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Only $800 to work with streamer/power for 3rd system

I am looking for a preferably one-box or potentially two-box solution that will provide the best sound quality to stream Tidal (ethernet or wireless can work) including MQA and power my existing passive speakers (plus powered sub).  This will be for my office system at work, where I have a solo office in a large building full of other tenants.  So no loud playing most of the time but want good quality, per limited budget.

Speakers will be NHT C1 bookshelf pair with Sunfire SDS8 mini sub.  These are already in house.  Hope to keep the streamer/power solution to $800 total, given the modest speakers.

Other considerations:  Really want 32-bit DAC and MQA capability.  Don't need much power.  Don't need storage or ability to control storage - just Tidal streaming, but want Tidal support natively built-in.  Don't want to use my phone or computer because already using them at work - want the streamer/power solution to handle.  On second thought I guess control app from phone is okay, just don't want to be bluetooth streaming from phone or computer.  Would prefer new, not used, but factory refurbished is okay with warranty.  Won't use other sources, just Tidal.  Don't want multi-channel AVR, only need stereo.

The two options I'm most focused on are Bluesound Powernode 2 or 2i, and the Integra DTM-7 stereo receiver, each of which are single-box solutions.  Other options could be PS Audio Sprout 100 integrated for $600 (or NAD, Marantz, other integrated similar cost?) with a separate streamer, but I'm not aware of a separate streamer for $200 that has a 32-bit DAC and handles MQA.  Yamaha WXAD-10 seemed close but best I can tell (not real clear) I think it has 24 bit DAC and anyway it'd push total closer to $1000 with Sprout.

I am familiar with the Integra DTM-7, as I have the DTM-7 as the HT hub of my current bedroom system, and with its HDMI/Dolby Vision/HDR support it is killer in that role for $650 for a 2-ch setup.  But for Tidal music the sound through the NHT C1's was a little bright and after couple hours slightly fatiguing for me, although doable if that's what I go with for 3rd system (I'd get another DTM-7 for office if that is way I go).  I've since upgraded my 2nd system speakers to Spendor SA1 and they sound great powered by the Integra in system 2, better combination - no more brightness/fatigue.

But now with the NHT C1 speakers freed up for system 3, I'm wondering if I can do better than the Integra for a music-only application for my office.  Has anyone compared sound quality of Bluesound Powernode 2 (or 2i) with the Integra?  Does Bluesound have a warmer sound?  FWIW I know the Integra is class A/B, and I think Bluesound is class D.  Oddly, I think Powernode 2 and 2i share same amplifier and DAC (but 2i includes some new features that I probably wouldn't use - Airplay, etc.), yet What Hifi review claims sound much improved with 2i.  Powersound 2 is $600 now, while 2i is $800.

Or am I overlooking a better solution?  Thank you
kren0006
kren0006 OP
1,859 posts
 
Well, I now have two days of lots of listening and not enough working with the Powernode 2. I think it’s getting better with run-in. Probably 10 hours now. I find its sound to be warmer and better match for my NHT C-1’s than was my Integra DTM-7 at home. But I still find that the DTM-7 could produce a meatier, fuller-bodied sound, able to dig a little deeper, at least so far; hopefully with more break-in the Powernode 2 will keep improving. All that said, I prefer the Powernode 2 pairing with the NHT C-1’s versus the Integra DTM-7 with the C-1’s (the Integra was just too bright, I felt, for these speakers), so in that sense I made the right choice, given these speakers.

But the Integra DTM-7 with my Spendor SA1’s at home beats this work combo, but that’s likely because the SA1’s are about 4x the price of the C-1’s (even as Powernode 2 couple hundred $ more than the Integra), and my already known-to-me personal preference for Spendor generally over almost any other speaker brand available under $10k, at least as far as the couple dozen speakers that I tested when I went through extensive auditioning for main rig within last year.

What I really need to do is sneak the SA1’s into work to test with the Powernode 2 to gauge the Powernode 2’s capability, but that would attract too much attention at home. I’m trying to keep this workplace update under the radar, if you know what I mean ...

So, for those keeping score, I rank my second and third systems and combinations to extent I’ve heard them at this point:

1. Integra DTM-7 with Spendor SA1.
2. Powernode 2 with NHT C-1.
3. Integra DTM-7 with NHT C-1.
kren0006 OP
1,859 posts
 
I have now migrated the Sunfire SDS-8 subwoofer into the system to go with the Bluesound Powernode 2 and the NHT C-1 bookshelfs.  

