See if you can find a TEAC NT-505. It's been discontinued, but there are still some out there. It is a streamer / DAC and is a nice step up from the Node 2i. I would avoid trying to "upgrade" the Node 2i with an external DAC, cables, etc. I went down that path and replacing it with the NT-505 gave me the most bang for the buck.
Upgrading your system three options DAC, Cartridge or speaker cables???
Got the urge to do a little unexpensive upgrade. With a budget up to $1000 give or take I pondered where to target my next upgrade. First my system:
Linn TT well upgraded. 5-6 yr old Ortofon 2M Black
Bells Virtuoso dual amp
Audible Illusion 3M- A pre
Vandys 2CE Sig - Kimber 12tc
Bluesound Node 2I. Qobuz. Red River interconnect
I mostly (80%) listening to streaming since I'm new to the technology and love discovering new artists. I bought the Bluesound in 3/21. The SQ, I believe is good or even better than CD. I'm reasonable pleased but it's not Vinyl quality. Classic rock, jazz, prog rock are my favorite tunes.
Considering: investing in Canare 4S 11 cables to replace Kimbers. Or Rocket 33 since I need bi wire. OR Invest in a DAC like the Gustard, Denafrip or Shiit. OR replace the cartridge with a Hanna SL (I'll need to add a phono setup)
Someaudiophiles recommend starting with the input, Cartridge/ DAC, then working toward the output, cables. Others recommend just cables (Vandys recommend Audioquests) and enjoy the system until next upgrade!
As you can see the options are many, but what I'm interested is members suggestions as to where to start, input or output. Suggestions for equipment, cables, cartridge are also welcome. Thanks
Showing 2 responses by big_greg
I went down that path with a pretty high end DAC. The NT-505 sounded better to me. By the time you spend all that money slapping bandaids on the Node2i you could just get a much better unit. Lumin is another option to consider. Back in the day, you could drop a V8 in a Vega. It would go a little faster and make more noise, but it was still a Vega. |