To the OP: Lots of info in yesterday's discussion "NODE as a streamer". It will save me endless repetition. Life is too short.
Walk me thru upgrading from my BS Node
First off I like the Node, the box was easy to install, form factor is excellent for my space (in a credenza) and the UI is excellent... and it has been bulletproof in terms of connectivity in the wireless mode. I have been pleased with the audio quality, but I haven't really compared seriously an upgraded solution
However after reading quite a bit of opinions across the digital thread I am really curious as to the order of magnitude audio improvement.
Budget is around $5-7k
I need the singular physical box to be reasonably small, it is in a credenza so I don't need to see a screen, I would prefer a set and forget interface like the BS... once it is up and dialed in, I don't need to mess with it...wireless only as the cable reach is prohibitive, connected to a Manley Stingray II...streaming Qubuz only...
The message I get is that the BSN is a good starter solution, but upgrading the DAC/Streamer is worth the ride..
Where to look, the YT reviewers (with the exception of Amir) just fawn over every product they test...
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Do you have an external DAC? Is MQA important to you? And I tried Wi-Fi with an extender and I still had dropouts. I ended up getting a Netgear Powerline 2000+ and it’s been great! Check it out. NETGEAR Powerline adapter Kit, 2000 Mbps Wall-plug, 2 Gigabit Ethernet Ports with Passthrough + Extra Outlet (PLP2000-100PAS) https://a.co/d/hoRnpk6 All the best. JD |
+1 to the HifiRose or Lumin recommendations. Also +1 using an extender and cable. I don’t own one, but so many “fawn” over them (as you so aptly described). But serious, excellent sq and UI. I’m personally using a rpi based streamer by Pi2design. If I could swing the $$$$, however, I’d be all over the Hifi Rose. Have also heard a Lumin T1, and that is simply amazing. Also Lumin mini without a dac if you’re going to go with separates (recommended). As far as the extender, just switching from wifi to using a cable from a network connected extender actually improved sq for my setup. Too many variables to consider exactly why? But the difference was clear, obvious, palpable. Just using a TP Link extender in client mode. It requires just a bit of setup by connecting to it via laptop (recommended instead of trying wps) but super simple after that. I might also try an Ethernet RF filter. It’s been recommended on the rpi thread about my streamer. Also recommended to use only one in the path in the case of a streamer, not two. We’ll see if it does anything, cheap enough to try. Lastly, a Melco ethernet cable is a very, very nice Ethernet cable for the money.
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@poke33 Yes NAD streamers use BluOS for controlling streaming services just like the Node does. I resent the PM from yesterday as I saw your message on not having received it. Let me know if you get it. FWIW, I stay away from Hifi Rose products. While the large screens are beautiful, I find them to provide a fairly bright and etched sonic presentation at times, and congested and unclear in others. This depends on the model used. I’ve heard them at shows, dealerships, and friends’ homes, never in my own, so take that with a grain of salt. But if you compare the innards of a Hifi Rose unit with say the innards of an Aurender, you’ll see that the architecture of the Aurender is much more robust, especially in the power supply and chassis isolation. I find Aurender to be both more articulate and musical. |
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