DAC/Pre-Amp Advice


Hey all!

Currently at a crossroads in my HiFi adventure. I want to know what you guys would recommend as my next upgrade to my system. Here is the equipment I currently have:

Bluesound Node

Yamaha A-S1200

Sony UBP-X800 (Using this as SACD player)

Rega Planar 2 Turntable

Pair of B&W 704 S2

 

I have had the amp for around 45-60 days now, and I love the sound now that I have had time to burn it in. Mostly stream music from Tidal right now (trying out Qobuz), and play the occasional Record/SACD with the equipment above. I feel the only things I am really desiring in this system is some type of room correction, and subwoofers.

When looking at room correcting software, what all do you guys recommend? With new Preamp/DAC would I need it to support MQA, or would my Node be able to take care of that? Budget is around $2500-3000, but I'm open to frankly any other suggestions. If you guys need any other info please let me know, looking forward to the discussion.

chuck_tamu

The connections path you posted has too many connections for my taste. A lot of cables and connections means more potential noise and jitter. Audio Advice is an NAD dealer and  recommended the C-658 when I was looking to upgrade my Node. I would follow up with a dealer and see if you can get one with a 30/60 day audition period. The price is attractive too.

@kota1 Good questions. Normally it’d be connected through the tape monitor jacks, but as I just saw his Yammy doesn’t have that it might be as easy as connecting the anti-mode between the pre out and main in jacks, but that’d need to be checked — I have my doubts. He could definitely connect the DAC to the Anti-Mode, but that’d leave the turntable with no room correction.  Both DACs I recommended have HDMI inputs but not sure if they’d work with the with the Sony so that’d need to be checked as well. This is a bit of a tricky situation all things considered.

With that system adding room correction is a pain. I also don't like the idea of room correction for stereo sound.

 

I would focus on a decent DAC and a decent phono preamp.

Denafrips New pontus 2,12 anniversary around $2k nothing in the $3k range is as musical,a no brainer. 

Which Node do you have, the Node 2 (or 2i) or is it the newest Node 130 with USB output? Also don't worry about MQA, it's a farce