Upgrade from BS Node 2i?

Hi OP

Maybe consider the Innuos Zen series; with the launch of the new Pulse range of streamers, it's possible to find pre-loved Innuos Zen units on auction sites at good prices, such as the Innuos Zen Mini Mkiii, as users upgrade to the Pulse models

Good luck 👍

OP,

Congrats on your current system. Before you pay for upgrades there are some freebees that are very important. I have an Anthem preamp with ARC, when you run it you get a nice graph (which you can see in my profile). If you could post your ARC results that is a good place to begin. As far as streamers I use both a Paradigm Link and a Martin Logan Unison, both Anthem companies. You paid about $3K more than the AVM70 because the 90 has better DAC’s in it. I don’t know that buying a new DAC will be as much as an upgrade than just being different. I would get the acoustics in your room super dialed in before spending more $. If you could post your system it will help, when I checked your profile the link is empty.

The ARC graph will look like this, yours will probably include charts for your subs and other speakers as well. If you need help posting it just reply:

@kota1 i plan on using the 90s dacs still. I was looking for something  better than bluesound but not in the stratosphere. I’ve spoken to so many that say other parts of the streamer contribute to the sound quality as much or more than just the dacs. I honestly don’t know how much stock I put in that, but I’m typically a HT guy. Thats why I’m curious what, if any, sonic improvements I’ll gain when still running coax 

If you plan on using the dac in your Anthem, then you may want to consider the Lumin U2 Mini versus the D2.  

It would be interesting to see if you can compare a new streamer with your Bluesound 2i. I have the 2i and also a newer streamer (a DIY built to very high standards), but in all my comparisons, the DAC is the component that made a noticeable difference. I honestly don’t see that a very large upgrade in sound can come from a streamer-only change compared with other weak points in the system. But if you think the rest of your system is as strong as it can be (including room acoustics), I suppose a streamer upgrade is the next logical step.

P.S. Perhaps the greatest improvement I have made in my system by a factor of 10x was to put my speakers on podiums. Not subtle.

OK, you may want to watch this review of the Eversolo DMP-A6 where the reviewer compares it to the Lumin and the Bluesound Node. It’s made by a Chinese company called Zidoo, I own one of their media players and they deliver good quality.

https://youtu.be/vniWmD-HAoU?feature=shared

My Dad has the Eversolo A6 and it is a good unit for the money.   I have a Vault 2i in my second system and an Aurender N200 in my main system.    

The A6 does just about everything those do,  and more.   He has it connected via USB  to his McIntosh MA8950 and it sounds really good.

He has had it since end of June with zero hiccups.   There is a lot of tech in that little box and it sounds  good

If you are tech savvy and are searching purely for a music streamer and not a local file server, you can consider the Sonore OpticalRendu with a quality linear power supply. It will surpass many other “standalone” units that look a lot prettier for about half the price. Otherwise, as an Aurender dealer, I can attest that Aurender’s sound quality is worth the price of entry. You can find preowned entry level units that will likely fit your budget and sound excellent. 

An Innuos Pulse Mini is around $1200 I think, and it comes with their Sense app that gets high marks for both usability and sound quality.  They also offer very good customer support should you ever need it.  Best of luck. 

Since you don’t like the BluOS app the point maybe mute but why don’t you upgrade the power supply in your node?  The improvement is not subtle and a good LPS can be had for a few hundred bucks.

I have the STR Stack (see virtual system) and went from the BS Node 2i to a Lumin U1Mini to the Aurualic Aries G1. The Lumin was awful on all aspects including the App. 

Once I got the G1 I went into my preamp via coax, optical and USB with the latter winning to my ears. I have since upgraded the internal power supply, added a Network Acoustics Muon Pro and I feel I have a really good sounding streaming system. 

Ifi zen stream maybe. According to these guys it is cheaper and better. 
 

https://youtu.be/r7RMblioXuY?si=W5mQzp3IJitx2-Uo

I like the idea of separating streamer and DAC - more opportunity to adjust sound via the DAC without having to sell the whole thing. I moved from a Node to the Lumin U2 Mini and a Topping DAC (tried a few and ended up with the old D70s with the AKM chipset). I found the DAC in the Node just ok and I had the Lumin D2 for a bit and really didn't like the sound - found it dull and lifeless. I like the Lumin app better than BluOS - lot of functionality although it's kind of ugly.