Bluesound Vault 2 now or wait for CES2018?

Waiting for the next thing is a never ending game in this modern world. For such devices I prefer to have my own hard drive externally. Unless you have no way to rip cds on your computer, try a Node2 and hook an external usb drive or have is stream an external NAS drive

If you do not want to invest much, there is also the Chromecast Audio. Will work with a NAS.

buy a used Vault 2 now and enjoy it...there will be a latest and greatest every year for a while in this field...

If you have a good DAC, you can buy a used Node 1 vault, and bypass the Bluesound DAC.
I got my Node 1 on Ebay and use an Ayre Codex for the DAC.
You get all the Bluesound functionality and the higher resolution of the outboard DAC.
Bob

Even though Vault 2 came out 2 years ago, it remains very much relevant with current digital trends. Full MQA decoding, CD ripping and plethora of HD radio and HiFI streaming options. 

+laltik and +jl35. The Ayre Codex is a great addition to Bluesound but at a higher price. Part of the allure of the Bluesound is mucho functionality or versatility and at a budget price. And if you don’t stream audio or you have NOT heard MQA, you should try it firsthand to see what the fuss and firestorm is all about. 

Cheers Gents. I think I’ll pull the trigger on the Vault 2!

Kenscott! Congrats! Just wanted to share some info. You have made a really good decision because this device is tremendous. One great slice of the Bluesound pie is the customer service. These guys are smart IT reps who can really help you with any glitches or setup issues you may have. Once you have the Vault in place you will be amazed by the sound and versatility. There are better audio solutions available for four times the price! Heck you can hand pick 10 CDs from the local library every week and load them into the Vault and each time your music library grows bigger and is controlled by your smartphone. Also the last test I did with my Node 2 after a long period of loading my music files onto a MyCloud NAS for the Node 2 to serve was to stream MQA. I would have never believed streamed music could sound that good. It puts Spotify to shame... Tell us later what you think.

Congratulations, kenscott. Bluesound streamers are fantastic and as mentioned their customer support is excellent. They sound great and the BluOS and functionality is very good as well. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Scott

A bit of feedback... I purchased the Vault 2 and got a 2 month free trial of Tidal. My speakers aren’t in a great spot, now a huge room and the same old tiny digital amp. Wow, just wow. Streaming Tidal vs a ripped CD seems very close and you can really hear a difference between original, remixes and MQA versions on Tidal. The soundstage is vastly different. Now, I’ll tinker more but what an amazing investment, thank you all. Highly recommend!

Thank you,
Ken

Kenscott- I have noticed a great many people who took the leap and bought a Bluesound Node 2 or Vault have had a similar experience..."Wow". I know that there are streaming and storage units that are better, but Bluesound offers really good sound and versatlity at a tremendous price. Also, I am a big fan of customer service and they deliver. If you ever have a problem, call them. They helped me on many occasions with connection and functionality issues related to my unique setup. Enjoy the music...

BTW MQA is really awesome and Tidal's library just keeps growing.

Bluesound Nodes and Vaults are great values. You see very few on the used market.