Will adding an external DAC to my setup improve SQ significantly?

Good evening everyone!

Just a short message to thank all of you again for your inputs and opinions, I am learning much and so glad to be a member of such a community where I can benefit from the experiences of so many fellow enthusiasts.

I have decided to first invest in a few collateral improvements, such as better cables and cleaner signal transmission, etc.

I also need to do some more experimenting of my existing three DACs before purchasing a fourth one, that certainly makes more sense...

So thanks again, I'll keep you posted on the evolution of things and most of all... keep enjoying the music, beacause it's my main goal and joy!!

Cheers,jlr261

@gadios

Will the results of the Arizona DAC shootout be published on-line?

Great advice to you here! 

I agree on trying out the DAC in the Peachtree as it’s a free and fun thing to do. 

I have a NODE 2i as well. It’s a fairly good DAC but nothing special and it’s a tad noisy.  See https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-bluesound-node...

as folks say, it’s really a matter of improving overall quality while zoning in on what you want most. Some DACs are state of the art and won’t offend but may sound sterile to you. 

I moved to a tube DAC.  The Doge Audio 7. See https://www.doge.audio/products/tube-dac/doge-7-tube-dac/

It’s slightly north of your budget. 

One thing you you could do on the cheap is to reduce jitter. I love this product ! See https://ifi-audio.com/products/spdif-ipurifier/

Good morning everyone!
I can't  thank you enough for your various suggestions and advice, it really helps me to learn more about this wonderful hobby, and hopefully, make sound decisions as to what the next move could be.

mahler123: thanks for sharing your experience with the Node 2 and associated equipment.

Lalitk: I am really intrigued by the Denafrips Ares II, on which they are currently offering a 10% discount on an already quite reasonable price... I can afford it !! May very well pull the trigger and resell should it not work out...

everest_audio: thanks,  I wasn't  sure there would be no difference between WIFI and wired connection... 

jazzman7: I hear you loud and clear, each person's  perception will be different. But since I currently reside in the Central African country of Gabon, where there is NO serious audio reseller, I have to pretty much rely on forums,  reviews, and occasional trips abroad  to have a listen... I have read several of John Darko's reviews, and a few from Mike Lavorgna, and enjoyed them thoroughly.  

Thanks again everyone  and keep it coming!

Regards, jlr261

jlr621,
In your quest, try to tune into what you are looking for.
DACs have different personalities.  Don't get hung up on the chip set.  It is the manufacturer's implementation of a given chip set is where the rubber meets the road, especially with respect to the op amps.  Two different DACs using the very same chip set may exhibit very different personalities based upon differences in their implementation.  What matters most is what you yourself like.  So my advice to you would be to go forth and listen, at friends, at dealers, to figure out what you like best.
Also seek out reviewers that you trust, and have a good sense of how to interpret.   I personally seek out reviews by both John Darko and Mike Lavorgna.   Happy hunting.  

jlr261, to answer your question, you shouldn't hear any sound quality difference going from wifi to Ethernet on your Bluesound.

Check out Denafrips Ares II, great sounding DAC and incredible value. It will be a perfect companion for Node 2i.

Spotify offers low resolution streaming hence your CD’s sounds better. Stick with Tidal or Qobuz streaming for better listening experience.

As mentioned, you already have 3 DACs.  I have the Bluesound Node2, and Oppo 105 and 203s, which I will presume have better DACs than the 93.  I have never heard the Peachtree.
  The Node2 DAC is ok but can definitely be bettered.  At one point I was running into an old PS Audio DLink3 that I had lying around unused and the old DAC definitely improved the sound.  I gather that you prefer the DAC from the Node over that of the Peachtree so I would think that a modestly priced DAC will up your system

Dear gadios7, everest_audio, and jazzman7,

First of all, thanks very much for your useful insights.

gadios7: I am keen on learning the results of the DAC shootout. A good number of the units included are somewhere in my wish list...

everest_audio: I currently use the Coaxial out from the Node 2i going to the Peachtree Audio's coaxial 1. As of now, I use our WIFI to connect the Node 2i to our home network, would changing to an Ethernet hookup improve SQ?


Jazzman7: I am really impressed with what I read on the various forums, etc. about the Chord Qutest, and of course, Bryston is a very well regarded brand all around. Will the results be available for Audiogon members?


Have any of you had a chance test/hear some of the more affordable Chinese brand DACs. I've read good things about DENAFRIPS, SMSL, TOPPING, etc.
The specs of the units I have considered are quite high, but I do understand that this does not mean that all components used are of a high enough caliber to bring the most out of the units (hence the very competitive prices?). Curious to see what you guys think about these brands.


At this point, it appears to me that a worthwhile improvement in my setup's SQ is not really available unless I upgrade to a way above average DAC...

Mind you, I am currently satisfied with the SQ I obtain, but I have noticed that my redbook CD's going through the OPPO player + Peachtree sound somewhat more refined and detailed than the music I stream from SPOTIFY, etc.


Hence my original post. Certainly, I also want to learn about the various possibilities out there.


Voilà, thanks again, I am in no real hurry, just curious and taken by this most wonderful of hobbies: Music listening/enjoyment!!!

Regards to all,jlr261

I have a Bluesound Node 2i in my main rig and have used it with both a Bryston BDA-1 and more recently with a Chord Qutest.  So for me personally the answer would be a most definite yes.  Depth of sound stage, ability to see into the music, and hear things you otherwise would not are all present with a good outboard DAC.   But a warning, higher quality DACs such as the Bryston and the Chord tend to be more incisive and revealing, and with some recordings, especially poorer recordings, may be less forgiving than the Bluesound's own inboard DAC.  It all depends upon what you are looking for.   You could probably find something along the lines of the Bryston BDA-1 for around $700 used (it's a 10 year old design but was a $2000 piece in its time).  The Chord Qutest is a current model, and with a little looking could probably land a new one for around $1600.  I can recommend both of them highly at those respective price points. 

Have you tried using the digital out of the Node 2i to the Peachtree to see what it sounds like using the DAC in the Nova 125? I don't know if it will be better or worse than the DAC in the Bluesound, but it may be a sound you prefer.

Thank you all for your inputs and opinions, I suspected that a significant SQ improvement would involve much more expenses.Certainly, I'll give auxinput1's advice to look into better cabling some thought. Do you have any specific suggestions in view of my setup? To be quite honest, I am quite impressed with the SQ I get now, but thought it would be a good idea to continue exploring possibilities...Again, thanks very much and happy listening!jlr261

There’s an L.K.S. MH-DA004 on usaudiomart for $800 from New York. It’s pretty much half of retail.  That being said, I think the interconnects and cabling are definitely a weak link in your system.  You would probably get a bigger boost on performance by spending that $1k on new cabling instead of a better DAC. 

Looks like you may have 3 Dacs in your system already, the BS node, the Peachtree and the Oppo. I have the Node 2i and it is a strong Dac. It compares well with my Yggdrasil Dac, and performs to a higher level in my Reference system. Also does a fine job in my mid level system. Not sure $1000.00 investment will give you noticeable improvement over your Node 2i. Only way to tell is to test a few, if you can.