Bluesound Node 2i vs Upscale streamers


For those of you that have compared the Node 2/2i to some of the more expensive streamers like Lumin, Aurender, etc., what do the big boys bring to the table. Forget the internal DACs, I'm sure theirs beats the Node. I'm talking about using these devices as stand alone streamers into an outboard DAC. What are the differences you've heard?


Oz



128x128ozzy62
Candidly, I’m skeptical of claims by manufacturers that a DAC is immune to jitter.  And, there is more to a streamer than just jitter reduction. There is convenience certainly, but also reduction of noise infiltrating the system.  I don’t mean noise in the sense of things like “hiss” or distortion, but noise in the sense of obscuring details.  For example, I compared my Aurender against a dedicated, souped up Mac mini (solid state drive, 16 GB RAM, everything else turned off and/or optimized in every way).  The Aurender smoked it. No contest.  BTW: both were outputting via USB to the DAC.  I got the same result when I converted the Mac mini USB to SPDIF through a nice converter to isolate it.  
I think the only way for you to find out if this is the way to go is to try one.  Plenty of companies/stores will let you demo them or buy with a solid return policy.  Try one.  If it doesn’t do what you want/need, return it.  My suspicion is that you’ll probably like what you hear.
I hear you. It’s a $2k+ “gamble” to install a new streamer and deploy its “workflow” methodology. Maybe there will be a difference.

however, for me, that’s where I draw the line.
maybe my node 2i feeding a chord Qutest DAC gets me to “92%” of what streaming digital can be. I,m just not willing to spend $1,000-$2000 per incremental 1% to get somewhere that is otherwise undefined and therefore not valued....for me.

sure, I bet there’s “better” out there.
but I’m happy here...;-)
@ozzy62 .. similarly, I have a Node 2 and an MHDT Lab Pagoda. When curiosity got the best of me I went the Sonore route and picked up a microRendu for less cash than the Node 2. The difference in sound quality wasn’t exactly night and day but the refinement was easy to hear. The microRendu now feeds a Schiit Eitr before the Pagoda and I prefer this arrangement to a direct USB connection. With the Eitr in play there is no contest. When the time comes to update/upgrade I won’t hesitate to move up within Sonore’s line.
I have a Bryston BDP3.  Compared to the Bluesound it’s like going from 1080 resolution to 4K display.  The old standard was pretty good until the new shows up.  More bass, richer midrange, gobs of detail, more ambience