Bluesound Node versions SQ

I would look seriously at the Wiim Ultra.  Favorably reviewed by Darco/ Huff ... it sounds great, easy to set up and has a great app!!

https://darko.audio/2024/09/this-is-the-best-%F0%9F%98%9C-wiim-ultra-review/

https://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2024/07/19/the-wiim-ultra-review-unreal-hifi-value-for-real/

I’d price out buying a used Node and a LPS, but compare that (and risks involved in tearing into it unless you have a little electronics experience) with just buying the Node 132 for $549 and being done with it. It has a better power supply per Bluesound to the point that you don’t need to futz about trying to add a LPS.

And as others mentioned, if you are going to use an external DAC, look to the new $299 Node Nano. According to some reviewers, it has better inherent sound quality than the Node 130 and Node X did (using the onboard DAC).

I’m not a flat earther, but the more research I have done over the last 5 years into all this mess, is that yeah, people on Youtube always say "buy price commensurate gear" so you aren’t leaving performance on the table. Well, maybe. But when it comes to streamers, if they are doing their job, you likely won’t hear a snail’s toes difference in SQ between them when feeding an external DAC and if you have the external DAC doing the buffering and reclocking of the data stream. One bone of contention some encounter among streamers (and DACs) is that some of them might be applying some "magical fairy dust" in DSP to the data stream. And yeah, your ears *might* prefer that fairy dust sound.

At the end of the day, get the best streamer you can that has an easy to use and reliable software user interface, feed it into your external DAC and enjoy the music.

All those on YouTube continually say that a $4K streamer sounds better than a $300 one when feeding an external DAC, but none of them, not even Hans Beekhuyzen, with his oscilloscope prop in the background, can show any data as to why that is. Guess stuff that cost more just always sounds better. I’ll sell you a Raspberry Pi for $8000 if you are so inclined. Wink, wink.

All those on YouTube continually say that a $4K streamer sounds better than a $300 one when feeding an external DAC, but none of them, not even Hans Beekhuyzen, with his oscilloscope prop in the background, can show any data as to why that is. Guess stuff that cost more just always sounds better. I’ll sell you a Raspberry Pi for $8000 if you are so inclined. Wink, wink.

@moonwatcher They might not show data, but they use their ears as have so many others here have done and have found very significant improvements with more expensive streamers.  Of course not all expensive streamers may sound better as with everything in audio, but those who have stepped up to pricier models from Aurender, Innuos, Grimm, etc. have experienced significant improvements over Nodes and other budget streamers or even when moving up the line within those brands.  What streamer are you using and what more expensive streamers have you compared it to?  If you haven’t heard any of the pricier streamers then you are speaking out of ignorance in assuming that more expensive streamers aren’t better or worth paying more for. 

@soix I’m an engineer. Show me the money (measurements). If I send a data stream of 01001101 and another streamer does the same to the exact same external DAC, and that external DAC is doing buffering and reclocking of the data stream such that jitter is not an issue, there should be no difference whatsoever. If someone says it sounds better, can they pass a double-blind test where all factors are controlled to within 0.001dB? I never see them do this or attempt it. Might make a great reality game show don’t you think?

The key is are they really passing the same data or not? Is one applying some DSP? I don’t have the digital measuring equipment, but I’d sure like ASR to get some and settle this issue once and for all. Is it real, or a placebo effect?

Just my opinion but I think that when you consider purchasing expensive streamers you reach the point of diminishing returns quickly nowadays when compared to budget streamers.

Without a doubt a more expensive streamer is going to sound excellent and better than a budget streamer such as a Bluesound.

But unlike a lot of other audio gear where budget gear is just ok compared to its high price alternative, here you are talking the difference between great sound (Bluesound for instance) and excellent sound (high priced streamers).

I am definitely in the camp that the DAC is the most important part of a streaming set up.