If you’ve heard an iFi Zen stream, anything better under $1k?

You asked which is the best under 1k. You answered your own question. The iFi is known to be “buggy”. The Node overall has the best OS and sonics at its price point. Best isn’t just sound quality, it is usability as well. Buggy is a pain in the a$$. That’s why the Cambridge lost to me. It’s a nice unit, but it crashed often. I’ve only had my Node crash once, and it wasn’t actually a crash, it was an internet issue. The OS, bombproof at least for me so far. 

I'll second geof3's mention of the importance of the OS, the human/machine interface. Both the BlueOS and the Tidal app on my iPad or iPhone are easy to understand and easy to use with my Node 2i. Any interface that you don't have to think about while you're using it is a good interface, and that means no distraction from the enjoyment of the music.

I had the CXN V2 for a while and it was extremely reliable for me with Roon, Spotify connect and optical (TV). I also have 3 PowerNodes and while very reliable I have had a couple of issues switching between inputs that require reboot to get going again.

I also have the ifi zen stream and while it sounds great and is a good value, it is a bit buggy.

Has anyone compared the Zen vs. the Sonore microRendu?

Thanks for the feedback.  I guess I never thought of the OS much because I use Roon exclusively.