I heard improvements on both the analog and digital outputs. I no longer use the Bluesound Node 2i. Improvements were found with the Aurender X100L and now my current Small Green Computer Optical i9 into Sonore OpticalRendu is an improvement as well. I do miss the ease of the Bluesound App though.
Upgrading Bluesound Node power supply with PD Creative (Hans B. reviews on Youtube)
Prices for streamers can vary a lot, and the Bluesound Node series has gotten good attention as a lower-tier priced streamer. Most who appreciate it also send its sound stream to an external DAC.
I've replied in some threads that upgrading the power supply of the BS Node could elevate its performance without needing to spend many times the price of the Node. (I got mine for about $400.) I've recommended PD Creative as a place to get the needed power board which replaces the one inside the Node, making it now connectable to a linear power supply.
When I corresponded with PD Creative, they responded quickly and helpfully, despite the fact that at that time my correspondent was getting his personal home ready to take and house a family fleeing the war in Ukraine. Talk about multi-tasking.
Hans has done a service with this video, not only explaining how the PD Creative upgrade works, but also by illustrating it and commenting on the sound of the upgrade with multiple linear power supplies. He's fan of PD Creative, and so am I.
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@rrboogie Thanks for chiming in. Can you specify what improvements you gained as you moved beyond the Node? Thanks! |
I installed the PD Creative board on my Node 2i and used an Allo Shanti lps. Honestly, streaming to an external DAC via spdif, I really didn’t notice much improvement at all. I ended up getting a Silent Angel Munich transport, which I found to be a huge improvement over the node 2i. I use the same Shanti lps with the Munich and its a dramatic step up in performance. Changing the power supply in the Node was a very minor upgrade for me. |
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