Another streaming newbie

It's based on my experience trying outboard DACs and comparing to a better quality streamer/DAC (the TEAC NT-505).  The Node 2i is a nice product, and adding an external DAC can make it sound better.  Some say much better.  My experience was that it was a little better.  The NT-505 was much better. 

I still have a Node 2 in my bedroom system and am using the DAC in my Sony TA-ZH1ES instead of the Node 2's DAC.  It sounds really good.  I enjoy it and am not disappointed with the sound quality. 

However, I wanted to get the most out of my main system and when I compared sources - my turntable, CD player, and the Node 2 with an Auralic Vega DAC, the Node 2/Vega sound quality did not hold up to the rest of the sources in my system.  When I replaced the Node 2/Vega with the TEAC NT-505 it took streaming sound quality to another level.

I am not an engineer and can't tell you technical reasons why, but if it makes sense that everything in your system matters, then how can you expect a budget device like the Node 2i to provide a solid foundation that you can build on?  

For me, it was similar to my experience when I tried adding a bunch of "upgrades" and a nice cartridge to a budget turntable.  It did make improvements in sound quality, but at the end of the day, a better constructed turntable with better isolation, a better tonearm, and motor sounded much better, even with a cheap cartridge than the tricked out budget table did with all the upgrades.

My travels through into the streaming realm during this Covid stay at home period has been fun. I have a pretty nice ’old school’ hifi system -- Oracle Delphi TT, Ayre PX5E, Modwright tube output Marantz CDP, CJ Premier 16LS2, ARC VT100-2 amp, Quad ESL, Proac and Harbeth speakers w Rel subs. Took the time, with some help from the forums and a couple friends to get good streamed music working in it.

Transports/streamers tried - Sonos Connect (w and w/out Wyred4Sound clock mods), Volumio Primo, Project Streambox S2 Ultra, Node 2i

DACs - Chord 2Qute and Qutest, RME ADI2, Topping MQA D90, Hegel Rost internal DAC (Wolfson)

Music Services - Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz

Takeaways:

1. Moved quickly through highest Spotify to Tidal and Qobuz services, the SQ difference is not subtle. More subtle is SQ difference between Tidal MQA and Qobuz hi res. Have not tried Amazon HD. Suspect this whale will eat them all, esp. T and Q. Tidal is subscale on MQA and its benefits are unclear, Quboz has an incomplete library, poor customer service, sometimes suspect billing practices.

2. Volumio user interface and their Rasb Pi connection interface (I use wifi) just do not get along with me. I am not a super duper computer/network expert but I am not incompetent either. I hated how they interacted and connected - or should I say were difficult to connect. Tried both and returned for refund with frustration (Volumio Primo and Project Streambox). Sonos and BluOs much better imo. Simple and basic at some level, but how they connected and work on phone/tablet is solid. Roon is still out there, haven’t tried, dislike idea of paying $10 a month for Roon, then pay for music streaming too...

3. Blue Node 2i is an interesting piece. Definitely ideal for beginners... does it all with one box, very easy to hook up and use. But it is ironic it purports to provide full MQA sound, but through a rather poor onboard DAC. I was unimpressed with the sound -- SQ was clearly superior on redbook resolution stream through a better DAC like a Chord or RME. I am still trying to hear full MQA through a real and ’serious’ DAC, so bought the Topping MQA D90, but this thing only does full MQA through its USB input (not coax/bnc or optical)... are you kidding me??? So Topping going to be returned too (to be fair, it is a good sounding DAC without MQA, but not better than Chord or RME).

4. If you have a history with Sonos, I would say the modded Sonos units with cleaned up clock output is actually excellent for SQ as well as for interface/hookup. Very impressed with SQ of the Wyred 4 Sound reclocker modded Sonos units. I think it sounds even a touch better than the Node 2i digital stream out ... I think...

5.  I agree with a poster above saying that streaming/sources are still evolving quite a bit... may be unwise to spend big $ on streaming front end/transport and have it obsoleted before long... but that DAC technology is stabilizing and maturing.  I have been very very impressed with the Chord and RME DACs at the $1000-1500 level.  Really great sound, tactile, great PRAT yet warm fullsome whole sounding.  I suspect, thought I haven't had any of the big dollar DACs in my system, that $1000 or so may be the point of diminishing returns for DAC quality.

Hope my experience helps others starting out. It is fun and the idea of surfing through these almost infinite music libraries is wonderful. Overall SQ I am getting is very very close to CD/analog sources.

Are there any legitimate competitors to the Linn Klimax DS renew lines at their respective price points? Typically Linn Klimax beats equivalent vintage Naim in their TOTL offering and about the same as dCS in their TOTL offering (similar in quality, different in presentation).

I simply don’t under why anyone would bother with anything else.

Ok, at last... I got the Pi2aes this week.  All excited, I built it, and after a few fits and starts, it looked all fine. Except no sound.  2 days later, it was finally just a total reboot, erase the microSD and start all over, and ... poof, it plays.  

And sounds great. Nice to control play from my chair!!! And sounds great.  I think I am done. For now.