Bluesound Node versions SQ

Why are we trying to stick a $300 streamer on a $1500 DAC?

stay in the same ballpark for optimum results. 

For just streaming, the $299 Nano gets good reviews. 

I would put my money into a Node + LPS combo, no question.  This is one of the best bangs for the buck across all audio.  Adding the LPS will reveal much more and at the same time tighter bass.  It will take the SQ of the streamer up to that of the multi thousand dollar streamers.  

I can't speak to the stability of the USB output, I'm running coax to my DAC.  The Node+LPS combo is not below the level of your DAC.  I'm running a much more expensive DAC and it sounds very, very good.  I would take a look at the Teddy Pardo LPS, I've had zero issues after the conversion.  Good luck and cheers.

Good day to you, I really can understand your situation and being on a fixed income. I too am on a fixed income, damn life can be hard sometimes. I just take a different approach about settling. If I was in your shoes, I know we’re not, but we get our sandals from the same manufacturer. I would get a WIIM mini on Amazon. Then I would take the next 8 to 10 to 12 months save like it was going out of style. At this point take your blue sound money and the money saved and look at a INNUOS or Aurender product. Taking this path allows you to immediately enjoy listening to music. Then afterwards you get to have a crazy good experience that will be well worth the effort compared to just grabbing a blue sound and living.

@ironrick6 , I started with the Node 2 (not the i version) then moved to a Node 2 (N130) with a linear power supply.  The improvement is noticeable and I would encourage you to make this move as others have.  It is entirely possible that you'll be happy with this combination for a long time.

However, just this week I added a Chord Qutest to the same Node 2 (N130) with the linear power supply.  I'm still evaluating the addition of the Qutest and not quite ready to share my thoughts on it.

If I was on a tight budget I’d get a used Node (N130 or later to get the functional USB output) and an LPS from Teddy Pardo, SBooster, or LHY.  By all accounts this setup punches well above its weight/price, and you get the Bluesound app that is better than most especially among budget streamers.  Best of luck. 

Hey guys, yes, the reason I'm on the BS/LPS idea is because there are many out there that agree that it really does take it to the next level. The Node 132 is catching my eye simply for the Dirac license, which is now available. The reason I thought about going with the 130 instead was just because I have not found out if  the actual streaming engine is better in the newer 132. No actual streamer only comparisons.  I suppose I could do the Amazon thing then return one. I have a horrible guilty conscience lol.So many variables to consider.

I've been scouring the net (Canada) for months and I'm just not seeing any of big players coming up in the 1-1.2k price range. There has been the odd one but then something like the UI/app does not appeal to me or no USB to add an external SSD drive etc. The same  reason anything that runs exclusively on Volumio is out. It's moody. I already one of those, ;) .

A pre-owned Eversolo DMP-A6 was a consideration but I'm coming across owners that now have bricks or are on a six month repair turnaround. I'm also not convinced it would be a good match for the Qutest (closing in on fatigue- age thing again!) but I might be able to get around that with tube rolling the pre-amp. (power amp is Bryston)

The Mercury V3 is still on the short list. Not sure I want to tinker much anymore though. Life is short and I have other things that demand tinkering. Not much owner info on this one.

Springing for the new Node 132 and then upgrading to LPS is a very do-able.

gKelly, I'm an impatient ol' bugger and getting worse, but I really do agree with where you are coming from on this.

Good input gents, thanks. It helps more than you might think.

@plain_fan you never got the red light of death on your node 2? I’ll never buy another bluesound product after the way they tried to play off a bad design that causes too much heat on the electrolytic capacitors in the bluesound node2, they try to play it off as a firmware update, but I tried everything they Recommended and I ended up finding a forum that said to change two capacitors in the power supply and it worked.

I would look seriously at the Wiim Ultra.  Favorably reviewed by Darco/ Huff ... it sounds great, easy to set up and has a great app!!

https://darko.audio/2024/09/this-is-the-best-%F0%9F%98%9C-wiim-ultra-review/

https://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2024/07/19/the-wiim-ultra-review-unreal-hifi-value-for-real/

I’d price out buying a used Node and a LPS, but compare that (and risks involved in tearing into it unless you have a little electronics experience) with just buying the Node 132 for $549 and being done with it. It has a better power supply per Bluesound to the point that you don’t need to futz about trying to add a LPS.

And as others mentioned, if you are going to use an external DAC, look to the new $299 Node Nano. According to some reviewers, it has better inherent sound quality than the Node 130 and Node X did (using the onboard DAC).

