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Node 2i to U1 Mini with Yggdrasil?

Wondering if anyone has gone from a Bluesound Node 2i to the Lumin U1 Mini with a Schitt Yggdrasil.

So far most of the accounts that I've read say that the U1 Mini is a bit better but not wow what a difference!  Being able to run AES/EBU would seem to be a possible advantage here.

Picked up a Teac NT-505 on a whim to try out while having a bit of extra free time on my hands and I'm not feeling the desire to get the Bluesound/Schitt combo going again right away at all.  The Teac has really good bottom end, tone is excellent regardless of how complex the music gets and separation and detail is really quite impressive.

That said, the Yggdrasil does have a particularly organic sound which I quite enjoy so I'm wondering if I should try out a better streamer before I think about possibly finding a new home for the Yggy.

If anyone has made this particular transition let me know what your thoughts are...
audiojedi
audiojedi OP
225 posts
 
Thanks I'm going to try running Roon through a laptop via USB into the Yggy after putting some more hours on the Teac and see what happens.

The NT-505 is a real sleeper I think - listening to Herbie Hancock The Prisoner right now in MQA via Roon and it's sounding very good indeed...
ddude003
161 posts
 
For a few hundred more than the Teac NT-505 you could get a Lumin D2... Although I for one do not like having a DAC in the same box as a streamer or Pre... And a U1 Mini is a nice bit of kit for a streamer... Once it runs in for a few hundred hours it will sound much better than that Node 2i... Feeding it clean power will make a big difference too...   By the way, I would not be using anything MQA to judge streamers or DACs...  MQA is a lossy format...  Small Signals be broken there...
jackd
1,074 posts
 
I own the NT-505 and have owned the Lumin D.  The Teac is the better sounding unit and far more flexible while using the exact same app.  I don't have any doubt the U1 Mini will be an improvement over the Node regardless of the output used.  Had Auralic not discontinued the Aries Mini then maybe Bluesound would have actually have made some improvements to the Node over the last five years other than changing the WiFi receiver.  With no one else in that price range they have just stood pat. The Teac will improve with some time on it. 
badger_erich's avatar
badger_erich
130 posts
 
I ordered the NT-505 direct from Teac/Onkyo. It was an open box, but guaranteed and was under $1300. I figure it is worth the try and I am pleased to see the comments on the performance. I’ll be running it via balanced outs into my MA8900. I’m excited to hear the results, by all accounts, the NT-505 is indeed a sleeper.
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