Upgrade from modified Bluesound Node 2i and linear power supply (LPS) ?

I went from the Vault2i to a Lumin U1 Mini and a week later after sending the Lumin back I landed on the Auralic Aries G1. The Vault is a pretty unit but the Auralic was definitely a step up and easily bested the Lumin). I currently have my Auralic for sale since I've went a step higher. 

jj, your moniker should be Dacman. 50 Dacs? Wow.

How noticeable was the Pontus 2 over the Node internal DAC? 
 

Thats the one I’m looking at also but not sure if I want to give up Tidal/MQA functionality.  I have Qobuz also for critical listening but the “connect” feature on Tidal native app is a big plus. 

I did a similar upgrade to my Node: PD PSU Interface, Jay's audio
LPS with Supra Ethernet cable. I'm using a Pontus II DAC. I have
no desire to upgrade any further at this time.   

I’m running Bluesound Node - Schiit FreyaS - Schiit Vidar - Kef R3.

I made the following upgrades to the Node this week:

1. Polish/PD PSU interface

2. Sbooster BOTW 5V LPS

3. Supra Cat 8 Ethernet cable

This wasn’t a 10% or 20% improvement. This is a whole new ballgame. Total cost is around $600 which is how much the Node costs so I guess there had better been an improvement but I wasn’t expecting this. 

I had a friend over who played a Drake song.  Immediately I was confused where all the bass was coming from.  I have a Kef KC62 sub on the way and honestly not sure if I would have ordered it had I heard bass like this before coming from the R3. Next I played the Qobuz hi res masters playlist I’m familiar with. I could make out vocals I couldn’t hear before without looking up the lyrics. Overall, I would describe the sound before the upgrades as muddled compared to what it sounds like now.

Now I think I’m going to hold off on upgrading the streamer until I’m ready to invest in the $5k plus range. I’m scared the base ~$3k models from Auralic or Lumin won’t be much of an improvement.  

Next up is an external DAC.

Sbooster installed on Node 2i. Used a long-unused Shunyata Copperhead power cable for it. I expect a 100 hr burn-in required for the Sbooster and more for the Copperhead but I’m pleasantly surprised at how good it sounds after two hours! It’s already better than the Mean-Well SMPS.   I wish had done this sooner.

For anyone who cares, use the yellow tip pin adapter #1 from the Sbooster connection kit if you installed the PD Creative power board modification. The black tip appears to fit but is actually quite loose compared to the proper tip.

Again, thank you to all of you!  This is a great forum!

Wow! I really appreciate everyone’s input!  I’m planning to purchase another Sbooster for the BS Node 2i. The first one is on the Qutest. I think I’ll wait for the chip shortage to sort itself prior to moving to another streamer platform. Plus I want to hear the improvement a LPS can do for the board upgrade modification. 

I upgrades from an NAD (bluesound) to dCS network Bridge.  These out of production now but used ones can be great value. My improvement was phenomenal.

Best wishes

Save yourself time and money buy a Stack Link 2. Brilliant streamer with its own LPS. Better than a Lumin Mini at lower cost with LPS power supply.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FitnVQYWmgs&t=1125s

if you want to deep-dive into linear power supplies for dacs, here is more info than you may want... 😁

my three comments on this reviewer - 1) i think his listening is often enhanced with thc, 2) he doesn’t do unsighted/blind testing, 3) his use of the rme adi2 as a test sub vehicle is a real weakness especially as he claims some of the lps portray a ’flat’ soundstage

nonetheless here is a lot of grist for the mill

I have the PD Creative upgrade on both the Node 2i and the new Node, with external mhdt Orchid dac.  If you do stick with the Node 2i, replacing the $20 MeanWell with the $359 Sbooster is a great idea.

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/pd-creative  

Hi auxinput: Why "(but avoid the Synergistic Orange fuse upgrade)" for the Farad Super 3?

I have the mobile fidelity board upgrade and lps.. And the streamer is as good or better than the linn klimax renew it replaced.... I first used a chord qutest but have since changed to a project rs2 dac (more for i2s to cd transport)  Both great. The project dac can unpack MQA too. But to answer question seperate lps makes a huge difference.

https://www.fidelityaudio.co.uk/psu-and-interface-378-c.asp 

@txp1, I really enjoyed the Chord Qutest before I got a TT2. It’s a great little DAC! When it comes to streaming music, I’m all in on Roon so I got a Roon Nucleus to stream Tidal and Qobuz. I have it powered by a 19v Sbooster LPS that definitely helped to improve sound quality. I use an iPad Pro and an iPhone 13 Pro Max as remote controllers. 

Thanks @audiotroy for the benchmark article. I read it from beginning to end and was impressed with the complete explanation of the quirks of audio signals. Now, if i could only see some of this information listed on amps. or even DAC's. (I have the Denafrips Pontus II after upgrading from the Ares II.   

In all of my testing, I have always gotten an improvement in sound quality when I upgrade a switching power supply to a linear power supply -- as long as it's a good linear power supply.  The Sbooster has been communicated as a very good power supply.  A really excellent power supply in my testing is the Farad Super3 (but avoid the Synergistic Orange fuse upgrade).  Keces is another good one.

USB vs Coax issues aside, The OP is curious as to the sonic benefits of moving up to a Lumin U1 mini. I also have a Node 2i with an outboard DAC and am considering my streamer upgrade options as well. I heard from a dealer that Lumin is going has discontinued the U1 Mini due to a chip shortage. So that means only stores with current stock or buying used are the only options. Also, a consideration should you need service and "that" chip is the issue. Maybe Lumin has a replacement unit in the works and maybe there is another digital streamer worth considering.

@audiotroy

you are entitled to your opinion but its just an opinion bro...

lots more to the spdif vs usb debate than asynchronous transfer and jitter... jitter is but one form of digital noise, important as it is to manage...

people own use a single dac at a time, and how that particular dac is engineered to receive what form and mode of digital feed - how clocking, galvanic isolation, aliasing etcetc determines what works best for that dac

i have been through some 50 dacs with a number of streamers using different connections since 2020... specifics matter, generalities don’t

here is a more complete explanation and discussion on the topic

https://benchmarkmedia.com/blogs/application_notes/13124137-the-unique-evils-of-digital-audio-and-how-to-defeat-them

Thanks for the input!

Jss49- I should have added that I use a Chord Qutest DAC via coax digital output from the Node 2i using a AudioQuest Carbon coax digital cable and then Cardas Golden Reference Interconnects from the DAC to a Cary SLI-80 integrated amp.

Audiotroy - FYI, not trying to debate, I only know what I’ve read regarding USB vs SPDIF inputs.  The engineer/designer of my DAC has posted in a different forum that in general the coax digital input is the best input for top audio quality on his DAC.  He’s not the only engineer who feels that way. There’s also an audio engineer who occasionally posts in this forum and has posted that getting top sound quality from USB is difficult.

Or i2s if course.

Wrong jlss the node21 I’s a decent streamer but for most modern dacs the node 2i will not derive the best sounding digital most modendacs will want to be driven by usb

Asyncronous data transfer lowers jitter

And you need usb to do so

You will be amazed at the difference

We only recomend servers or streamers that offer usb or ethernet data transmision

Yes there are devices that can or may sound great via other methods however in our tests a properly implimented Usb interface is the only way to go

A computer is not a properly implimented usb device

You need a dedicated purpose designed device to do so

Dave and Troy

AUDIO INTELLECT NJ

depends on the resolution of the rest of your system

the node 2i works pretty well as streamer but even with power supply upgrade, the onboard dac is mediocre and can easily be improved upon