

The DAC in the Bluesound is really good.  Try it first and see how you like it.  The Bluesound has everything you need to control it remotely, you just need to download an app for whatever device (phone, tablet, PC, laptop, iPad, etc.) you prefer to use.

I have both of my Node 2's connected to external DACs and there is an improvement in sound quality, but it's not a dramatic one.  In my main system I am using an Auralic Vega DAC.  In my bedroom system, I'm using a Mytek Liberty DAC.  The Vega doesn't do MQA and that doesn't matter to me.  The Liberty does do MQA and it sounds nice, but it's not as "natural" sounding as the Vega.  The Liberty retails for $1K and the Vega when it was new retailed for $3,500.  I think both improve the sound quality of the Node 2, but it's not as dramatic of an improvement as you might get with room treatment, better speakers, a preamp upgrade, etc.

I have no experience with the Bel Canto unit you mentioned, so won't comment.

My advice is to listen to the Node 2 for a while and see how you like it.  If you're happy with it, you're all set.  If you'd like to hear better sound quality, consider the MHDT Orchid DAC.  It's well under your budget and will bring a more "analog" like sound to your system and will retrieve more detail than the Bluesound's DAC.  It won't do MQA, but I doubt you'll care. 

I don't have a recommendation for a DAC that will do MQA, the Liberty is the only one I've tried and I think there are better sounding DACs even if they don't do MQA.

The Node 2i supposedly sounds quite a bit better than the original Node 2.

Larry, did you connect the Bluesound to your system yourself?

The bluesound node is a dac / streamer...  what were you using previously as your dac and have you a/b compared the two dacs (node / previously used dac).

Do you know how to a/b compare the two dacs?  If not, maybe we could help.  What is lacking in the bluesound dac?  What is lacking in the streamer?  

Its really odd that you bought a new streamer / dac and then right away ask about what kind of dac and streamer you should connect to your new dac and streamer...?

Again, when you were sold the Bluesound, what did he say it was?

Just a bit of clarification.  Larry, your Node 2i outputs Tidal/MQA by analog RCA, with the quality limitations discussed above, and by SPDIF Coaxial, but very few DACs decode MQA signals coming in that way.  The Mytek Liberty and Brooklyn DACs do, but the Pro-Ject PreBox S2 Digital does not...its MQA decoding is limited to the USB input.  With this item you do have to use a computer to stream your music...not an app on your tablet or smartphone.  But for that I'd have bought one of these myself! 
On the OP's main question, using my Tidal account and Node 2i, I find some Master files sound distictly better than regular CD quality files on Tidal...enough so to justify having the option, IMO, but some do not and in fact sound worse.  I suspect this has all to do with the integrity of the source file and less to do with the MQA process.
On balance, a desireable option, not a panacea.

I am currently looking into the Teac NT-505 as a better solution, but I am wary of the app used to control it.  I like Roon, but that's another expense.  As a Prime member I want to know if the NT-505 will be able to stream from Amazon Music.  Anyone know?

Teac nt-505 can be controlled by LUMIN app (recommended). That app is pretty good

I added a Pro-Ject S2 DAC to my Bluesound Node 2i yesterday and I am not sure I like the new sound.  I seems to sound brighter and produces more bass.  I think the bass is more punchy and the highs are brighter.  To me, it sounds harsher, unless I am hearing some of the detail I have not been hearing for the past 3 1/2 years.  I thought the Bluesound connected RCA (analogue) to my ARCAM sounded really good.  I think it might have sounded less harsh.

According to the Pro-Ject specifications, it says it can do MQA.  So, if that is the case, why did the dealer tell me when I connect the Bluesound digital coax to the Pro-Ject DAC and then RCA's to the back of my ARCAM I will not be hearing the complete unfold of MQA.  If that is the case, I will then hear one unfold and the highest resolution I will hear then will be 24 bit/88.2 kHz.  Why if the Pro-Ject is rated as MQA certified wouldn't MQA be passed through completely unfolded to my ARCAM.  This sure is confusing for someone like myself who is new to this hobby.  Maybe someone could explain this to me so I can understand.  So far, no one has been able to do so.

With Amazon Music Unlimited HD launching 2 days ago, I thought I would try adding a DAC so I could hear more songs 24/192, as it appears they offer more 24 bit albums than what TIDAL is offering.  For example, a Herbie Hancock album offered by TIDAL offers this album in CD quality (16/44.1) and the same album offered by Amazon Music is in 24/192.  If this is the case, why then be concerned with MQA?  What is the difference between listening to a FLAC recording done in 24/192 and the same recording done in MQA 24/192?  What would MQA do to that same recording to make it sound different?