Lumin U2 vs Aurender N200

However I will say that the post by lalitk mentioning the questionable thought process of OP wanting to upgrade his streamer but staying with the McIntosh dac is something worth paying attention to.

Of course, but staying with it as an interim step and replacing the DAC2 at a later date might allow for both a better streamer and better DAC than what could be purchased all at once.

Have been around this for a while... used a Node alone & it was perfectly fine, added a Rega, DACr and it was exponentially better. Went to an Elac Discovery streamer and thought that was excellent as well. The lifetime Roon feature was a huge plus. It all worked great and I was super happy with that setup. Tried an Auralic, Aeries Mini and felt the sound quality was more or less the same as the Elac but fell in love with the Lightning App; great interface. Swapped out the Rega for a Line Magnetic DAC and things improved yet again. I now use a Lumin, U2 Mini w/ S-Booster with the LIne Magnetic and it's better than ever. Really next level. Swapped out an Aural Symphonics cable for an Audience, AU24 and it's the best my streaming system has ever sounded or performed. Just a list of what works - all are very good and I've made solid steps up the ladder but for now, I'm totally in the pocket. Oh, also, recently swapped out the stock 12au7 in the Line Magnetic for (2) RCA clear tops and it's truly sublime. Just amazing and just my digital path

I was sitting on the fence for a really long time when it came to digital streamers. I must have read all similar threads on the Gon a zillion times. I finally pulled the plug on a Lumin U1X. I was previously using a Cambridge audio Azur 851N as a digital streamer into my Esoteric dac. The improvement with the Lumin was not subtle. The three main areas of improvement have been blacker back ground, way better clarity and improvement of instrument seperation even during complex passages.I think it is a worth while improvement in my book.

I searched a lot,  but could'nt find any head to head comparisons between lumin, innuos and aurender. Iam sure any of them will sound great. I have a system of separates, so wanted the same in the digital setup with no on-board storage, as I plan to add a Melco server for local library playback. But if i wanted on board storage, then both innuos and aurender would have been the main contendors. So you cant go wrong with any of them. And you wont find a definitive answer as to which is better. So you have to choose as per what features you want. And if you can get an in home demo, or buy from a dealer with a return policy, you will be in luck :)

Comments on upgrading the DAC if you are going to drop the kind of coin on a steamer make sense.  The comments on upgrading the streamer now and then the DAC down the road represent a good path.  I’ve had the Node, Lumin D2 with S-Booster, Lumin P1, Auralic G1 stand alone streamer and now a Lumin U2 mini with S/Booster.  I found improvements with a stand alone streamer.  Synergy between your streamer and external DAC are important and the interface, supporting App is key, if you hate the interface or the brand you roll with doesn’t maintain, update, support you won’t be a happy camper.  Both companies you reference are top notch when it comes to streaming, you won’t go wrong with either.  I’d recommend looking at the Lumin U2 mini and upgrading the power supply unless your plan is to drop the same or more on an external DAC down the road.  Generally, most will put more $$ into the stand alone DAC vs the Streamer as the return on investment in a Streamer once you reach a certain level drops off quite a bit.  As mentioned, Power Supplies are often referenced as a big player in how a streamer performs.  I currently use the U2 mini with a PA Audio Direct Steam 2 DAC. 
 

Good Luck and have fun! 

  I went from a Bluesound Node 2i to the Aurrender N200.  Night and day.  My DAC is a Berkeley Alpha Series 2.