Don’t replace the Node 2i, it is very nice little streamer that would cost three times its cost to exceed. If anything, in the future you might consider adding a stand alone DAC, but again, multiples of its cost for any real benefit.
There are other things to consider first. After any basic (and needed) hardware changes, I would buy Canare 4s11 speaker cables and Canare L-4E6S interconnects from a vendor such as Markertek or Redco. The total for the above very nice cables would be very reasonable cost.
There are other things to consider first. After any basic (and needed) hardware changes, I would buy Canare 4s11 speaker cables and Canare L-4E6S interconnects from a vendor such as Markertek or Redco. The total for the above very nice cables would be very reasonable cost.