Bluesound Node2 with outboard DAC

I’ve been fine tuning my RME and there is nothing in this price range that can touch it. If you want to see a review of the RME w/very descriptive charts go to Audio Science Review. They described it as the best measured DAC to date. Very clear transparent sound w/a wide detailed sound stage. I’m using the SD Slow filter that takes out the top end digital harshness. Still plenty of detail w/cymbals, horns, strings and snare drums.Price & performance ratio is very high.

The dealer I purchased my Bluesound Node 2i suggested i connect it by way of Audioquest Carbon digital coax cable to an inexpensive Pro-Ject S2 DAC.  He told me the the Pro-Ject, even though it is very inexpensive is better than the DAC inside the Bluesound.  I do hear tighter bass and more detailed highs or is it like the EMPERORS NEW CLOTHS, by spending more on an external I have convinced myself it sounds better.

I still don't understand how using two MQA certified devices why I am not able to get full MQA unfolding?  Is it the digital coax cable that is the problem.  So, if that is what is breaking up the complete unfold, why then didn't Pro-Ject design their DAC with RCA inputs and RCA outputs so I could hear full MQA?  It must be the digital coax to be the problem.  Still don't understand why connecting two MQA devices why I would not get complete MQA unfold no matter how you connect the two devices.  Also, if Pro-Ject is aware of this, why would they even bother to put MQA into the DAC to begin with.  They should explain this in their owners manual.

I have the Node2, connected to a Schiit Bifrost multibit. The sound was better than the Bluesound dac. However I just went down the Raspberry pi rabbit hole ( pi 3b+, allo digione sig spdif out, shanti power supply) and a RME ADI-2 dac. It’s a bit of diy, but I just played Bowie’s Scary Monsters lp vs tidal through the new setup. The digital front end sounds like I’m sitting in the mixing studio. Amazing, no digital harshness. My vinyl front end( VPI prime, Hana SL, ph16) was a little bit rounder and ever so slightly narrower soundstage, but I’m nitpicking.
I guess paying attention to the beginning of the audio chain makes a difference. 

Regarding MQA, I believe Bluesound does the first unfolding, and sends it out to the dac, or you need to go into the settings and select mqa pass through where it will just let the dac do all the work. Though I’m not sure as I never had a MQA dac to try it out on.
Good luck
mdr

I'm thinking about purchasing a Bluesound Vault 2i to use with my Gungnir Multibit mybkexperience

Some listeners using outboard DACs seem to imply that the node has an effect on digital SQ.  On the Roon forum, one user claimed measurable difference on SQ (thru the speakers). I find that hard to believe. Is it really likely that the streamer degrades the digital signal fed to a DAC?