Question Bluesound node Vs Bluetooth enabled amp

MONKEY_MAN

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I have a Roksan Kandy K3 amp that is Bluetooth enabled. My question is, will the bluesound node sound miles better than streaming direct to my amp?
I've just ordered the bluesound node 2i, which retails at £500, am I throwing my money away with this new purchase? Is my amp all I need for streaming?
 
What’s your streaming service of choice? Your Node will do the 2nd unfold of MQA content via Tidal. To my ears there is a big difference with MQA. You could even A/B using your Roksan as a DAC for the Node and see what you prefer. Either way the node will now give you Blue OS for music playback and management which your Roksan won’t offer.
 
When you say ‘streaming direct to my amp’, how are you planning to do it? If it is through Bluetooth then the Bluesound should be comfortably better, or does the K3 act as a streamer itself?

I have just bought a Bluesound Node 2i, and was also a bit concerned that I was wasting my money. It plays through a Marantz SR7010 AVR which is one generation too old to have the HEOS streamer built in.

I debated using the £500 to upgrade the SR7010 to a newer HEOS version, using the DLNA tech that is built in to the SR7010 or just using a Chromecast Audio and DAC.

What convinced me to get the Bluesound was the software. It much easier to use than HEOS and has integration for Amazon Music which I use a lot.

The only decent software I could find for the Chromecast Audio is Android-only and I only have ios devices. I could have picked up a cheap Android tablet just for this, but it seems a bit inconvenient.

The Bluesound software and sound quality is excellent, but there are definitely cheaper ways to do it.
 
What’s your streaming service of choice? Your Node will do the 2nd unfold of MQA content via Tidal. To my ears there is a big difference with MQA. You could even A/B using your Roksan as a DAC for the Node and see what you prefer. Either way the node will now give you Blue OS for music playback and management which your Roksan won’t offer.

I've recently switched from Tidal to Amazon music, which has Amazon's equivalent to MQA. my phone which I am streaming from, plays at best 24bit/48khz. Will I hear a massive step up with 96khz and 192khz files?
 
I think the Amazon service has been added to Blue OS. Theoretically there is more information in the audio file. Whether that translates to dynamics, clarity and other audio goodness is largely subjective. Your speakers will also have some sway along with your room. I’m happy to pay the premium, otherwise will argue it’s a waste of money and a hustle.
 
I think the Amazon service has been added to Blue OS. Theoretically there is more information in the audio file. Whether that translates to dynamics, clarity and other audio goodness is largely subjective. Your speakers will also have some sway along with your room. I’m happy to pay the premium, otherwise will argue it’s a waste of money and a hustle.

The Amazon integration with BluOS is quite good. You still need the Amazon app to create playlists etc. at the moment, but I'm sure it will develop further.

I'm the same in that I'm happy to pay the premium over Spotify for Hi Res audio, especially now its only £3 per month. How much of s difference it really makes depends on the listener and the quality of the equipment, but it is nice to know that the source is of the highest possible quality.
 
I have a Roksan Kandy K3 amp that is Bluetooth enabled. My question is, will the bluesound node sound miles better than streaming direct to my amp?
I've just ordered the bluesound node 2i, which retails at £500, am I throwing my money away with this new purchase? Is my amp all I need for streaming?
Hey there - did you end up getting the 2i? I’m really eager to hear how it sounds, as I have a k3 I use for Bluetooth streaming and am thinking about the node 2i - just want to know if it’s definitely better than streaming direct!
 
Hey there - did you end up getting the 2i? I’m really eager to hear how it sounds, as I have a k3 I use for Bluetooth streaming and am thinking about the node 2i - just want to know if it’s definitely better than streaming direct!
Hey how did you find it, I'm in the same boat with the k3
 

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