Best EXTERNAL DAC suggestions

@moose89 

I picked up a Gustard X16 and love it ... had it two years thus far.  Super quiet ... sounds great

https://soundnews.net/sources/dacs/gustard-x16-dac-review/

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/gustard-x16-balanced-mqa-dac-review.17419/

Lampizator Baltic 4

@decooney

yes. Converted single garage on a raised Peco wooden floor with a space between the cement and floating floor. Room is 20 x 12, listening space is 12 x 12, and ceilings 9’. triangle is accurate, and one speaker is in a corner, and I have put rollers with platforms below the Cornwalls to tweak them as needed. My room is full of performed wall coverings and rug and La-Z-Boy recliner sets directly across from my television and entertainment center and a 7 foot or 6 foot triangle.

Best DAC I ever tried and used myself was the Playback Designs MPD6. I liked it so much that I traded in my MPD6 for the MPD8. I am not the type to spend 20k+ on DACs... first time for me.

If you’re using your Bluesound Node as preamp, you will continue to be held back in the two areas you’re looking to improve. In my opinion, picking up a good preamp, i.e. Rogue RP1, will take you further than adding an external DAC. Just a thought…

DACs under $1000, even used, will not offer much of an improvement especially if you’re bottlenecking the system with the Node as a preamp. 

If you don’t want to get a dedicated preamp, I would then recommend a used Lumin D1 which is a streamer with a built in DAC. It has a better DAC and a much better volume control than the Bluesound Node. Only downside is the Lumin app which is not as user friendly as Blue.