DAC PREFERENCES TO MATCH WITH NODE2

Thank you all.
After listening to my decision(s), will provide commentary that might be helpful to others.

dct

I am using Benchmark DAC-3. Highly recommended. Roon will give it another boost.

RME ADI-2 or Topping D90.

Your direction depends on what sound you prefer. Tube sound? Look for a used R2R DAC. I went from using a Node 2i for streamer & DAC and purchased a used Audio Mirror Tubadour III DAC. The sound improvement was massive. It was like buying a whole new system and that is not exaggeration. The DAC in the Node is no doubt a great DAC for the price but it’s not a great DAC.

The improvement I saw from going to an outboard dedicated DAC prompted me to upgrade to a dedicated streamer. If the improvement on the DAC was that big than I must be able to get just as big of an improvement if I spend the same amount on a streamer! I went and bought a used Lumin U1 mini which I am happy with but the improvement was no where near the scale as the DAC. Just an FYI.

Good luck on your search. So many options it’s impossible to narrow it down as you’re going to get as many recommendations as you get replies. Start with trying to provide what type of sound your looking for and you’ll get good honest replies. Hopefully something rises to the top.

op

do a search, much written on other threads on good modern cost effective dacs - by me and others who have run the gamut

With a $1K budget:  
Shopping Used:
Ayre Codex for just under $1000 (have listened to a lot), and this would be my number 1 pick in your price range.
Bryston BDA-1 for $600 or so (own one, and still a good value at this price point.
Can highly recommend the Chord Qutest (own one), but that DAC goes for around $1400 on the used market.
I'm sure the panel can recommend many others at your price point.

First, thank you greatly for your commentary. 

For context, I've been hooked on audio since teenage years that were dominated by the original AR  amp and Ar 2's, and their bigger speakers, the AR Turntable and through stuff too numerous to mention.  Regret giving away my Dahlquists years ago.  Same with Martin Logans, those in a dedicated listening room.

I'm running now what many (I read Audiogon too) will smirk at: my old but lightly used Rotel amp is an RB 956 AX, it's pre amp gathering dust in a closet, biwired to B&W 702's. via a Bluesound Node 2.  I have no need to listen to my otherwise wonderful Denon DCD 1560 because Tidal and Qobuz (via ethernet) are giving me more that I've ever experienced, frankly.

Incidentally I detect a small quality improvement MQA over Qobuz hi rez but wouldn't wager much in a blind tasting.

I have my satisfactory. few-years-old Sonos amp providing tunes to the lanai, too.

Listen primarily to Jazz these days, with a renewed appreciation for Keith Jarrett at the moment, (we have a musical loss there)  but never turning away from well recorded Blues, and a Tedeschi-Trucks and Bonamassa fan too.

Re budget, yes, to a $K or so but with the ability to return what does not make a significant difference to these ears. I'm not unhappy with what I hear, just curious about what's around corners.

My RME replaced a NAD M51, a very good DAC no doubt but the RME has clarity unlike any other source I've ever used .   Bass is incredibly realistic,  upright bass and kick drums, which are tough to reproduce , are faithfully rendered.   Its dynamic, detailed,  black background.   Plug and play with any device I have connected via USB...software is excellent no need for drivers .   Install the RME digicheck software and its a bi directional recording interface....   more importantly it just works.  With iPhone, iPad, windows 10, Samsung Tab....have music on a device?  Play it right through the RME's USB input...  great remote, selectable digital filters, 5 Band PEQ ,  Loudness contour ( adjustable), Bass, Treble, Balance, very good headphone amps with Cross-feed,  a bunch of other stuff too if you dig into the 70 page manual.. 

Another Bluesound / RME ADI-2 fs DAC user. The RME will destroy the internal Bluesound DAC. No MQA on the RME, but you’ll forget about it immediately.

I switched from Tidal to Qobuz.... much better sound and user interface in my opinion....  using a Bluesound Vault 2i and its connected to a RME adi-2 DAC fs , and the sou d quality is great.  Don't know what your budget it, but if its around $1k you should give it consideration 

hilde

turn off caps lock

listen to science

vote

don't kick your cat cuz you hate your life

hahahaha

@jjss49 

I think "turn off your caps lock" is the message the rest of the world is sending us right now. Bumper sticker idea of the day.

op

1) turn off caps lock

2) tell us more about your system and what improvements you seek in terms of sound quality, budget, etc

3) do you have to have full mqa capability with the dac?  as others have said, the proposition is questionable in value

I think MQA is bad news for everyone connected with music apart from MQA employees.  Now would be a good time to drop it and move to the glorious Qobuz.  

+1 soix, fuzztone Pretty sure that Qobuz is the way to go, though the half-price-ness of Amazon has "got me goin' now."

MQA is just a proprietary scheme to extract your money.

Ditch Tidal and get Qobuz so you can stop worrying about stupid MQA and open up tons more DAC alternatives. 

" ANY SUGGESTIONS?"
Yes, take off your caps lock ....

This might get you started: https://forum.audiogon.com/search/index?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=dac+for+bluesound

First, a few questions.
(1) What is your budget?
(2) Are you open to buying pre-owned kit?
(3) How important is it to you that the DAC does MQA?
Note that when connected to a non MQA DAC, BluOS will still perform the first MQA unfold getting you all the way to 96Khz. In my view most of the goodness is to be had within the first unfold, and wouldn't sweat it if the DAC was MQA capable or not ... but that is just me.