Good Preamp DAC Streamer with network volume control

[G.R.Waters]

I have 3 nodes 2i around the house and a huge FLAC library. I liked the BlueOS system, the UI, the effortless handling of terabytic library in NAS or USB HDD, functions etc.... Then I bought Roon and the beauty of the Node fell like autumn leaves, leaving the nude branches of a extermly poor performing dac in the more revealing chains they were placed.

In bedroom I only listen with headphones, so I truly do not need a multiroom device. So yesterday I made an AB comparison between Node 2i rca>XLR and 6 years old phone LG V20 MQA 3,5mm jack>rca feeding my xDuoo T20>Hifiman Arya, both used as Roon endpoints, just pushing the volume knob on the T20 amp to select either rca or xlr inputs. Blind test was initially impossible because input level of LG (to my surprise) was already higher than the node, so I adjusted it from the maximum 15 to 13 to stay kind of levelmatched to the Node (sorry no instruments to measure)... still I believe the poor old phone sounded slightly more detailed. I checked here and found the newer LG G7 (with the same audio packege less MQA) outperforms many dedicated DAC - https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...o-measurement-of-lg-g7-thinq-smartphone.4468/ - so confirming my subjective impressions.

 

[Snoopy]

I have 3 nodes 2i around the house and a huge FLAC library. I liked the BlueOS system, the UI, the effortless handling of terabytic library in NAS or USB HDD, functions etc.... Then I bought Roon and the beauty of the Node fell like autumn leaves, leaving the nude branches of a extermly poor performing dac in the more revealing chains they were placed.

In bedroom I only listen with headphones, so I truly do not need a multiroom device. So yesterday I made an AB comparison between Node 2i rca>XLR and 6 years old phone LG V20 MQA 3,5mm jack>rca feeding my xDuoo T20>Hifiman Arya, both used as Roon endpoints, just pushing the volume knob on the T20 amp to select either rca or xlr inputs. Blind test was initially impossible because input level of LG (to my surprise) was already higher than the node, so I adjusted it from the maximum 15 to 13 to stay kind of levelmatched to the Node (sorry no instruments to measure)... still I believe the poor old phone sounded slightly more detailed. I checked here and found the newer LG G7 (with the same audio packege less MQA) outperforms many dedicated DAC - https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...o-measurement-of-lg-g7-thinq-smartphone.4468/ - so confirming my subjective impressions.

Going back to something else after really using roon in a multiroom environment is very difficult.

I'm going to get the lifetime license when I can comfortably afford it. It's expensive but it enhances my music listening so much (roon Radio, DSP, integration of qobuz+tidal+local library) it's absolutely worth it for me.

And it's just a game changer if you are able to use the same library on all your devices with the same UI.