New streamer? N150 vs U2

@txp1 You have to consider your room, speakers and all system parts too. 

Both are good streamers (if all the other stuff is dialed in) but wait ... there's more.

Unless yr. Bob Fosse, parts of digital streaming have robust ethernet cabling (you have), filtering, PSU, clock work (not orange) and all that jazz.

The the Aurender N150 will not work with ROON.

Will you use Roon? A lot have said no only to change that pronouncement. 

Like you I started with a BlueSound then upgraded (twice) and can tell the difference. I also had an Sbooster and upgraded from that (instant wow), Obviously it's not just the streamer as they like all the timings. 

I own the N150 and Node w/PD upgrade.  No experience with Lumin.  Don't currently own but have had the Qutest.   No question the N150 is an upgrade from the modified Node.  Will you hear too much difference with the Qutest.  I didn't.  IMO you money is much better spent upgrading your DAC first.

@lalitk Sometimes I think the SQ usung the Roon shell isn’t quite on par with my native app and other times I can’t tell at all. Roon’s interface is far superior to my native app. I’ve listened to a few different Aurenders from mid to high end and naturally the room/system was what did/didn’t grab me. I use a Lumin w/ a Roon Nucleus pulling from Qobuz and my stored flacks. The free trail works poorly using a computer as s core (….let’s not go there) so to get worthy SQ a Nucleus core is needed. 
 

@marco1 almost exact experience I was looking for.  Thank you! 
 

@wsrrsw what were your Bluesound and Sbooster upgrades? Great comparisons, thanks!

@ghdprentice thanks! Someone who has researched and owned different streamers especially several Aurenders knows more than I do about streaming. 

 @baylinor @leorousseau yes the BlueOS is a key decision point. I’ve read about someone who “upgraded” to a different streamer and went back to BlueOS because the new OS was so unfriendly.