Bluesound installed DAC - music killer?

@melvinjames You have a great point. I would certainly be interested in one!

@ericsch Sure. I am using an 18 yr old pair of B&W CDM9NT being driven by a PrimaLuna EVO 300 integrated. Using an older Kimber Illuminati D60 coax cable between the 2i and Qutest and Kimber Hero RCA between the Qutest and PrimaLuna. I did not pick up any sense of brightness, and like I said I was using the incisive neutral, which is basically no tone control/filter. I listen to a lot of female vocal like Norah Jones and Alison Krauss and sometimes she can get up there and get edgy in the higher octaves and I did not sense any brightness or harshness to her voice. Instead she sounded more present in my sound room than I have ever heard. Hearing what I hear now I can say the Node 2i had some graininess, this DAC is detailed, like every note is so precise in its own way. Oh and this was all right out of the box, a lot of people say it has to burn in, well it sounds great now.

@emergingsoul I bought a Node 2i back in July, I didn't think it was too bad for the price. I had always planned on getting a DAC, but I could live with the built in DAC. Last night I installed my new Chord Qutest.  I knew it would make a difference but I thought it would be more subtle. I hear so many things, but what comes to mind is clean, detailed, black backgrounds. Each note is so defined and clean, yet not a hint of analytical or sterile or bright at all, and I haven't even played with the filters on it, I am using the incisive neutral. It is also soooo much more open, each instrument more separated from the rest, duets each have their own detail separate voice in the mic. I love it.