Bluesound node 2i DAC VS Vincent SA-T7 DAC

The TOSLINK digital should sound better than the analogue output you’ve been listening to.
The streaming services such as Tidal and Qobuz play back files with sample rates of 16/44.1 (cd quality), 24/96, and 24/192. The Vincent will play each natively without resampling. The stream is clocked and processed by the Vincent and you’ll hear music at the same resolution that the streamer is outputting.

search bluesound node 2i

much discussed about SQ of its internal DAC

Hi superstoked, I’m not an authority on DAC’s by any stretch of the imagination, however I run a Node 2i and a Node 2 in both my systems. Within the last couple of months I dipped my toes in the external DAC waters. I run an April Music Stello DA100 Signature in the main system,and a Beresford Bushmaster in the secondary system. Both are not top of the line,and both older DAC’s. That said,I’m still very happy with what they have to offer. I noticed more detail,and definitely a much,much larger holographic soundstage on both. I can only imagine how much better a newer,and higher end DAC would sound on either system. Like you,I was running the Node products via rca analog out. I was very happy with the SQ.( Ignorance was bliss!) Keep using the DAC in your pre,since you have that option. 
   Best of luck!

Hey thanks rocray! Same here, I’m a vinyl guy, but my thorens is currently away being restored so digital it is. I now have three DACs, the bluesound, the Vincent, as well as a music hall c-dac 15.3 dac/cd player. I run my television audio through the music hall and it’s no slouch either. It has the same burr-brown, PCM 1796 24 bit/192 kHz and DAC: Wolfson WM8805 chipset that I think some McIntosh gear uses. After some considerable listening time, I’m convinced my ears aren’t lying, the toslink has better SQ. As far as connectivity, I am using the fiber optic bridging from a 5G router on frontier fios, (it used to be Verizon but here in Florida now it’s owned by frontier. My amplifier is a Bob Latino ST-120 that I built from a kit. Speakers are Bob Crites “cornscala’s”. I’m not sure I’ve reached the summit of audio perfection, but I don’t feel the need to climb any higher, well, at least for now!

@superstocked, what music services are you listening to thru your Node?
Are you using ethernet from Fios router to Bluesound?

I would love to have my Node 2i connected via Ethernet,but my audio room is over our finished basement and ceilings downstairs are dry walled. So,I’m pretty locked into WiFi. One huge improvement vs the Node 2 is the dual band WiFi. It makes a big difference for connectivity. 

At first I had tidal and got on the MQA bandwagon and the fact it had more content. However I realized this content was mostly music I didn’t care for. I also found that I preferred qobuz hi res SQ over tidal’s MQA. So as far as my connection goes yes I bridge the signal from the 5G router using Two TP-Link Gigabit Ethernet Media Converter, 1000Mbps RJ45 to 1000M Multi-Mode SC Fiber (MC200CM) connected together with fiber optic cable. This eliminates long runs of Ethernet cable prone to RF noise and competing network WiFi traffic. The SQ improvement was significant.

Oh I want to mention that the fiber cable is very small in diameter and pretty flexible. It would be very easy to drill a small hole in the drywall to run this cable. My router is in another room as well, and right now it’s running along the baseboards and across a hall under a foyer rug. The wife is not to crazy about that, but then again this isn’t the first time my hobby has caused her a little distress. I’ve got like 65’ of cable though and eventually I’ll run it up to the attic along side of the existing cable for the tv, and down inside the wall to my rig. I live in Florida though and that’ll have to wait until at least November! At about $100 for the converters and the cable it’s a well worth it tweak imho.

Interesting concept to go with fiber, well done.

Have you tried using S/PDIF coax from Node to Vincent?
SQ is superior to Toslink when using a good quality digital coax cable.

Hey thanks! I wish I could take credit for it. I only got the idea from an article though (I think it was on TAS website),  although there are many articles and a YouTube video, found with a quick search. Haven’t tried the digital coax cable as of yet.

Finally got a 75ohm s/pdif coax and I prefer it.