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Bluesound node 2i

Hi all

My Audio Research CDT1 is apparently unrepairable so I've been thinking about replacing it with a network streamer instead of another transport.  The local audio shop has the Bluesound Node 2i and it has a digital out that I can plug into my DAC, so it seems like a possibility.  But then the sales person said something that seems a bit strange to me: he claims that the sound will be much better if I plug it directly into the router than if I let it use the wireless.  Does anyone have any experience that would back up or refute this claim?  I admit I am a Computer Scientist not an Electrical Engineer, but I would have thought that any decent wireless streamer would buffer the input that came in and I think my DAC buffers and re-clocks whatever input it gets, so I'm not sure why this should matter.  For context I have Google WiFi and 450 Mb per second service.  Any other streamers I should consider? I know a lot of folks seem to like the Audiolab 6000N. Thanks for any comments.

Howard
howardlander

Showing 1 response by jazzman7

jazzman7
360 posts
 
The Bluesound Node 2i is a nice piece and good value for the money.
Like most of its competitors, more often than not, it will behave and perform better using a wired connection.  There are few streamers that actually are designed to perform better using a wireless connection, with some of the Auralic offerings (with much higer price point than the Node 2i) among the notable exceptions.  You will tend to have less dropouts and better resolution going the wired route, especially with hi res material streamed over the internet.
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