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Bluesound Node (2021) PS upgrade to Teddy Pardo; is it worth it?

Hi guys, 

I was toying with upgrading my Bluesound Node (2021) power supply with the Teddy Pardo upgrade kit; around £400 with shipping to UK.

I was wondering if anyone here has done this, and was there a significant improvement to SQ?

I don't use the DAC in my Node, I use a Denafrips Ares II; with this in mind, would the TP upgrade be worth the money, or would I be better off putting the money aside and going for an upgrade to the Node further down the line i.e. a dedicated, stand alone streamer?

Thanks very much
128x128painter24
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,822 posts
 

some thoughts reterminate the Cullen C7 to IEC for the Pardo. I use a Kimber PK-10 on my Unitiserve Pardo LPS along w Stillpoints and an ancient VPI Magic Brick. I think this is a case where the frugality of Nobosound springs may be worthwhile…

Have fun !

totem395
390 posts
 

@painter24 

 do you have a link to Alvin's original post

It was an Email question I had sent to Alvin.

 I just ordered A Musician Pegasus made in the same factory 

as Denafrips [a long story] close model wise to the Pontus II.

Might be awhile getting here.

painter24's avatar
painter24 OP
213 posts
 

@totem395 ah I see. Enjoy the Pegasus, let us know your thoughts when it arrives 👍

gladmo's avatar
gladmo
311 posts
 

@painter24 Similar to you, I have a Denafrips Pontus II DAC but with a Denafrips Hermes reclocker upstream, and I'm trying out a Bluesound Node 2021. Doing a streaming music sound quality comparison using high res songs on Qobuz via my laptop vs the Node, the better sound quality is coming from my laptop.  This is using the Denafrips Windows drivers and a cheap, generic USB cable into the Hermes vs coax digital out from the Node.  There's some infrequent pops and distortions on the USB connection when doing other operations on the laptop, but I like the USB sound more.  The USB sound is more natural, present, and full.  The Node has more of a sterile and constricted sound to my ear with thinner mids and bass.  No modifications to the stock PSU or power cable were made to my Node.

I'll either stick with USB or look for a different streamer with a better power supply.

gladmo's avatar
gladmo
311 posts
 

@painter24 A few more things of note regarding my testing.  The laptop was drawing power from the battery, the coax cable from the Node is an Audioquest Forest (cheapest of their current digital coax line), and the USB board hardware in the Hermes is Denafrips in-house proprietary for optimizing the signal clean-up.  So the better USB sound I'm hearing could be primarily due to linear power from the Laptop battery plus the Hermes' USB design being exceptional.  I don't think the Audioquest coax cable is what would be holding back the Node sound.

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