Next step into Digital Streaming

I’ve done exactly that with both Plex and Roon. Roon is more expensive but delivers a more complete user experience as well as better sound quality at home.

A lifetime Roon license costs <$1000, so in the same general cost ballpark as many popular home audio streamers and less than most audiophile gear in people’s homes. It’s a good investment for any home hifi and music enthusiast.

Plex is better at remote streaming than Roon so Plex makes sense for a cost effective solution using everyday consumer computing devices that can do it all including good quality remote streaming via CarPlay, headphones, etc

The Bluesound Vault would be a convenient option, since you already have a Node. I'd probably lean toward a general purpose computer instead.  You can get a Mac Mini M2 for less than the price of a Vault, and it will do more.  You could set it up as a music server with Roon Core or Audirvana, or simply store downloaded/ripped music files on its hard drive then expose them as a shared Bluesound library to the Node. 

Some people favor a dedicated music server (such as Small Green Computer's sonicTransporter, an Aurender, an Auralic Aries, or a Roon Nucleus.)  I'm sceptical that these devices deliver any noticeable sound quality improvements. They tend to be much more expensive than a Mac Mini or a NUC, and usually don't support a wide variety of music-related applications (like the HD Tracks music file downloader, Apple Music, or REW). I do have one, though (the sonicTransporter i9,) in addition to a Mac Mini.

You don't necessarily need to buy anything new, if you happen to have an old computer lying around.  Whether it's a general purpose computer, an Aurender, a Vault, a NAS, etc., basically what you're doing is setting up a network-accessible storage device to expose your music to one or more networked endpoint device(s) attached to your HiFi system.  There are many ways to do this.

You can set up a NAS plugged into your router and access it from any where, That’s what I did and it has movies and music loaded up as a media server.

See:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JKM0ES2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&amp;th=1

If you are getting a second streamer stay with the Bluos OS, either Bluesound or NAD products. I have a Node and it is OK, the NAD C-658 is a big step up in SQ and has Dirac room correction too. I would put the NAD in the dungeon and move the Node to the secondary system. If you have questions on setting up the NAS just post.

I have been streaming and serving digital for years, and I can tell you that typical NAS or network drive solutions do not deliver the fidelity that an Aurender unit can when serving a file from its internal drive. I cannot fully explain technically why this is the case aside from the local file within the Aurender benefitting from a robust linear power supply, well isolated components, and quality clocking. I’ve built my own audio server with caching memory capabilities, investing thousands into my own Roon core in a fanless chassis with good Farad Super3 linear power supply and I have still found Aurender units to deliver much better quality streaming and local file playback. That server, sans the power supply, is now just my movie and file server, and I won’t doubt Aurender again. Just my two cents.

Thanks for the suggestions and recommendations, they are all appreciated. I have had my computer set up as a network server for several years already but it is inconvenient as I have to run downstairs and start it up or leave it running all the time? Maybe it's my imagination but I found the sound quality to be considerably better from the node than it is from the computer server? As luck would have it a used vault 2t dropped in my lap for less than 1/3 of new price so I jumped on it. I heeded the advice to match the products, I'm thinking a node and a vault should fill my needs for now and make a good entry level set up for now. If it works out well I'll move on up the line as so many of us do. With only $700 invested for the node and vault and can't see going to far wrong. Thanks again for the help and willingness to pass along your experiences.