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Upgrade from BS Node 2i?

Wanted to get some honest opinions - in the past, I owned a Gold Note streamer, and an STR pre amp...all of which sounded wonderful. But, music was really a tertiary usage of mine. Since then my system, and preferences have gone through big changes. I am now running Revel 228bes w/ dual Rythmik G25HPs. Anthem avm90 processor and ATI amp.

I am really enjoying 2 channel much more now, so thinking about a bump in sound quality. I run coax, so I'm using the dac of the AVM90. I know that w/ high quality streamers, there are other things (clocks, power supply, etc) that make a difference as well, not just the dac. So, where do I go? I was thinking a Lumin D2 but not sure. I don't want to spend a ton, as I still don't do music enough to justify spending $2-4K again (done that twice). 

I know eventually the anthem will become a Roon endpoint so I was thinking about waiting for that as well. But...I also like streamers haha. I'm looking for something w/ a decent app too, as I don't really like BluOS.

Thanks for any input, I'm just starting my search so open to all sorts of ideas. 

128x128ethos4lyfe
goldprintaudio's avatar
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goldprintaudio
502 posts
 

If you plan on using the dac in your Anthem, then you may want to consider the Lumin U2 Mini versus the D2.  

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hilde45
4,974 posts
 

It would be interesting to see if you can compare a new streamer with your Bluesound 2i. I have the 2i and also a newer streamer (a DIY built to very high standards), but in all my comparisons, the DAC is the component that made a noticeable difference. I honestly don’t see that a very large upgrade in sound can come from a streamer-only change compared with other weak points in the system. But if you think the rest of your system is as strong as it can be (including room acoustics), I suppose a streamer upgrade is the next logical step.

P.S. Perhaps the greatest improvement I have made in my system by a factor of 10x was to put my speakers on podiums. Not subtle.

kota1
2,706 posts
 

OK, you may want to watch this review of the Eversolo DMP-A6 where the reviewer compares it to the Lumin and the Bluesound Node. It’s made by a Chinese company called Zidoo, I own one of their media players and they deliver good quality.

https://youtu.be/vniWmD-HAoU?feature=shared

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oddiofyl
3,793 posts
 

My Dad has the Eversolo A6 and it is a good unit for the money.   I have a Vault 2i in my second system and an Aurender N200 in my main system.    

The A6 does just about everything those do,  and more.   He has it connected via USB  to his McIntosh MA8950 and it sounds really good.

He has had it since end of June with zero hiccups.   There is a lot of tech in that little box and it sounds  good

blisshifi's avatar
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blisshifi
1,180 posts
 

If you are tech savvy and are searching purely for a music streamer and not a local file server, you can consider the Sonore OpticalRendu with a quality linear power supply. It will surpass many other “standalone” units that look a lot prettier for about half the price. Otherwise, as an Aurender dealer, I can attest that Aurender’s sound quality is worth the price of entry. You can find preowned entry level units that will likely fit your budget and sound excellent. 

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