Ok now I am frustrated with streaming


Help me out here please. I was really enjoying getting into streaming. Just purchased a Node 2i 2 weeks ago and have been enjoying it. Testing Tidal and Qobuz, leaning toward Qobuz. I was testing both wifi and ethernet connection. I seemed to pick up some noise and distortion on what I thought was the ethernet so I have been listening on wifi. I really enjoy finding new music on the streaming service. Tonight I was enjoying Sierra Hull because I listen to a lot of Alison Krauss. I was listening to Sierra Hull's new 25 Trips album and got to track 7 Escape and I heard a bunch of static/distortion, almost like a blown tube, except I have solid state equipment. I switched to Tidal to see if it was a problem with the Qobuz stream and same thing. Hooked up my MacBook pro to rule out a problem with the Node 2i, same thing. Now I am listening to Clapton's Unplugged and I hear the same thing. Is it my internet? I have a brand new modem, a Motorola MB7621, and a brand new Asus AC3100 router. I did a speed test and we are getting 237 mbps. My daughter was watching Netflix on a TV upstairs at the time, when she was finished I did a reboot of the cable modem and reboot of the Node 2i and then it was fine after that. I listened for about an hour after that. Is it my internet speed? Do I need to call Comcast/xfinity and up my speed package? Is it something else? Its getting frustrating and its not supposed to be like that, I am at the point where I may just send the Node back on the return policy and stick with CD's. 
128x128jmphotography
Hi,

I share your frustration; I spent almost a year testing different options. I tried the famous brands: Auralic, Naim, Lumin, etc. Streaming is a great option if you have all working properly. You need to have a good streamer. I recommend trying this combo: https://www.smallgreencomputer.com/collections/audio-server/products/premier-server-player-combo-sonictransporter-i5-ultrarendu-7v-linear-power-supply?variant=12400215719970
My system:

1. PrimaLuna Dialogue Integrated HP

2. Sonic Transporter i5 and Ultra Rendu

3. Mutec REF 10 External Clock

4. Mutec MC3+ USB

5. Esoteric D-05 DAC

6. Nordost Qkore6 for grounding

7. Nordost: QB8 (1), QX2 (1) e QX4 (1)

8. Focal Utopia Headphones

9. Sonus Faber Cremona Speakers

10. Pair of REL S/5 SHO


 Now, after using I5+Ultra Rendu in mys system, I found my nirvana.

You'll need to buy also a better Ethernet Switch and better Ethernet cables (you'll find people saying that switches and cables would make no difference. Don't listen to them! They are wrong. I don't care that digital signals are 0s and 1s only, but sonically speaking there is a big difference when you have better Ethernet switch and cable. Don't just listen to me! Test and compare as I did).

Good luck
I share your frustration; I spent almost a year testing different options. I tried the famous brands: Auralic, Naim, Lumin, etc.

Probably almost sounds as good now as your CD source once did that was binned.
Would have been even better if that kind of effort was put into it also

Cheers George  
Sorry to hear about the caps but that makes more sense as the likely cause of distortion than network issues which again can result in delays if insufficient bandwidth but not aware of that ever being the cause of distortion, especially with a WiFi connection. 
Laltik
”care to enlighten us with steps involved with cueing up vinyl”

Not sure where you are going with some latent snarkiness here, but my point was that when getting started with streaming, the frustrations can be so great for the average person, that even getting started with an analog system can be easier.
  I am not a vinyl guy.  Sold off my vinyl rig five years ago, got rid of the lps, and haven’t looked back.  However, this entire thread is filled with people listing their myriad difficulties getting streaming right, going through multiple changes in streamers, WiFi routers,changing Ethernet connections, etc, getting components to recognize each other, etc.  Advertisers try to make it sound simple, just plug and play, and that can make the purchaser feel like a nitwit if they encounter all the IT issues that routinely plague the work place and keep IT support people happily employed.
  My offhand comment about vinyl (I dislike vinyl so much that I cannot believe I am writing something positive about it here) was that for a newbie it may be easier to initiate than streaming.  Turntables can have cartridges pre mounted, and technically, that is the biggest obstacle.  Keep in mind I am referring to starter turntables here, not some $50,000 bit of esoterica.  Pop the platter on, the Matt, set the antiskate, make the connections with the preamp, perhaps adjust a cartridge setting on the preamp.  I won’t get into the record cleaning, static, hum issues, etc...Again, the point being that even this cumbersome process can be easier than initiating streaming.
  Newcomers to streaming should be aware that sometimes it works out of the box, and sometimes it can be a soul testing trial.  If the person is really proficient in IT, that is a plus.  For the rest of us, I would start with a dealer or company that has really good support.  The normal progression, at least for me, when exploring a new technology is to start with an inexpensive component to familiarize myself with the technology, and then upgrade over time.  With streaming this can backfire, as the cheaper equipment may not be well supported.  Bluesound used to have good support, now, as they have gotten bigger, not so much.  Dealers, particularly older ones who are used to dealing with traditional audio components, may not be very helpful either, and they can be loath to admit this.  If purchasing from a bricks and mortar store, make sure they have some IT savvy people on site
Hey I'm in I.T., I resemble that...
Besides it wasn't the technology it was PEBCAK