Comments on NODE 3 Power Supply Upgrade
I added a PD Creative power interface and a Teddy Pardo linear power supply to my NODE 3 N130. I’m not a critical listener and have high frequencies hearing loss. My memory of the “pre-upgrade” sound of my system is lost. Here’s what I think I hear after the upgrade:
1. More treble, so I turned it down 1.5db
2. Better vocals which stand out more, sound more real, more detail and decay
3. More bass, maybe I need to turn down subs to center of the dials
4. More decay overall for a more airy sound.
Im not sure if these are real or imagined. The difference is not a definite “wow”, but any improvement is acceptable. The sound is definitely not worse and sounds good to me. Any comments to help me evaluate this for future upgrades such as a DAC are appreciated.
I upgraded the Node N130 with the PD Creative internal PCB, but also bought the PD Creative PSU. I've now sold this all, and changed streamers. I can't say I observed a rise in the treble, but did notice a significant drop in the noise floor. I also noticed a much more relaxed presentation. I was also using an external DAC by the time I upgraded the Node, but the upgrade was still a significant improvement from the vanilla, factory Node as a Streamer only Hope this help, good luck 👍 |
I have a Node "3" with a Teddy Pardo LPS and think it sounds great. Better soundstage, music separation and a more sophisticated presentation overall. And I use an external DAC (Denafrips Pontus II). Same as when a took that sme TD LPS and put it on a Chord Qutest. I think my Node/Tessy system is hard to beat. |
ianrmack Good to hear! I’ve had 3 recommended DAC’s that stand out for use with the NODE: Pontus II, NJC and Gustard X26 Pro. I am sure there are others, especially at higher price points. The Aires II, Topping, SMSC and others I’ve had some + and some -. ‘Which upgrade did you add first? How did the SQ improvement of each compare?
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I’d add the Musician Pegasus DAC (I own it BTW) to your list as it’s priced closer to the Ares ll but performs more like the Pontus ll. Here’s a review fyi… https://soundnews.net/sources/dacs/musician-audio-pegasus-r2r-dac-review/ I’d also consider the Gustard R26 if you’re considering the X26 Pro. Here’s a review of that as well… Best of luck. |
