Streaming

..... and I even said "Nearly".

@jw944ts  - what is the source of your music now? You say you are streaming via bluetooth from your phone, correct? What is the app on your phone that you are using? Is it Spotify, Apple Music, etc?

A Bluesound Node 2i is a dedicated streamer. It connects to the internet via wireless or hardwired. If you have great wireless in your home, it will be fine to connect via wireless. And it has a built-in DAC, so it has analog outputs that will connect to your pre-amp or integrated amp. The Node 2i supports nearly all available streaming services, like Spotify, Deezer, Qobuz, Tidal, etc. It also supports internet radio, like Radio Paradise (which is Awesome!). It can also find any music files you may have ripped anywhere on you network connected devices. It's really a jack of all trades for digital music files, steamed or ripped to a network device.

If you are interested in improving your sound quality, improved access to various music streaming services and have about $600 burning a hole in your pocket, the Node 2i is a very good way to go. As I said before. it's nearly a defacto standard in the budget dedicated digital auto streamer category. Lots of help available to you from Bluesound and the huge user community.

@jw944ts - I own a Auris BluMe Bluetooth receiver and it a very good for what it does. I previously owned a couple of less expensive Bluetooth receivers and I found the BluMe to be superior in Sound Quality and far superior in maintaining a stable connection.

However, the Auris BluMe is not a streamer. You stream music from some bluetooth enabled device, like a laptop, smartphone, etc., through the BlueMe. It simply wirelessly connects your source device to your system.

Bluetooth is reported to be lossy and compressed. You can find plenty of information on the internet regarding this. A dedicated streaming device connected directly to your system via analog cables, or digital cables, theoretically should sound better.

That said, I stream Spotify Premium (a lossy format) from my laptop via bluetooth to an Auris BluMe connected to my integrated amp. The BlueMe has a built-in DAC and it produces pretty good sound. I also run a digital cable out of the BlueMe to an external DAC, then into my integrated amp. I don't hear much difference between the analog out of the BleMe and the digital out through my DAC.

If you are happy with the sound and functionality you have now, stop right there. However, if you are not happy with the sound quality you are hearing, and/or the functionality of the streaming method you are using, do some research of dedicated streaming devices, such as the Bluesound Node 2i.

At about $550, the Bluesound Node 2i is nearly the defacto standard for dedicated audio streamers. You might want to check it out to see if it better meets your need for Sound quality and fuctionality. BTW, it also has bluetooth, so it will also do everything you are doing now, plus a whole lot more.