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Any advantage to Bluesound Node 2i Versus Streaming from PC

I'm trying a loaner Bluesound Node 2i streamer which salesperson said will sound better than streaming from my PC.  I doubted this since both are just feeding a digital signal to my Amp.  It's just zeros and ones right?   I have the Bluesound connected with a decent (not high end) digital coaxial cable to my Lyngdorf 3400.  The PC is connected with a cheap USB cable to the same Lyngdorf.  The sensitivity of both inputs is set to 0dB.  The bluesound is set to fixed volume and the PC volume is set to max.  I am playing Tidal through both input devices.  I am trying to discern if there is any difference in sound quality.  When played through the amp the bluesound volume is a whole lot louder than the PC.  I have not found a way to level match the two inputs for comparison.  The bluesound sounds good and is a lot louder per any particular volume setting on the amp.  Does this mean the Bluesound is sending a better signal to the amp?  Is the  coaxial cable a better medium to transmit the  audio signal?  Is this the reason it's louder?  Could the Tidal feed through Bluesound be better than the Tidal Desktop app on my PC?  I need some help as I have to decide by Saturday whether to keep the Bluesound or return it. Other than sound quality there are only minor advantages to owning the Bluesound which don't warrant the purchase.  My amp has a built in streamer but no built in Tidal (which is the reason I'm using the PC.)
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larry5729's avatar
larry5729
1,009 posts
 
Why would you use cheap CAT cable and USB cable in the first place?  Junk in equals junk out.  It is like buying a BMW and buying low octane rather than the higher octane fuel suggested by the manufacturer.  

The reason why I purchased a BlueSound Node 2i was to experience MQA.  I sense a difference in clarity and sound state when listening to MQA music regardless what this group feels.  I added a DAC and was told by the dealer how much better it sounded.  Then I got it home and felt the bass sounded thinner.  I did like the highs, but felt I was missing out on the MQA experience.
big_greg
6,674 posts
 
"Why would you use cheap CAT cable and USB cable in the first place?"

Another thought is why would you use expensive cables on a cheap streamer, especially a loaner that you're just trying out?  Lighten up dude.

bac2vinyl
78 posts
 
Tons!! Do you’re research for crying out loud!!! Night and day difference in sound but modern user ability.  Again, get off the couch and research 
headphonedreams
529 posts
 
Regarding SSD disks almost all people who has tried with music streaming says that it is better. That probably holds even if you have the computer on all the time.

The only thing I can think of that would be better than SSD is buying a LOT of memory and using a part of it as a RAM-drive but that requires some technical skills. Memory is somewhere around 1000x faster than an SSD which is in turn 4x - 10x as fast as normal hard-drive (HDD).
itsjustme
682 posts
 
back to basics. I'm not sure how you have this connected, but if you are connecting both to your "amp" then the interface must be ANALOG and there is a whole world of difference way too complex for this post.  If, on the other hand you are connecting to a DAC in the (integrated?) amp, it is quasi-digital (either USB or S/PDIF) in which the amplitude is digital (encoding ~ 16 bits) and the time domain (x-axis) is analog.  Yes, with USB that analog is re-created in the DAC, which ought to be better. It gets messy.
So first make sure what you are doing.  Then consider the possible differences.  With a "digital" signal, as noted its half analog and ha;lf digital, and even ignoring that, there is ground/electrical noise being transmitted (lots by most PCs).
Now, if you are asking about bluesound vs PC as a streamer, i would side with a Mac running itunes and bitperfect as superior - similarly if you use Auirvahna (SP, dont care) or my choice, Roon.
Bluesound is still very much a compromise - better than Sonos, but inferior to almost anything serious -- including (substantially) the $99 Schiit DAC driven by an old Macbook pro.
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