Has Anyone Compared the DAC On a Bluesound NODE 3rd Gen to a Separate DAC?

Thanks, all, for the thoughtful comments and ideas!   I’ll sort through them and make some upgrade in due time.  There are a lot of good choices.  Most of the people on this forum have been on this path, and I appreciate the benefit of your experience. I’m just beginning, and looking forward to my new leisure pursuit.

I love the ifi zen stream DAC in my work space system. Research and reviews I read prior to purchasing compared with node and made major distinction in favor of ifi.

Hello,

I have done some extended testing. The BS DAC is very good. If you go to the topping you will improve a slight amount. If you go to the Arries you will get a different sound due to the ladder DAC. If you like the Denifrips sound then you have to go to the Pontus2. I have had the BS Node in DACs costing upto $14k. When you get up to that level just buy the streamer option like I did with my Ayre QX-5. Seriously. Save the money for the $1500 to $2000 DAC. Believe me, you want to jump up quite a bit so you notice the difference. Same for turntables/ phono preamps/ and carts. Run the Node through using the Coax. Nordost silver Shadow which was discontinued a few years back so you can get it for about $200. This is my recommendation. You cannot beat that app unless you upgrade to Roon. I hope this helps. 

Thx hshifi!  It sounds like you have done quite a bit of testing well past my price category.  I’ll look for the Shadow.

@tcotruvo 

to give you useful suggestions, please write something about how you perceive the sound of the node in your system currently (and how it might compare to other sources whose sound you enjoy more), and if it could be improved to please you, what aspects of the sound would be improved?