New at Qobuz - no HiRes sound

tjkurita: I agree with you that the DAC is the bottleneck. However, I am quite happy with the ML 30.5 listening to other sources (CD, DAT) so my plan is to have a dedicated DAC for my streaming source. As I am not happy with the BluOS user interface anyway and I can not spend lots of money for a DAC (plus streamer) right now I think that this TEAC unit will help me achieve this goal. Let's see (hear)....

Just a quick update after about one year ownership of the TEAC NT 505: Great sound quality with the built-in DAC (if you followed my post you know that i use a Mark Levinson 30.5 as my "default" DAC but it can not convert the hi-res files so I am using the TEAC for that). The only setback I have from the beginning is the user interface (I tried HR and Lumin but think Linn is the best for my needs). With my previous node and Spotify I was much more satisfied.

Anyway: The TEAC is a great unit!

Thank you for all your responses. Meanwhile I did more testing in trying to find a solution. Here is what I found:

If I play "Hi-Res" on Tidal, my Mark Levinson indicates a sampling rate of 48kHz on the display. Regular quality reads "44.1". So there must be a distinction between these two modes on Tidal.

I reset my node2 and re-configured it. Took me a while as this process is flawed, as far as I can tell. Anyway, I can play music from Qobuz, however some albums do not play at all (e.g. Pat Metheny, Bright size life). No matter what sampling rate I choose on Qobuz, even with "CD 44.1kHz" it does not play at all. And yes: I reset the apps to ensure that this sampling mode is on.  Other albums either show 44.1 or 48 on the Mark Levinson display. Does that mean that this record only plays on the higher resolutions?
If I use the analog output of the node2 and connect it to the pre-amp I can listen to this album. So that seems to confirm that this album (and probably others) will only play with DACs that accept such high sampling rate. I guess I am out of luck with my ML.

Any comments or suggestions?

Yes I think you are absolutely correct. I am still testing and see if a change to Qobuz makes sense to me based on my DAC limitations. I was able to compare the same recording (Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms) played by Spotify, Tidal and Qobuz using my ML 30.5: Quality with Qobuz was best, and interestingly the ML displayed "HDCD" when playing this track. Soundstage and -depth was amazing. I guess what I am doing is using the node2's DAC for my streaming source (except where my ML is capable of converting) and use the ML solely for my CD and DAT sources. In direct comparison the ML provides the better soundstage and a tighter image than the node2 but I have to say the performance of the node2 is impressive, in particular when considering the price difference.
Your info about the Denafrips is well noted. I will perhaps upgrade my node2 for a better DAC and a better user interface. 
Thank you again for your input!

Yes I think so: I am probably looking for a new DAC but I can not spend a lot of money on that....
Still struggling with identifying an economical solution here.

Great - Thanks! I will look this up

@big_greg: I looked up the TEAC. Is it correct that I need to connect to my router via cable and that there is no WiFi-option? 

Indeed, I have options but I am currently looking for the most economic solution, so probably a DAC only unit is what I am going for. Would you know how much I need to budget for a unit better than that integrated into the Node2 - "the next best thing"?

Thanks for your feedback and your suggestions.

@big_greg: Sorry our messages overlapped. I will try connection via a wireless access point (TP-Link) which I already have in my house. However some comments in this forum make me believe that such connection is prone to signal interruptions. We will see. What user interface are you using with your TEAC?

Thanks! I looked into the TEAC unit that was suggested earlier and I ordered one. Looking at the reviews on this forum it seems to be a good fit, especially now that Onkyo USA is clearing out their stock. The downside I am seeing is that (a) I need to hardwire the TEAC to my router (which in my case is on a different floor) and (b) looking at the comments on this forum it does not seem that its user interface is better than that of the node 2 (BluOS), which I hate.
However, I am looking forward to a significant better audio experience.

Well I can definitely post my findings about TEAC vs ML here. Not sure though about the Denafrips...

@big_greg: Thanks. I will start doing the same using my TP-link. Hopefully this is going to work. If not, I need to pull a cable from the basement....
How do you rate the User Interface of the TEAC? Or are you using something else? I am primarily listening to Qobuz and Tidal. Any recommendation?

@benzman: No idea. Looks like they are selling black versions only

@jond: I tried the entire setup options list of the node but could not find a working (downsampling) mode. Perhaps I missed something? In any case I am ok with the Node's DAC quality at this price point but my hopes are that the TEAC will beat it.

Thanks! So I will check out the Lumin App as soon as I receive the TEAC (one week from now).

Update: So I was finally able to get my TEAC. As per big_greg's description, the unit is a real upgrade to my node 2. I am not ready for a final verdict but the soundstage is significantly improved. I was not able yet to compare the DAC with my MarK Levinson as I need to get an additional cable but will report back when I have that info. Setup was very easy and I did not experience any hiccup.
The downside is the TEAC HR user interface as big_greg explained earlier. I did not find the Lumin app to be better and as I only use the streaming part of the app, I found the Linn Kazoo the best so far:  It allows me to access playlists and is an overall better navigation tool (my opinion!). I am still puzzled that some basic functions like random title play of a playlist or an album are not available. Also: All of the apps tested do not allow to continue a playlist once you manually selected a title from the list. You either start at the beginning or you need to skip titles until you reach the desired track. Any comments or suggestions are welcome. I am very happy with the TEAC. Thanks big_greg!