The subwoofer is helping the sound quality for sure, and I think it'll remain here, leaving sys 2 without a sub for now because I spend so much more time with this system than with Sys 2.  I find the Bluesound's inability to set sub cutoff frequency odd (fixed at 80 Hz), but at least with the NHT's rated to 70 Hz that is a good enough frequency match for now anyway.  However, I had eventually planned to get some better bookshelves (e.g., Dynaudio X14 or Monitor Audio Silver or Gold or Kef LS50 or ???) and that feature might eventually prove to be quite limiting.

I suppose that I can now, after 2 months or so, hear the slightest bit of improved sound quality streaming Tidal when the Powernode decodes Tidal Masters MQA tracks versus normal Tidal.  For the longest time I could not.  But to be sure, it is a minimal bump in quality, which I lay more at the feet of the system components limitations than on Tidal or MQA, because in my reference system at home I hear massive sound quality differences between Tidal Masters MQA and normal Tidal.

So two months in I'm liking the setup okay.  Not blown away by the quality for sure, but the interface is handy on ipad and sound quality beats the near-field desktop pc setup I had been running by a wide margin. (M-Audio actives, now used just for computer stuff).

On the positive side, I can listen to music for 8 hrs straight here without listener fatigue, which was not the case when I had the NHT's paired with Integra at home, so Powernode has that going for it (albeit at lower volumes here obviously in a work environment with neighbor tenants).  And on a further positive note none of the neighbors have come knocking on my door.

My next upgrade will probably eventually be an upgraded set of bookshelf speakers within 18 months.
kren0006 OP
1,859 posts
 
So I’m in the office today on a Saturday and cranking (relatively speaking) this Bluesound Powernode 2 / NHT C-1 / Sunfire SDS8 system up to volumes that would not be permissible in this shared office building on a weekday during the work week, and ...... it sounds so much better when allowed to stretch its legs!

Granted I’m only pushing it into the mid-60 db range from my listening location, but that is still a volume that would cause neighbors to knock or pound during the week.

I’ll admit I’ve been a bit underwhelmed by the setup since I got it, but perhaps I’m spoiled by my systems at home and was expecting too much. But today as I sit here and listen to Tidal streaming through the Powernode 2 with the volume up a bit, it is REALLY satisfying!!!  The NHT C1's singing nicely, with the Sunfire ably filling in the bottom end.  I wonder whether it is the Powernode or the NHT's that require the higher output level to come on song??  Oh well, gotta schedule more weekend time here I guess.....

All in all, I think I have a keeper system here for roughly $1200 cost, retail around $1900, all new. If I ever decide to upgrade the bookshelf speakers (Dynaudio?, Kef?, Monitor Audio?, Linn?) I’ll update ...
kren0006 OP
1,859 posts
 
So big changes are afoot for this office system.

I need to be honest, and admit that I just wasn’t getting the sound quality that I was hoping for.

With that in mind,

The NHT C1’s will be moving to surround speaker duty in my main home theater rig, displacing some Paradigm micro’s, which will become spare speakers for swap in duty wherever needed.

The Powernode 2 is moving on to become the powerplant/source in what will be a new system for me, system 4: The portable system!! I see this as being used for impromptu setups in the garage when I’m working there, or when I travel with family on car trips as hotel room setup, or things like that. Speakers for this portable system will be NHT Absolute Zero bookshelfs.

So what is coming in to Office System 3? Well, what had been the primary speakers in my Bedroom music system 2: Spendor SA1 bookshelfs! These will be huge upgrade over the NHT C1’s. I hope they will give me what I need in the office. I’ll be keeping the Sunfire 8" sub with this setup.

As for amplification, I started another thread to explore that, but the current pre-race leader is marantz pm7000n all-in-one integrated/streamer/dac. AK4490 dac chips and lots of advanced marantz sound quality features, for $1k seems like a real bargain and major step-up over Powernode 2. Looking forward to getting back to Class AB sound.

That’s if I don’t go instead with Hegel H90, also under consideration. It’s 1k more expensive though and I’m not sure about the stream interface -- need to investigate these two options more.

Anyway, It’ll be awhile tile I get the marantz or hegel, but I should have the Spendor SA1’s migrated to Sys 3 in a week or so, and can do some head-to-heads vs C-1’s with the Powernode 2.

I’m also going to try bumping up from AmazonBasics speaker cable to some Signal Magic speaker cables and subwoofer cable, and Pangea power cords, so we’ll see how that impacts things as well.

One thing that has crossed my mind is that maybe I’ll never be truly happy with the sound of any speakers that are not floorstanders and can present a "bigger" sound (reason I'll be going to floorstanders in Sys 2), even though I’m using a subwoofer with bookshelves. The Spendor SA1’s will help me decide that, I guess, and it’s a moot point anyway because my office really can’t support floorstanders space-wise, so I’ll have to make the best of it.
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