I’m not a flat earther, but the more research I have done over the last 5 years into all this mess, is that yeah, people on Youtube always say "buy price commensurate gear" so you aren’t leaving performance on the table. Well, maybe. But when it comes to streamers, if they are doing their job, you likely won’t hear a snail’s toes difference in SQ between them when feeding an external DAC and if you have the external DAC doing the buffering and reclocking of the data stream. One bone of contention some encounter among streamers (and DACs) is that some of them might be applying some "magical fairy dust" in DSP to the data stream. And yeah, your ears *might* prefer that fairy dust sound.

At the end of the day, get the best streamer you can that has an easy to use and reliable software user interface, feed it into your external DAC and enjoy the music.

All those on YouTube continually say that a $4K streamer sounds better than a $300 one when feeding an external DAC, but none of them, not even Hans Beekhuyzen, with his oscilloscope prop in the background, can show any data as to why that is. Guess stuff that cost more just always sounds better. I’ll sell you a Raspberry Pi for $8000 if you are so inclined. Wink, wink.

All those on YouTube continually say that a $4K streamer sounds better than a $300 one when feeding an external DAC, but none of them, not even Hans Beekhuyzen, with his oscilloscope prop in the background, can show any data as to why that is. Guess stuff that cost more just always sounds better. I’ll sell you a Raspberry Pi for $8000 if you are so inclined. Wink, wink.

@moonwatcher They might not show data, but they use their ears as have so many others here have done and have found very significant improvements with more expensive streamers.  Of course not all expensive streamers may sound better as with everything in audio, but those who have stepped up to pricier models from Aurender, Innuos, Grimm, etc. have experienced significant improvements over Nodes and other budget streamers or even when moving up the line within those brands.  What streamer are you using and what more expensive streamers have you compared it to?  If you haven’t heard any of the pricier streamers then you are speaking out of ignorance in assuming that more expensive streamers aren’t better or worth paying more for. 

@soix I’m an engineer. Show me the money (measurements). If I send a data stream of 01001101 and another streamer does the same to the exact same external DAC, and that external DAC is doing buffering and reclocking of the data stream such that jitter is not an issue, there should be no difference whatsoever. If someone says it sounds better, can they pass a double-blind test where all factors are controlled to within 0.001dB? I never see them do this or attempt it. Might make a great reality game show don’t you think?

The key is are they really passing the same data or not? Is one applying some DSP? I don’t have the digital measuring equipment, but I’d sure like ASR to get some and settle this issue once and for all. Is it real, or a placebo effect?

Just my opinion but I think that when you consider purchasing expensive streamers you reach the point of diminishing returns quickly nowadays when compared to budget streamers.

Without a doubt a more expensive streamer is going to sound excellent and better than a budget streamer such as a Bluesound.

But unlike a lot of other audio gear where budget gear is just ok compared to its high price alternative, here you are talking the difference between great sound (Bluesound for instance) and excellent sound (high priced streamers).

I am definitely in the camp that the DAC is the most important part of a streaming set up.

If I send a data stream of 01001101 and another streamer does the same to the exact same external DAC, and that external DAC is doing buffering and reclocking of the data stream such that jitter is not an issue, there should be no difference whatsoever

@moonwatcher There’s more to it than that when it comes to audio that has been discussed ad nauseam here so I’m not gonna rehash it here. If you wanna keep believing better streamers don’t sound better that’s your prerogative, but it flies in the face of 95% of people’s experience here so just maybe there’s something to it — or they’re all just wrong and fooling themselves and you’re right. Whatever you do, don’t even try a better streamer or heaven forbid use your ears. 🙄

An older Node with a LPS combined with the Qutest is an excellent way to get quality sound on a budget imo. That is of course assuming you like the sound of a Qutest. It was one combo of many that I have tried. I also tried both the LHY and Pardo upgrade kits (not much difference between the two as I recall) as well as using a Schiit Gumby and Denafrips Ares and Pontus with the upgraded Node. Not until I got an Aurender N150 and combined it with the Pontus did I notice and really appreciate the additional investment made. I have since moved up the food chain of DAC’s and streamers several notches. Neither I nor members of my audio club have ever needed blind tests to hear differences in streamers or DAC’s. Further, I don’t necessarily think that DAC’s are the most important part of streaming. Sure it’s easier to hear differences in DAC’s sometimes, but those differences (nuances) many times cannot really be appreciated to their fullest without quality streaming components, which btw also include quality cables and other ancillary components.