Seeking DAC Advice for a Secondary Two Channel System
I have a secondary two channel audio system in my home office consisting of an NAD 326BEE integrated amp, Dynaudio Excite X14 speakers and a single REL T5x subwoofer. While I also have a Rega RP3 turntable and an NAD CD player, I mainly just use this as a digital system. I use Roon with an Innuos Mk.3 as my Roon Core and a Bluesound Node 2i as a streamer/endpoint. When streaming I use Tidal and Quobuz. Occasionally I stream with Spotify which I do directly from the Bluos app because of the lack of compatibility with Roon. Music preferences are rock, Americana, folk, soul/R&B and some electronic music.
I want to see if I can upgrade the sound and am operating under the assumption that the Node is my weakest link. It has been suggested to me that one option would be to buy an external DAC and bypass the DAC imbedded in the Node. Alternatively I could replace the Node altogether. I think my budget is around $500 but I don't know what I don't know. I would also hope whatever piece of equipment I buy is somewhat small in size. I don't have a lot of room on my rack to spare.
I would greatly appreciate any thoughts/suggestions this board might have on this quest.
Thanks in advance.
@puppyt
To get above box store Sonics means to get better engineering and better parts. The Schiit Yggdrasil is a very high value sonic choice. At a lower price point, some choose a Gustard DAC. A Topping DAC is also high value compared to box store offerings, but I believe that the Yggdrasil (Yggy) is more in line as a great entry point to high-end audio Sonic performance. Maybe consider buying second hand to save money. Good luck. |
I owned the following Schiit Yggi+ DACs - LIM | MIB | OG | Singular. I loved the OG and the Singular. The Singular is comparable to my imersiv D-1 DAC. The D-1 is one of the best at any price and the Singular has similar detail though not as good as the D-1, but close. The best bang for buck DACs is the Schiit ones. Even my $150 Mesh DAC option on my Schiit AsgardX headphone amp are really good. This is what I have in my headphone amp. Schiit Audio: Audio Products Made in USA ($99) Schiit Audio: Audio Products Made in USA a bit more cash but supposed to sound like the more expensive Yggi+ MIB DAC. I can also recommend a used RME ADI-2 DAC for about $500 used. It is not as good as the MIB | OG | Singular but it is rather good and what I use in the office. I no longer use the Schiit DACs because I need DSD and Schiit does not do DSD.
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Schiit, Gustard, Denafrips, Topping all make decent products close to your price range. Shop used, but don’t buy something that is too old. The Innuos is a good streamer, no need for an upgrade there. I think you could definitely get a decent sound upgrade from an external dac. I recommend spending a little bit on a decent usb cable, they do make a difference. |
