You simply discovered that with equal signals, most DACs sound quite similar. The huge differences people claim to hear can be attributed to the expectation/ placebo effect, similar to cable/IC swapping. No DAC should require a huge transformer or a whole rack width of circuitry. It’s all marketing.
Is anyone doing this with a Bluesound Node 2 or other streaming component?
I have a Bluesound Node 2 that I have been using as a streaming device for Tidal music files, Spotify music files and my own digital music files on a WD MyCloud device. The Bluesound Node 2 has been fed into a Benchmark USB/DAC1 as an external DAC running to a Parasound preamp and Amp. I wanted to know how good the Node 2 (internal DAC) was....so... I ran the Node directly into my Parasound A21. Essentially I am using the Node 2 as both preamp and DAC. It sounds really fantastic. I did this with the Benchmark with good results long ago. Does anyone else do this with a Bluesound device or other streamer? What is the downside, despite the obvious lack of preamp functions (switching sources, volume pot, etc).....