Quick USB question

As a Bluesound Node owner from early 2021, my understanding has been that the USB port is an input point for stored files only and that the device does not interface with a DAC except via coax or optical outputs.  This is the reason I’ll probably upgrade at some future point although the SQ of my Node 2i is certainly satisfying to me at this point, even without an external DAC, and I hope to put 500,000 more miles on it, so to speak, before moving on to something like a Lumin or similar streamer.

There are cheap and efficient USB port replicators on Amazon. I’d stay away from simple splitters. Google USB bridge.

@lg1 

The manual says the USB is an audio 2.0 output under the specs and the says it’s a type A port for external drives. So that’s part of my confusion.

@antigrunge2 

I’m trying to get something better than the $2-$10 ones I found online. 
 

Let me rephrase my question,

Does someone make a decent USB A/B switch?

Try a powered USB hub. You might get by with a passive one if you aren’t powering any of the devices through the USB port.

Best USB hubs of 2022

Thanks @danager 

I’ll check it out tomorrow.

JD

Another way to make your music collection available without using the USB is to transfer the files to a NAS drive and let the Node access them over your network. That will also make them available to any other network streaming players in your home. Then you can use the USB output to a suitable DAC as you intend. 

I have a Node 2i and I wonder if you can really hear a distinct difference in higher cost streamers.  When I first purchased my BlueSound, they sold me a ProJect DAC.  I found the DAC made it sound thinner. So I disconnected the ProJect and the sound was better.  I now have my BlueSound connected to my ARCAM AVR 550 with a high-end digital cable.  The person I purchased the digital cable said by connecting using digital, I would be using a better DAC inside my ARCAM.  By doing so, I lost MQA.  Did I make the wrong decision by connecting using a digital cable and giving up MQA?

@larry5729

Can’t you just do a comparison of with MQA and without and see which one you prefer? Lots of people live without MQA and prefer hi-rez over MQA (Qobuz vs Tidal).

A better streamer can makes a difference. It will lower the noise floor, reduce the jitter issue associated with digital audio but only if the DAC can actually resolve the difference. The USB interface is quite problematic and requires some extra circuitry to be top notch (there are those who say it will never compete). You can put premium gas in a econobox and it won’t make much of difference but regular gas in a Corvette is quite noticeable.

I’m a believer “The first watt is the most important watt.” and that what you feed it is even more critical. Get the best input you can afford even if it causes you to rethink your budget on cables, amplifiers and even speakers. There are many ways to get big buck sound but all of them begins with the input.

@crustycoot 

The Node doesn’t see my Terramaster NAS. If I can figure out the trail, it will see my external hard drive. But I don’t leave my computer on 24/7, so I really didn’t try.

@larry5729 

No question better quality streamers make a huge difference… limited by how good your DAC and rest of your system is. I have probably used a dozen different streamers over the last twenty years and finally started getting audiophile quality streamed music when I got my first Aurender. 
 

Also, the best streaming service is Qobuz… I don’t think they do MQA. I think I remember MQA from Tidal. MQA was a good idea that came too late. Qobuz has over 500,000 high resolution albums. I would recommend that service.