What you should really do if possible is get a Pulse Mini and run that into the Hermes and then get an external LPS for the Innuos (not necessarily the pricey Innuos LPS as there are good ones that are much cheaper) and you’ll be at a higher level. A cheaper alternative would be to get a LPS for the Node that will give you a meaningful performance boost although not likely on the level of the Pulse Mini with LPS. Either way you want to keep running the Hermes with the Pontus to take advantage of the i2S connection that makes a big difference in performance. Just my $0.02 FWIW.
Node 2i + DDC Upgrade to PulseMini?
Currently I have a Node 2i streamer that feeds a Denafrips Hermes DDC. I have a budget of $2k max - a little less is better. I am thinking about upgrading the Node 2i to a PulseMini. My questions are 1) will the PulseMini sound better than the Node 2i + Hermes DDC? 2) If I get the PulseMini will it sound better if I connect it to the Hermes DDC? 3) Is there a better option for $2k or less? I’ve read several threads on streamer options for $2k or less and it seems like the PulseMini is one of the better ones. If the PulseMini by itself is the way to go I will use the Node 2i and the Hermes DDC for a headphone system.
Here's my system and room setup-
Hardwired ethernet to Node 2i. Node 2i to Hermes DDC via coax. DDC to Denafrips Pontus II via I2S. Pontus II to Luxman 507uXII via XLR. Luxman to Harbeth SHL5+ speakers.
The room is 23’-6”L x 13’-4”W x 8’-3”H. The speakers are 1/3 of the room length from the front wall and 32” from the side walls. The listening position is somewhere between 1/3 and 38% of the room length from the back wall. It roughly forms an 8’ equilateral triangle with the speakers. The room is acoustically treated with GIK panels that includes 8’ Tri-Traps in the two front corners, two 2’ x 3’ x 7” deep Monster Trap panels on the front wall, three 6” thick Alpha absorber/diffuser panels on the back wall. There are two 2’ x 4’ x 4” panels at the first reflection points.
I provided the room setup so some of you might have an idea of how revealing my system is and whether a streamer upgrade will be of any benefit. I like the way it sounds now and I enjoy listening to it. Still, I think it could sound a little bit better. Any suggestions or advice will be much appreciated!