Bluesound Node2 with outboard DAC

I have a BS Node (2021) going to a Denafrips Pontus.

before that I had a Chord Qutest with a Teddy Pardo Linear Power Supply.
Sold the Qutest when I got Pontus and put the TP LPS on my Node. That made a big positive impact!

Dont listen to those who bash the Node as a stand-alone streamer. The DAC…?…yes, it is just so-so and most here use a dedicated DAC. ButI chose Node over Lumin and others BecuAse:

1. Good interface

2. Can use it via Wifi (and Ethernet)

3. Has Tidal Connect, AirPlay 2 (for legacy Apple Music) and Bluetooth APTx (for guests and wife!)

4. good price point

5. great looking

6. app works with very limited bugs!

The Node 2i DAC is OK but can easily be improved upon.  I had the Denafrips Ares II which s much better at $7-800. I moved up to the Pontus which is even better.

Just this week I replaced the Node 2i with an opticalrendu package from Little Green Computer which at $1500 is amazing.

You have lots of choices.  You're probably better off starting with a stand alone DAC and possibly upgrading the streamer later.  For around $2000 the Pontus is a superb DAC and there are others out there also.  

I have a Node2 connected by coaxial to the DAC in my Marantz AV8805 preamp. It was noticeably better than using the internal DAC.  

We have a Node with AVM 70 using its AKM

4490 this seems much better than the the Dac in the Node generation 3

IMO you don’t need to spend anywhere near 2-3k on a dac to see a massive improvement from the node dac. I’ve had RME Adi-2, akm dac inside Micromega m100, and now running a Burson Composer 3xp. All sound noticeably better than the node alone. I would think even on of the couple hundred dollar Chinese dacs would better the node easily.