Review and Measurements of Bluesound NODE 2i Streamer

[GordonParet]

Electrical noise can travel from the Node 2i to your DAC through the coax cable. A streamer with a better power supply or one that would allow for use of a linear power supply (LPS) may make an improvement.

The only way to really know for sure is to audition other streamers and see.

I use a fanless NUC with a HD Plex LPS and there is a significant improvement over the switched mode brick supplied with NUC.

 

[Jimbob54]

Electrical noise can travel from the Node 2i to your DAC through the coax cable. A streamer with a better power supply or one that would allow for use of a linear power supply (LPS) may make an improvement.

The only way to really know for sure is to audition other streamers and see.

I use a fanless NUC with a HD Plex LPS and there is a significant improvement over the switched mode brick supplied with NUC.

You know whats coming next, don't you?

 

[GordonParet]

No, did I make a faux pas?

 

[Jimbob54]

No, did I make a faux pas?

Don't be surprised if someone asks you if you did blind testing between the linear and supplied PS. Without that, many would say your observations about improvements are out of line with measurements of equipment using different supplies. Hint, for the majority of devices, changing PS does not make a significant difference to what the device outputs.

 

[T.J. Turner]

Speaking of signal noise. The original review measured the SNR at 88dB. I owned the Node 2 and 2i for several years and I never heard any audible noise. Have any of you?

 

[Glasvegas]

Speaking of signal noise. The original review measured the SNR at 88dB. I owned the Node 2 and 2i for several years and I never heard any audible noise. Have any of you?

I've been using an old Node 2 recently - just to try out the the new Tidal Connect facility.

Can't hear any noise, and can't say it sounds any different to my CCA>Topping D50.

 

[Triumph_900]

Logically, and from testing of devices on here like the chromecast audio, nothing well designed and made should improve (or degrade) anything to your dac of choice if it allows bit perfect transmission to the dac.

On the other hand, people spend £000 on boxes that do nothing much more than take the bits from an ethernet connection and convert it to another (digital) connection type to send onto the dac.

Personally, I'd prefer to be in the first camp and be happy that my top tier dac is outputting as good as that tidal stream gets. Others on other sites would definitely suggest you go down the route of £000 upgrade options and you probably would "hear" differences. Whether an analyser would "hear" them is the question.

So you are saying that it doesn't matter if i change the streamer because it's the Dac that does the job, if i well understood.

 

[Jimbob54]

So you are saying that it doesn't matter if i change the streamer because it's the Dac that does the job, if i well understood.

It does matter if what you have before the dac is badly designed or defective. IIRC, the issues Amir identified in the Node 2i were on the optical input, not the output.

But if whatever is doing the steaming to the dac is designed to be bit perfect and is operating properly, swapping it shouldn't make a difference.

 

[T.J. Turner]

So you are saying that it doesn't matter if i change the streamer because it's the Dac that does the job, if i well understood.

Basically yes. The streamer is just passing a digital signal from one interface to another. The DAC is doing all the processing.

 

[GordonParet]

So, a $35.00 Chromecast Audio will sound exactly the same as a $450.00 entry level Node 2i and a $2000.00 Lumin U1 Mini?

Why does the Lumin use an optional Sbooster power supply?

Triumph_900, why don't you audition the Lumin and decide for yourself?

 

[Jimbob54]

So, a $35.00 Chromecast Audio will sound exactly the same as a $450.00 entry level Node 2i and a $2000.00 Lumin U1 Mini?

Why does the Lumin use a Sbooster power supply?

Triumph_900, why don't you audition the Lumin and decide for yourself?

Why do any of those devices have a sound? Not one (when used as a transport) is in the analog domain.

I would imagine lumin use that supply to add another component on the spec list and further increase the mark-up. Why do you think they use it?

 

[BDWoody]

So, a $35.00 Chromecast Audio will sound exactly the same as a $450.00 entry level Node 2i and a $2000.00 Lumin U1 Mini?

They are about $50 now on the used market, but yep.

Why does the Lumin use a Sbooster power supply?

Because people believe what they are told to believe, then hear what were told they should expect to hear. It's the audiophool dance...

 

[Triumph_900]

So, a $35.00 Chromecast Audio will sound exactly the same as a $450.00 entry level Node 2i and a $2000.00 Lumin U1 Mini?

Why does the Lumin use a Sbooster power supply?

Triumph_900, why don't you audition the Lumin and decide for yourself?

Because otherwise it wouldn't make sense asking a question like mine on a forum like this that gives a lot of attention to measures and numbers. Listening to a device might be influenced by many placebo or subjective matters. I just needed to understand from people with a technical background if different streamers can pass to a dac different informations depending on the quality of their components. If the answer is "yes" at that point i can start to listen to different devices otherwise it doesn't make sense doing it.

 

[lordhumungous]

If you are outputting by Coax from your Node 2i, then it's your Matrix Audio X that's doing most of the work. The only thing to note is that the Node 2 is not outputting MQA to your Marix. The Node 2 only handles MQA with its own internal DAC.
Using another streamer in the same fashion is not likely to make a difference unless it has some specific features that alter the sound.

What if you are using Roon which I think can decode MQA ?

 

[GordonParet]

Why do any of those devices have a sound? Not one (when used as a transport) is in the analog domain.

I would imagine lumin use that supply to add another component on the spec list and further increase the mark-up. Why do you think they use it?

There is jitter and electrical noise in the digital domain.

All I'm trying to say is try the Lumin and see. As long as you can get a trial, all it will cost you is your time.

 

[Jimbob54]

There is jitter and electrical noise in the digital domain.

All I'm trying to say is try the Lumin and see. As long as you can get a trial, all it will cost you is your time.

Fair enough.

 

[T.J. Turner]

So, a $35.00 Chromecast Audio will sound exactly the same as a $450.00 entry level Node 2i and a $2000.00 Lumin U1 Mini?

Why does the Lumin use an optional Sbooster power supply?

Triumph_900, why don't you audition the Lumin and decide for yourself?

That is an unfair comparison. The Node 2i is much more than a Chromecast Audio, in design, build and features.

@Triumph_900 I assume you understand that you can't hook up your Matrix dac to a toy and still expect the same results. Everything is relative.

 

[Jimbob54]

That is an unfair comparison. The Node 2i is much more than a Chromecast Audio, in design, build and features.

@Triumph_900 I assume you understand that you can't hook up your Matrix dac to a toy and still expect the same results. Everything is relative.

Features and build, yes. But as a way of passing digital content on to an offline DAC, are you sure the CCA /Node and anything else vary in that one limited regard?

 

[Triumph_900]

@Triumph_900 I assume you understand that you can't hook up your Matrix dac to a toy and still expect the same results. Everything is relative.[/QUOTE]

Where did I write that i want to connect my dac to a toy?

I made examples mentioning brand and models: Matrix Audio Element X (streamer and Dac) and Lumin U1 Mini (just streamer).

 

[T.J. Turner]

@Triumph_900 I assume you understand that you can't hook up your Matrix dac to a toy and still expect the same results. Everything is relative.

Where did I write that i want to connect my dac to a toy?

I made examples mentioning brand and models: Matrix Audio Element X (streamer and Dac) and Lumin U1 Mini (just streamer).

Oh no I wasn't questioning your equipment. My response is countering GordonParet's post about comparing a $35 product with others that cost thousands of dollars. While I was replying to your questions I had in mind that you would already know that such an extreme comparison would be ridiculous so I didn't feel like I had to mention it. None of your equipment are toys obviously, but if you are going to follow GordonParet's suggestion then you may have problems.