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Blue sound Node 2 vs Lumin D1

I am looking for a streamer with a built in DAC.  I have backed off my original plan to purchase the Aurender A10 and am looking for a less expensive option.  The Bluesound and Lumin players do essentially the same thing  BTW, my immediate interest is streaming Tidal, so MQA is a possible plus for both players.  The obvious difference between $500 for the Node 2 and $2000 for the Lumin distinguishes the two players.  Does that price difference translate to a significant difference in performance/sound quality? Both are within my budget but I would rather not spend the additional $1500 unless the improvement is fairly dramatic.  I would really like to hear from anyone who has had both players in their system and have had an opportunity to compare them.
randyhat
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,911 posts
 
i can tell you that a Vault or Aries Mini feeding a Lampizator Amber II into Vandersteen 2’s will just knock your socks off !

people complain about ultra high end $$$$$ but IMO we are living in great times for affordable high end

add a nice integrated and Tidal and you are cooking with Nitroglycerin 
uberwaltz's avatar
uberwaltz
13,381 posts
 
Exactly Tomic601

The budget equipment of today with the advances in technology and manufacturing wipes the floor with budget equipment of old.
Obviously the more you spend the better sq you can get but it seems the low end starting point keeps raising the bar significantly each year.

My second system cost under $1k and tbh when I listen I sometimes wonder why I have 40x that amount in my main rig!
But that is why this is a hobby....lol
cydrone's avatar
cydrone
7 posts
 
I own both the Bluesound Node2i and the Lumin D2. As a matter of fact I just did a review here..https://youtu.be/hvfuVRikQTA

The Bluesound hold its own... I don't see the need to spend the extra $1,800 at all.

Also... The Lumin app is horrible and crashes. 
nekoaudio's avatar
nekoaudio
489 posts
 
Besides the sound character, the software support/ecosystem for the two devices should be part of the consideration. You may find you strongly prefer or enjoy using one more than the other.

For what it's worth, Lumin constantly releases free updates for their years-old models, like the Leedh volume control and updated support for streaming services. I also like how the Lumin devices can be used with lots of other software front-ends.
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