Ask S&V

Q Bluesound’s Node streamer has a built-in DAC and costs around $500. Meanwhile, companies like Lumin, Linn, and Naim sell streamers without built-in DACs for over $2,000 or $3,000. What do these more expensive streamers do to the signal that justifies the extra expense compared with the Node? And if the digital output from these pricier streamers is of higher “quality,” can a high-quality DAC compensate for a lower-priced streamer with a “lower quality” output? — Reginald Tinsley

A Streamers from companies like Linn and Naim are much more expensive than the Bluesound Node because smaller brands don’t make or sell nearly as many products as Bluesound. Economies of scale are definitely at play in the electronics’ world. Pricier streamers also have a higher build-quality than the Node, which can add significantly to the price. The Node is a fine component but it doesn’t have the same level of fit-and-finish as a high-end streamer. Whether it’s the inclusion of a glass faceplate or a milled aluminum faceplate, high-end components are designed to be out on display and tend to match the looks of other components in the line; they also often use proprietary technologies and can handle the highest of high-resolution audio files, such as DSD 512 or PCM 384.

Can a high-quality digital-to-analog converter (DAC) improve the sound of a lower-priced streamer? Sure. What it can’t do, though, is overcome any inherent limitations of the streamer. For example, Sonos doesn’t support high-resolution audio files, and no DAC will change that. Likewise, Bluesound doesn’t support DSD files, and a DAC can’t change that either. Having listened to the Bluesound Node, which features a 32-bit, 384-kHz DAC, I would say that it sounds fantastic all on its own and is certainly a solid starting point.

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