i have asked PD Creative to look at the measurements of both the Zen Stream and the Node 2i and compare them. i have not received an answer from them. i suspect that the Zen Stream is better than the Node 2i even after their PSU upgrade.
Upgrading Bluesound Node power supply with PD Creative (Hans B. reviews on Youtube)
Prices for streamers can vary a lot, and the Bluesound Node series has gotten good attention as a lower-tier priced streamer. Most who appreciate it also send its sound stream to an external DAC.
I've replied in some threads that upgrading the power supply of the BS Node could elevate its performance without needing to spend many times the price of the Node. (I got mine for about $400.) I've recommended PD Creative as a place to get the needed power board which replaces the one inside the Node, making it now connectable to a linear power supply.
When I corresponded with PD Creative, they responded quickly and helpfully, despite the fact that at that time my correspondent was getting his personal home ready to take and house a family fleeing the war in Ukraine. Talk about multi-tasking.
Hans has done a service with this video, not only explaining how the PD Creative upgrade works, but also by illustrating it and commenting on the sound of the upgrade with multiple linear power supplies. He's fan of PD Creative, and so am I.
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@rrboogie Thanks for chiming in. Can you specify what improvements you gained as you moved beyond the Node? Thanks! |
I installed the PD Creative board on my Node 2i and used an Allo Shanti lps. Honestly, streaming to an external DAC via spdif, I really didn’t notice much improvement at all. I ended up getting a Silent Angel Munich transport, which I found to be a huge improvement over the node 2i. I use the same Shanti lps with the Munich and its a dramatic step up in performance. Changing the power supply in the Node was a very minor upgrade for me. |
@hilde45 I've done a similar jump, so here's my experience in case it's helpful.
BlueSound N130 stock -> added PD Creative upgrade -> added Denafrips Venus 2 -> added Denafrips Terminator Plus -> upgraded to Lumin U1 with X1 PSU into Termi Plus.
Upgrading the power supply on the Node yielded better sound across the board and was fantastic bang for the buck. I noticed most improvement when using the inboard DAC on the Node but there was still improvement when feeding an external DAC. Highs were clearer, more bass, music had more energy, and soundstage was more precise.
Moving to the Lumin was night and day (as it should be for 10x the cost). The improvement was not subtle. Darker background, cleaner and clearer treble, significantly better bass and texture, midrange bloomed, and the soundstage was larger and more precise, and music was simply more engaging and lifelike. |
@christianb5s4 and @cforsythe Thank you for relaying your recent experiences. I've been playing around with different DACs lately, and so a better streamer is now on my mind. Both of the options you mention seem plausible. The Munich M1T looks interesting -- it's priced way below the Lumin line, for sure. |
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