Thoughts and suggestions please

@goodlistening64 
Thanks for clarifying that you are talking about the Node Icon.  I did not know all other versions of the Node are operating in synchronous mode only when accepting data via USB.  My hope is that there would be zero or close to it jitter from the SSD drive connected to the Node, that the Node functioning as a server would add little jitter to the signal before transferring it to the Chord Qutest DAC, and that using quality USB and coax cables along with the the ultra low noise Teddy Pardo power supply would add little extra noise.  I can say removing the Node N130’s internal switching power supply and replacing with the external Pardo made a big improvement in sound quality for serving files to my Chord DAC.

Reviewers of Node products have noted that they perform much better as streamers/servers only, and that the DACs in older models are not that good, and this has been my experience. Overall, I find the BluOS software very good, especially the latest update, and the Node can serve all my digital files or stream to any other BluOS devices in my house, all controlled by the app on my phone or iPad - convenient.

I should note that the DAC in a new Node Nano set up in my office system is qualitatively better than the DAC in my N130.  But even that is improved when running toslink out to a Chord Mojo2, bypassing the Nano’s internal DAC.  In any case, I would expect the Node Icon is as good as reviewers are saying it is (except Amir, but that is a whole other topic).

kn

Everyone can do as they wish but just a FWIW, if it hasn't come up before. Bluesound will not honor the warranty on a Node if you use anything other than their power supply.

@knownothing 

I was in the same boat for a few years with Schiit Yggy DAC. I had purchased the original Yggy many years back (2016?) and it took a couple of years before the Unison USB board became available. The Unison USB board was what provided asynchronous transfer and it was a huge difference in sound once I installed it. So it was a huge leap in sound quality. 

Yes, I guess there are two drawbacks with your Bluesound Node. The switching power supply (vs a Linear Power Supply) and the transfer not being asynchronous. The Chord DAC you have is really well respected and is not reaching it's potential. If you were to get the kind of upgraded sound I got when I installed the Unison USB board, it will be a huge sound difference. 

Just a quick look at the ICON and it too has a switching power supply, so if you were to upgrade at some point to an ICON, you may be able to use the Pardo power supply in the ICON and put the old one back into your Node for resale.  

“Bluesound will not honor the warranty on a Node if you use anything other than their power supply.”  This is correct, if they actually bother to check that you opened the box.  But for me, the low initial entry cost of their devices generally and the performance gain make the risk/reward calculation an easy decision.  Just make sure you get a quality after market power supply that provides adequate current and the correct voltage - and hope your streamer wasn’t a factory lemon.

The Node Icon supposedly has a beefier built-in switching power supply, commensurate with greater cost.  But replacement supplies are available from Teddy Pardo and others for it as well.  For this pricier Node, the financial risk is of course higher, and I do not have any experience with it, but the sound quality reward for replacing the stock supply in the N130 for me was high.

Adding a power supply with a switch also has the advantage of saving electricity, reducing your power use (however for replaced switching supplies this is small), reducing the number of lights glaring from your rack when not listening to digital music, and reducing the potential electrical fields and interference in your rack if you also have a vinyl setup.  For serious listening, I turn everything off in my rack except for the source I am using at that moment.

kn
 

@goodlistening64

Thanks for sharing that experience.  I have compared a coax (pricy The Chord Company Signature Super ARAY - from the N130) with good DHLabs USB (from computer) and toslink (from the N130) cables with Qutest.  In my system the result to my ear was coax>USB>toslink, but the difference was a bit disappointingly small given the much higher cost of the coax cable I am using, even purchased used.  Nevertheless, in my system and with my equipment, coax is slightly better sounding, and I put that down to the Qutest excellent jitter handling capabilities and the terrifically quiet Chord Company coax cable I am using.  I tried a bunch of different cables, and there is a big and noticeable range of performance among them.

With my older Chord QuteHD DAC, USB from the computer sounded better - but that was before the power supply upgrade for the Node N130 - go figure.  FWIW, I seem to recall Rob Watts, the designer of the Qutest, recommends using toslink with that DAC, but that might just be an Internet rumor.

YMMV,

kn