BS Node 2i: WiFi or Ethernet..?


Greetings from snowy Chicago.

My rig:

Bluesound Node 2i
Chord Qutest (with Teddy Pardo LPS)
Belles Soloist 1 int am
Dynaudio Special 40s

I stream Tidal mostly and my router is in the same room as my Node in the basement and I have very strong wifi signal.
But, cant direct connect the Node to network w/o running a 15’ cable.

My question:

- Has anyone heard better SQ results by using ethernet connectivity with Node 2i compared to just using WiFi?
- Am curious if using a wireless "access point" then connecting it to Node 2i via ethernet would sound "better".

Any thoughts or experiences out there?
Thanks.

ianrmack
Ethernet. Check Blue Jeans cables for cat6 cables. Well priced, and actually tested, with throughput results. My Node sits 3ft from my hub, there is no question wired is better than WiFi...
Honestly not sure whether or not Ethernet beats WiFi. I have a node 2 I only use for radio stations now and it’s hard wired. However, I don’t think there’s any way using a wireless access point could possibly be better than just using the wireless option on the Node. That is, you are still using WiFi either way. If true Ethernet is better than WiFi you won’t realize it using a wireless access point. For what it’s worth.
i think there is a serious dose of reality/truth in the above post by @feldmen4

running an ethernet jack from an extender that in turn uses wireless to extend there - is that ethernet or wifi... let’s not kid ourselves

or you use a wall socket extender to get the ethernet jack there from your router using household ac lines... what additional crap are you loading into the ac lines going that route?
Hello,
I have found it’s about the quality of the product signal and the shielding of the cables used.  I have tested all of this. Bottom line it all makes a difference. I have an Eero WiFi mesh system that lets me put the WiFi signal close to the BSN 2i. Triplite has a CAT8 cable. This gives you better signal cable to the source. I tried the Nordost Purple Flair PC and it made a difference in the sound just like a PC does on the rest of the system.  Partly in the sound and the other due to the shielding in the PC. The stock cable has no shielding. It’s 15’ of cat5 - cat 8 cable. If you are in the Chicagoland area I go to https://holmaudio.com/
Please try to support your local Hifi store. If we don’t in the future there will be no place to audition gear. 
Using a wireless access point would be worse than straight WiFi connection, cause it adds extra powering circuits means extra interference and instability. Switch to 10 feet 8-cat Ethernet cable in my case was big improvement in SQ.
What’s a problem to run 15 feet shielded cable in your case!? Don’t think twice. Do it ASAP. 
If it’s not hard for you to run a cable, why don’t you just try it. If you prefer the results wired keep it, if you don’t, go back to wi-fi. Avoid repeaters if you can, add a network switch in between the router and node. Hardwired is more resistant to interference and all things being equal your system should sound better, but as I say try it and hear for yourself. This thread won’t give you the definitive answer, because every other post will give you the opposite answer to the previous post.