Comparison BLUESOUND NODE 2i and Node 2

[@rsmeshramesh6914]

Sure will keep you posted

[@963852art]

I find running out of the Coaxial output into the DAC of a my Marantz CD player gets very good sound.

[@jamesturner9858]

If I’m connecting to a AV receiver ( Anthem MRX 720) should I use the RCA connectors or the Toslink or Digital component cable for the best sound

[@DigitalPhilosophers]

Both devices (MRX 720 and Node 2i) have good DACs so the choice is up to your cables. Are your analogue or optical or digital cables of best quality? If you ask me for my personal opinion I would check if the Anthem decodes MQA and offers AirPlay 2. If it does it, it is up to the cables or your preference how late in the path the DAC should be. I‘d say: the latest the greatest. So it should be your amp/receiver. But if it doesn‘t support all of this new codecs I would use RCAs so the DAC of the Node is used.

[@jamesturner9858]

Digital Philosophy thanks very much for your response, I gotta check specs on my receiver to see if decodes MQA

[@DigitalPhilosophers]

James Turner I’m sure you know, if you don‘t use Tidal or Apple devices you don‘t need MQA and AirPlay 2.

[@rsmeshramesh6914]

Hi thank you for the insightful crisp review. I have gotten the node 2i which would be arriving soon. Can i connect it to my AVR Onkyo RZ 830 which I believe decodes MQA. Should I use RCA or optical cables to achieve best sound quality. Since both my AVR and node 2i has volume controls. I should max out the vol control on my node 2i so I can use my Onkyo to control volume? This way the node 2i becomes the dac and my onkyo the preamp? My onkyo is connected to a XTZ power amp by the way. I am currently using Klipsch speakers. Appreciate your views. Tks

[@DigitalPhilosophers]

Rsmesh Ramesh What a nice coincidence. I have the XTZ A2-300 right now for review. I dont know about the DAC in the Onkyo AVR but the one in the Node 2i is very good. I would use rca cables from the Node 2i to the Onkyo. Within the Bluesound App you can set the volume to maximum. It is one button to click on. This way volume control only works trough the AVR. If you find out that the DA convertion sounds better in the Onkyo than use optical. I think you should try it at least once to make the final decision. Me, I will connect the Node 2i directly to the XTZ via rca because the XTZ has no DAC nor is it an integrated amp.

[@rsmeshramesh6914]

@@DigitalPhilosophers Hi thanks for your advise. The XTZ is a really fine power amp. Clear details, open and very transparent with good bass punch too. Am really enjoying it. Looking forward to your review as well. So if I do connect the node 2i to Onkyo. Will i be still using the dac of node 2i or the onkyo dac takes over. Or is it a case of am still using the node 2i dac and the onkyo just becomes a pre amp. Cause as you say I wish to utilise the node 2i dac which I understand its pretty good. In your view optical is better than RCA in connecting the node 2i to my onkyo? Tks for letting me know I need to max out the vol on node 2i so I can use my onkyo AVR for vol control. I also will take your suggestion which I am contemplating thats to connect node 2i direct to the XTZ power amp to see if its yields even better sound quality. If I do this, I dont need to max out the volume on the node 2i right? I use the vol on the node 2i as per normal. So the node 2i serves as the dac and preamp. The XTZ does have a gain function. May i know how best I can connect the node 2i to XTZ power amp pl? Thank you. I like your work. Pl keep your reviews coming.

[@rsmeshramesh6914]

Hi just to update I have compared connecting via routing node 2i via my Onkyo to XTZ and connecting node 2i direct to XTZ. Node 2i direct to XTZ works much better. Significantly sweeter. Tks for the suggestion. My next plan is to go separates connecting node 2i via Schiit Freya + tube preamp then to my XTZ. Hope this would enhnace the quality further. What do you think?

[@rsmeshramesh6914]

Just to add. I needed to turn the gain down on my XTZ a little when I went direct with node 2i to XTZ. Must say the bass reproduction is insane. And this is without subs in this chain. I have my subs with my Onkyo in stereo mode but going direct from node 2i to XTZ yields even better and louder sub definition. This I did not expect.

[@DigitalPhilosophers]

Rsmesh Ramesh I personally like less equipment in the chain, but it is always worth a try! I'm curious about your experience!

[@nikitakorovin6498]

Hi. Thank you for video, very usefull. Could you please clarify whether node 2i is better than node2 if using external dac (streamer only) ?

[@DigitalPhilosophers]

Nikita Korovin Using it as a streamer only the 2i has a better Bluetooth Codec than the 2. Further more if you use Apple devices the Node 2i is capable of AirPlay 2 whereas the Node 2 uses the inferior AirPlay (1). The 2i has a slightly redesigned wifi board which should lead to less noice within the signal path.

[@nikitakorovin6498]

@@DigitalPhilosophers thank you. I do not use apple devices and Bluetooth, so it seems that noise from wifi module is the only difference.. I wonder how much the influence on sound quality is, does it worth paying extra money for node 2i ?

[@DigitalPhilosophers]

Nikita Korovin If you neither use the internal DAC, nor AirPlay 2 or Bluetooth aptx HD in my opinion there is no reason to buy the 2i over the 2.

[@nikitakorovin6498]

@@DigitalPhilosophers thanks a lot, I think that is exactly what i'm going to do.

[@MrZyrois]

Warum machst du die Videos nicht in deutsch. Würde ich alles besser Verstehen :D Was ist den jetzt der genaue Unterschied zwischen den beiden. Würde man da überhaupt Klanglich einen Unterschied merken wen man das Gerät mit einen LAN Kabel schließt ?

[@DigitalPhilosophers]

In this way I improve my English skills. Learning by doing, so to speak. The main differences are the transition from Bluetooth aptx to aptx HD and Airplay to Airplay 2, and the internal layout has been changed so that the DAC gets less noise from the rest of the electronics. Listening to this requires some concentration training and good-resolution speakers and amplifiers.

[@jamapaza]

Er macht das halt, weil er sich dadurch mehr Reichweite erhofft, also mehr Clicks!

Mqa has come to the node 2

[@humbertoazevedo850]

after one year of use the node is sticking

[@DigitalPhilosophers]

Still under warranty?

[@camicatzelg]

DO IT IN GERMAN, THAN I CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND YOU! :-)

[@DigitalPhilosophers]

camicatzelg You can ask me anything you want to know about this streamer. In English or in German.

[@Ferbeldeyberb]

Digital Philosophy Your English is very good 👍

[@giuseppechimienti8878]

the famous german mental elasticity

[@jamapaza]

ja, er könnte beides machen, einmal in englisch und dann noch einmal in deutsch aber ich übersetze es mal für dich. Der neue node 2i hat 5ghz wlan und dann noch voodooo, voodoo und voodoo! Hebe mir eben noch den node 2 bei Saturn gekauft für 333! Ich nutze bluetooth nicht, verbinde ihn per Kabel und das Apple Zeugs brauch ich nicht, obwohl ich jetzt über eine Macbook Pro schreibe und daneben liegt ein iphone und ein ipad air 2 und mein Liebling Samsung Galaxy Note 10.