It's my ears?

[nbaptista]

I can't hear much differences between internal Bluesound Node 2i DAC and the Rega DAC connected to Bluesound.If it was a blind test, I guess I couldn't distinguish between them.It's my ears?It is weird...

 

[allthingsanalog]

At the risk of sounding a bit cheeky I’d say that streaming isn’t good enough to show the differences. Connect up a cd to the Rega DAC and the differences will be on display for all to hear.

 

[sq225917]

Or there's no difference

 

[LPSpinner]

Or there's no difference

What He said.

Modern DACs are very good, the differences are subtle and not always noticeable. You are just being honest with yourself.

 

[Curtis]

Could be a bottleneck.
Very painful.

 

[Dubwiser]

What was connection between BS and Rega?
BS has very bad implemented coaxial output. If you used generic coax cable that can be additional reason. I had the same situation with Hegel HD11 few years ago.

 

[Del monaco]

It’s because there is only a minor difference. If you can’t hear it don’t worry. Just enjoy the music.

 

[webster]

This is going to be controversial but I don't think the Node 2i is a particularly good source hence minimal difference between its internal dac and the Rega.
I own a Node 2i (which now gets very little use) and did own a Rega Dac R so I've been down this path.

 

[webster]

At the risk of sounding a bit cheeky I’d say that streaming isn’t good enough to show the differences.

That's not cheeky - just inaccurate.

 

[kernow]

In my opinion there's not a massive jump between DACs until you jump up a fair bit, and then it ends up not being a massive difference again due to diminishing returns

 

[Del monaco]

It’s funny. I run an old Squeezebox Touch. I sometimes find its internal dac through analogue outputs more satisfying than my Sabre. Swings and roundabouts.

 

[Curtis]

It’s funny. I run an old Squeezebox Touch. I sometimes find its internal dac through analogue outputs more satisfying than my Sabre. Swings and roundabouts.

You’re delusional of course.

 

[webster]

In my opinion there's not a massive jump between DACs until you jump up a fair bit, and then it ends up not being a massive difference again due to diminishing returns

I agree with that but I do think that in this particular case the source is very much the weak link and holds back the Rega Dac from revealing all its charms.

 

[Salamander]

As others have said differences in dacs at similar price points are subtle rather than night and day.

 

[sideshowbob]

It's hard to buy a bad sounding DAC nowadays unless you try quite hard.

 

[awkwardbydesign]

I would ask what kind of music you listen to, and how you listen. PRaT and timbre (or decay), for example, are so different, that you might not hear the differences.

 

[nbaptista]

As others have said differences in dacs at similar price points are subtle rather than night and day.

I guess you are right.There are subtle differences, but not night and day differences.

 

[John Phillips]

I can't hear much differences between internal Bluesound Node 2i DAC and the Rega DAC connected to Bluesound.If it was a blind test, I guess I couldn't distinguish between them.It's my ears?It is weird...

That doesn't sound weird to me.

The only pair of ears you have are your own. May I suggest you simply enjoy using them for the pleasure they provide and consider a rude reply to anyone who suggests they aren't good enough.

 

[Mr Pig]

The best way I've found to asses digital sources is to forget about assessing it and just listen to the music in the background. Many digital sources have a very similar overall tonal balance and the differences are subtle, but important. For example I had a Philips CD player in my shed system which I couldn't listen to. Every time I put a CD on I ended up putting it off and putting on the radio. I added a Beresford DAC and on the face of it the sound was not changed much but it was enough. I could enjoy CDs.

Just see which one you enjoy the most.

The Rega DAC, and I imagine any DAC, is very sensitive to what you feed it.

 

[Octavian]

The best way I've found to asses digital sources is to forget about assessing it and just listen to the music in the background. Many digital sources have a very similar overall tonal balance and the differences are subtle, but important.

In my experience subtle differences are subtle, i.e. not very important. Important differences are important and not subtle at all. It took me years to realize this.