Has Anyone Compared the DAC On a Bluesound NODE 3rd Gen to a Separate DAC?

@tcotruvo

among standalone dacs, i would suggest you try a chord qutest or 2qute - qutest around $1400 used, 2qute at about $800 of that amount but the sound is very very close - they also benefit from a suitable filtered or linear power supply ($75-150 additional)

both will give as much airiness in soundstage and detailed midrange among dacs in this price range, and much better than the internal node n130 internal dac, which is smooth but lacks incisiveness

the topping d90 and rme adi2 provide a similar tonality to the chords with a crisp clear sound, but without the excellent imaging and as much clarity of transients

@tcotruvo 

to give you useful suggestions, please write something about how you perceive the sound of the node in your system currently (and how it might compare to other sources whose sound you enjoy more), and if it could be improved to please you, what aspects of the sound would be improved? 

yes, plenty

differences heard depends of course on specific choice of outboard dac, and quality of balance of the system/room in question (not to mention how skilled the listener is...)