Just got a new Bluesound Node. Very disappointed!

@last_lemming 

"What I mean is the song is the song (the digital data), from a digital standpoint unless it get modified in the digital realm," 

It does get modified in the digital realm by xmos chip or similar when converting the streaming signal to something that can be transmitted via cable which sounds like optical in your case. Optical typically has the lowest resolution/sq compared to usb AES or I2S.  I would try a usb connection if the hardware has that option and as others have said, seems like a setting somewhere could be the main culprit....  

Thanks for the responses I’ll respond to a few questions

i did turn off the clock. Didn’t make any difference 

i use the coax and toslik out to evaluate. The coax is a good hi-end cable. 

I have not tried going straight from the BSN rca out to the preamp. 
 

this system used an ARC Classic 60 tube amp, Herron 1a/166 preamp, and the NAD M51 DAC. Speaker cables are PAD, and cabling is all over the place now, but is currently Cardas Clear light. 

Hi,

I agree with other comments. I suspect that you have a faulty Node. I bought mine a year ago with the sole purpose of streaming Radio Paradise MQA. Used as a stand alone until buying a TEAC ud701N which accepts MQA in via spdif and usb. Having read your findings I had a session today with the Node as a stand alone player/DAC, listening to RP and quobuz hires tracks. Bass is solid with good definition of bass guitar and kick drum. Not quite as good as the TEAC nor is the wide detailed top end. I don’t hear what you describe. Amp is Luxman and speakers Dali Epicon 6 with hybrid soft dome and ribbon tweeters. Reasonably resolving. Mazzy Star is playing as I write and lovely “air” to vocals and instruments. Hope you solve the mystery. Both TEAC and node are fed with Audioquest cinnamom ethernet cat 7. Audioquest power cables and Chord rca/ XLR./ coax. 

"AUDIO OUTPUT FIXED" setting helped mine sound better.

That is my setting as well