Got a Node 2i, what's next?

I own the Node 2i and love it. There are better DACs like a Lumin D2. Based on what you are using it for do not upgrade by getting a cheap DAC. I have compared that DAC in the Node 2i with other DACs costing more than the Node2i. Unless you want to change the sound signature do not waste your money unless you go past $1,000.

I’m starting to think this may be the best way to go.

I left the Node 2i streaming 24/7 over the weekend and into last night to see if a significant break-in made a difference.

Last night, my wife’s sister called (usually around a hour of the wife yelling back and forth that I didn’t want to listen to), so I retreated to the listening room waiting for the "I’m done" text.

I didn’t feel like firing up the turntable, so I decided to sit down and listen to the node 2i. I just threw on my classic rock playlist, and the first couple of songs were OK. Then Whole Lotta Love from a remaster of LZII. I was actually surprised at how good it sounded, so I queued up the whole album.

Ok, so it wasn’t perfect, not quite as good as the vinyl, but almost everything was there frequency and detail wise , and the imaging was almost holographic, seeming to extend behind and in front of the speakers. Not as emotionally engaging as the early vinyl pressing. I wouldn’t quite call the sound bright, but maybe slightly harsh at the top. Symbols weren’t quite right, but close. Overall, listenable, and a bit surprising.

I listened to a few other tracks, and came to the conclusion that although the break-in time had something to do with it, most of the issues I was hearing before probably has much more to do with the quality or lack thereof of recording, which no dac will really fix.

I’m still on the fence, but now I’m seriously considering that I might just stick with the Node 2i, make the other changes I want to my system, and then revisit the dac thing with a higher budget in mind once that’s done.

@vinylzone .... that’s very easily accomplished. If you have reached the point where your audio resolution is detailed enough to reveal the difference between interconnects and you want to put some time and effort in you will probably find your home brew is far from the best. If you are using the Node without an outboard DAC you have every right to a headache. Get a decent streamer, on a decent power cord, with a top tier DAC on appropriately auditioned digital cable and you may find your vinyl gives you a comparative headache.
It’s easy.. do cheap bottom tier digital and you get cheap bottom tier digital sound. No surprises there. FWIW, I’ve sold my share of cables that didn’t work very well on eBay. That doesn’t mean I make good or great cables.
As far as a DAC goes....   I'm using a Benchmark DAC 3b .. Stereophile A+ recommended component being fed by both a Cambridge CXNv2 streamer and the digital output of a Sony SA 5400Es .CD/SACD player.  I stream Qobuzz hi-rez and Tidal hi-fi as well as having access to Amazon Prime Music and Spotify, and my own complete CD collection via Chromecast..... and that is all at the tap of an app without ever leaving my chair.
As far as your vinyl..  you are comparing your vinyl playback system to a $500 digital instrument on home brew cables.  Somehow I think you have waaay more than $500 in your vinyl system, maybe way more in just the cartridge, without arm, without table.  You are totally restricted in what you can listen to by the medium you have chosen. For the cost of 5 or 6 records a year you can have access to almost anything in or out of print.... millions and millions, unrestricted.

I was really surprised how dacs respond to better feet. If you want to try to squeeze a little more resolution out of your node give it a try. I know my CD player benefits due to the transport but had no idea how big of an improvement some fairly cheap footers could do. I had some old Golden Sound jumbo's and some black diamond racing cones laying around in a box so I gave it a shot. Not a small improvement either, very noticeable as soon as I hit play. 

@midareff, 
Nice observation. 
Particularly, 

'It’s easy.. do cheap bottom tier digital and you get cheap bottom tier digital sound. No surprises there.'
Charles 

@midareff

  @vinylzone .... that’s very easily accomplished. If you have reached the point where your audio resolution is detailed enough to reveal the difference between interconnects and you want to put some time and effort in you will probably find your home brew is far from the best.

Again I'm not looking for world beating digital right now.  And yes, I don't have anything in my system that cost me less than $500 except some accessories.  

I've had systems that easily reveal differences in cables for the past 40 or so years.  That's why I make my own.  Not that I've tried thousands of cables, but I've compared them to some very costly cables, and what I've found is that either some very expensive cables are meant to fix problems with certain components or system sonics, or they're really very good and but extremely overpriced.

I use some of the best copper and connectors available, and I use an interesting geometry I stumbled onto around 30 years ago.  I also built my own cable conditioner device.  They measure 73pF per meter and take me about 8 hours per meter pair to construct.

So yeah, you can spend thousands on a cable that works well in your system.  I don't have to.