Upgrade ....streamer or amp?


Having decided to keep my Merlin TSM MMs, I was going to upgrade my streamer (Bluesound Node 2 ---original version) and my amp ( Billie....original version). However, recent stock market activity has my IRA in a shambles, so I am only going to upgrade only one of the two. 

Any thoughts on which to start with?  I was considering both the Bluesound Node Icon, and an upgraded Billie (used....after new one comes out)

What say you?

troutbum

Given your money I would buy the streamer.  I went from a Bluesound Node N130 to a used Innuos Zen MK3 and it made a noticeable difference in sound.  Now given my money I’d put it under my mattress and wait until it’s safe to come out.  Seriously a used streamer is the way to go if you can in my experience.  

I would spend the money on a separate DAC and a good set of cables. If you don’t want the complication, then I would vote for the streamer upgrade over the amp.

@troutbum 

Thr BS Node is really a great little box and their app is really good and the Billie ain’t bad either.  Having said that, have you considered keeping both and getting a better DAC?  Check out getting a Denafrips Aries or the new 15th is supposed to be special.

All the best.

@fpomposo 

Not sure where you’re getting your data.  S&P 500 was just over 5700 on November 5th.  On January 20th, it was just over 6000.  Today, S&P 500 opened at 5305.  That’s a drop of 12% in 4 months.  

@mdalton In 2022 the dow Jones crashed to 28k, in November 24 it skyrocketed to 44k after Trump won, now it’s a 39k today...

Point is, it always rebounds, and these tariffs are onshoring trillions in new USA manufacturing and construction... Nvidia now going to USA manufacturing for its AI supercomputer chips with a $500 billion investment, AMD now going to build CPUs in the USA for the first time, TSMC moving chip production to the USA, multiple auto makers moving production back to the USA... Oil prices plummeting, inflation down to almost zero, tax cuts for USA made manufacturers, all a recipe for economic boom

It takes some time, but the stock market will break all records over the next couple years... The people that might lose out are some day traders, hedge fund managers and fools that panic sell, normal people with stocks and retirement accounts will make a lot of money...

This is all about isolating the CCP who have done much evil to the world and incredible damage to the USA, better to have a short trade war, than a protracted military conflict with the CCP who hate us...

And if your so worried about tariffs there is a simple hack to not pay any tariffs, buy American made goods... Better quality anyway