lg1 ... just to give us some needed context, can you tell us about the rest of your system. With the right system something like the Chord Qutest can be an absolute game changer. But that being said, given the rest of your system, is a DAC the best place to employ your next x number of dollars? So specifically, what are you using for amp and speakers. And I'd still recommend spending some time with the Node 2i for a little while before jumping the gun on the next dollar spend for your system.
Jaw Dropping Improvement?
60-something, intermittent earner here (Read “mostly starving-artist with the rare, unexpected windfall here and there.”) who has just acquired a Bluesound Node 2i. I’d be very interested to hear what external DAC, in your experience-and-opinion gave such a dramatic improvement in SQ over that of a stock Bluesound streaming device as to be jaw dropping...an absolute game changer. Does such an animal exist for less than $2000 U.S. or are improvements at this price point more in the nature of subtleties? Somewhere in between? To be sure these things are subjective but your take on this would give me a running start on researching things here with a fairly tight budget being considered — If subtle-to-low/moderate level “tweaks” to SQ are all I can expect from, say, a Qutest or Gungnir Multibit, I’ll probably stay with just the streamer and be happy.
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.