Moving up from a Node 2i

Like I said ,  not a lot of experience. But for me SBT via USB (using EDO) into my Oppo 105 sounds better than CoAx. 

@jetter There's nothing wrong with your system your Museatex-Meitner Dac is just better than what's in the Node. Same with my Auralic Aries Mini its internal Dac is just ok, outputting to an external Dac it sounds great.

@gelle, that’s what it’s about: find what works best with your gear. The 105 has a great DAC and Oppo always had good USB implementations in their universal players. Too bad their done; I have a 205 and it’s probably the last disc-spinner I’ll ever own.

Update.

After allowing the Lumin U1 mini to burn in for around 100 hours the gap widened between it and the Node 2i. I believe the Lumin is more transparent and tonally more natural than the Node. I am keeping the U1 mini and selling the Node. It's not a huge difference, but I find I enjoy music through the Lumin more when the dust settles.

Oz

@ozzy62 ...thanks for taking us on your odyssey. All of this has convinced me to just hang on to my Bluesound Node2 for awhile.

Everyone who posted said that they did improve upon the Node2’s performance, but it was not by a huge margin.

This is the fastest growing sector, (servers, streamers and DACs) of high-end audio, that tomorrow there will be something better.

My rig sounds absolutely wonderful that spending 4+ times the money for marginal improvement just doesn’t make sense "right now".

I’m hoping for a one-piece solution down the road that rivals what is available now. I have a high-end audio manufacturer friend of mine that has just gotten the new NAD C658, that he can’t shut up about. ESS Sabre DAC, BluOS, DIRAC Live, modular design. Maybe I might try one of these...

Thanks again OZ.