Blue Sound Vault

Maybe your transport is a better quality streamer than the Vault?

The stand alone transport is a nice one.  I had hoped for a better performance from the Vault. 

What transport are you using, and what digital cables are you using for both the transport and the Vault into your DAC?

Have you done a level-matched blind test between the transport and the Vault? Remember the component with higher output voltage will always sound better!

The brand of the coaxial cable from the Audio Research CD Player is Black Cat Silver Star 75 to my Hegel DAC.  From the DAC to the Preamp is Synergistic Tesla The cable from the Vault is Morrow MA3.  The idea of checking for voltage is unfamiliar to me.  Educate me as to what to do.  Thanks, Steve

A lot of Node users have experienced significant improvements by adding a separate linear power supply so that might be something to explore.

On a related note, I have a Stereovox XV2 SPDIF digital cable that, like your Black Cat, was also designed by the late Chris Sommovigo so I’d think they sound more alike than different. I recently bought a used Acoustic Zen MC2 and was pretty amazed at the all-around improvement — not even close so maybe something you might wanna give a shot as well. Good news is if you buy it and it doesn’t work out you can turn around and sell it for little/no loss. Here’s one that’s exactly the same version/length I bought in case you’re interested…

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649951192-acoustic-zen-mc2-digital-coax-cable-1m/

Hope this helps, and best of luck.

Are you having it rip in FLAC or WAV ?   I believe there is a choice in the menu.    Funny thing about  the Vault, I ripped all of my discs, but I find myself streaming and using it's other features than playing my ripped files. 

The Vault does a lot for its price point but the rest of your equipment is pretty good and is revealing the limitations of Bluesound as a digital transport.  Spending a few hundred dollars will get you a noticeable improvement in streaming or playing files from a HD.  My Bluesound stuff sounded best in my mid Fi systems 

Thinking about it further, if I’m you I’d start saving for an Innuos Zen Mk3 that’ll undoubtedly boost your sound quality significantly rather than spending $$$ trying to make the Vault sound better.  They can be had around $2k used, and if you sell the Vault it’d offset a good chunk of that.  If feasible that’s what I’d do.  Here’s an example available now…

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649994436-innuos-zen-mk3-1tb/

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.  Steve

Solution that was cheap and enhanced the sound tremendously.  A techie friend suggested turning the volume to max on the Vault.  This allows the preamp to control the volume.  What did I have to lose?  I was extremely surprised by the improvement.  Not perfect but very good.  Thanks again to all   Steve

A techie friend suggested turning the volume to max on the Vault. 

Why not just set it to "Output Level Fixed"?

I am not aware of the ability to set the output level fixed.  Can you walk me through it?  Thanks,  Steve

I don’t have a Vault, but the settings should be the same as those for the Node. Go to Settings - Audio - Output Level Fixed. Turn that last feature to "on" by sliding the toggle switch to the right.

You are right.  I changed the setting a great improvement.  Thanks, Steve

The Vault 2i is a pretty good machine and has served me well.   It's in my bedroom system playing via coax into to my Cyrus Integrated amp and it sounds really good.  I mean REALLY good.   I have been listening to it exclusively for the past three weeks as I make some changes in my main listening room

 I also have an Aurender but dollar for dollar the Vault /Node / BluOS is hard to beat.   Love it or hate it BluOS is one of the best streaming platforms out there.