Bluesound Node (2021)

[What Hi-Fi?]

Bluesound reasserts its authority in the budget music streamer market with a superbly featured natural-born entertainer.

Bluesound Node (2021) : Read more

 

[Gray]

'...our biggest wish – whether reasonable or not for a streamer at this price point – would be a proper screen display'.

I think your wish is reasonable.

 

[balespur]

Great review, good to see bluesound is keeping their products at the cutting edge at this level in the market.

Please review the new soundbar+ (which now has atmos) and updated Powernode!

 

[ScottC]

It would be very helpful to know in future reviews if you test streamers through the digital or analog output. It would be nice to know if the DAC is being reviewed as well, or better yet, comment on both sides. I recall another reviewer mentioned that the Node and CXN V2 sounded very similar through the digital output. I'd love to upgrade my original Node 2, I guess I'll have to get my hands on one myself to compare.

 

[mdcraig]

What about the wired headphone output? It was the weakest link on the Node 2i.

 

[GregorySD]

It would be very helpful to know in future reviews if you test streamers through the digital or analog output. It would be nice to know if the DAC is being reviewed as well, or better yet, comment on both sides. I recall another reviewer mentioned that the Node and CXN V2 sounded very similar through the digital output. I'd love to upgrade my original Node 2, I guess I'll have to get my hands on one myself to compare.

They are using the internal DAC. It's quite frustrating, the other reviews I have found on the new Node also do not asses the digital output. I am preparing to upgrade my system which includes a Node 2i. I can tell you that my DAC, a Benchmark DAC1 Pre (11 years old) handily beats the Node 2'is DAC, MQA or not. I would use the HDMI Arc on the new Node, so it's attractive from that standpoint but I have the same question as you. How good is the digital out? My guess it's pretty good, especially for the money, but I am left to buy components to evaluate on my own which is always costly. Will the Node truncate the gains brought by an upmarket DAC? Maybe, maybe not. It does not have USB out which is limiting though.

 

[ChrisJ]

It should be noted the Node has crippling issues with it's BlueOS apps. The player intermittently will not be detected in iphone, ipad and windows desktop app. I sometimes have to have all 3 devices open to see which one I can detect the device from to play music. I worked with BlueSound tech support who concluded that this is a known issue that "will be addressed in the future with a firmware update" which they cannot provide an ETA for. If you search online you can find their support crew promising similar updates for the same issue on the earlier Node almost a year ago.

Have a look at the app store reviews for the BlueOS app. Horrid. When it works it's great, but I'm considering returning the Node as defective and looking for another hi-res streaming solution. It simply doesn't work most of the time from my phone.

 

[BVillet]

The Node has a major deficiency in that it does not support Chromecast. This greatly reduces the ability to explore music

 

[Garth Vader]

Bluesound reasserts its authority in the budget music streamer market with a superbly featured natural-born entertainer.

Bluesound Node (2021) : Read more

"Like the two Nodes before it..."
1 Bluesound Node http://objects.designapplause.com/2014/node-powernode-bluesound/33987/
2 Bluesound Node 2 https://www.bluesound.com/products/node-2/
3 Bluesound Node 2i https://www.bluesound.com/products/node-2i/

I count three predecessors to the current iteration. The original Node was a bizarre-looking, somewhat bloated form factor, subsequently replaced by the essential box design that has been carried over to the present day.

 

[Garth Vader]

It should be noted the Node has crippling issues with it's BlueOS apps. The player intermittently will not be detected in iphone, ipad and windows desktop app. I sometimes have to have all 3 devices open to see which one I can detect the device from to play music. I worked with BlueSound tech support who concluded that this is a known issue that "will be addressed in the future with a firmware update" which they cannot provide an ETA for. If you search online you can find their support crew promising similar updates for the same issue on the earlier Node almost a year ago.

Have a look at the app store reviews for the BlueOS app. Horrid. When it works it's great, but I'm considering returning the Node as defective and looking for another hi-res streaming solution. It simply doesn't work most of the time from my phone.

I suggest you consult Bluesound support. I had some connectivity issues at first but it was mitigated by working with BS support and today is entirely stable and 100% reliable. Owner of a Node 2 since it's release in 2017 and more recently a Node 2i module installed in a NAD M32.
BTW, my phone is old, an iphone 7 and my tablet is even older. Both function seamlessly with BluOS.
I don't know much about networks at all, to say the least, but the support tech went into my router software and established something they described as a fixed IP address, and my connection problems went away for good.
Note that everything in my system is connected to the switch by ethernet cable, as recommended by both the manufacturer and by any BS tech you will talk to.

 

[Redbone]

It's unclear to me whether the sound characteristics and limitations of the node are diue to its DAC or the player in general. It would be nice to have this clarified

 

[ScottC]

I suggest you consult Bluesound support. I had some connectivity issues at first but it was mitigated by working with BS support and today is entirely stable and 100% reliable. Owner of a Node 2 since it's release in 2017 and more recently a Node 2i module installed in a NAD M32.
BTW, my phone is old, an iphone 7 and my tablet is even older. Both function seamlessly with BluOS.
I don't know much about networks at all, to say the least, but the support tech went into my router software and established something they described as a fixed IP address, and my connection problems went away for good.
Note that everything in my system is connected to the switch by ethernet cable, as recommended by both the manufacturer and by any BS tech you will talk to.

Agreed, any issues I've had w/ my Node 2 have been network-related. Of course, this is on Android. I can't really comment on iOS.

 

[robdmarsh]

'...our biggest wish – whether reasonable or not for a streamer at this price point – would be a proper screen display'.

I think your wish is reasonable.

Unreasonable wish imo. 99,5% of people are going to use this with a smartphone which provides an excellent quality screen in the palm of your hand that you can actually see. Why screw up the internal circuits design and inflate the price with a screen that you have to squint at from your listening position? To show off to your mates?

 

[Gray]

Unreasonable wish imo. 99,5% of people are going to use this with a smartphone

I know, I use a screenless Raspberry Pi.
Doubt the likes of Cambridge would say they've screwed up by putting a display on their streamers, but I get your point about a display being unnecessary for many - though not for me, sitting less than 2 metres from it....as for showing off, nobody sees my hi-fi but me
No need (for anyone) to show off.

 

[robdmarsh]

I know, I use a screenless Raspberry Pi.
Doubt the likes of Cambridge would say they've screwed up by putting a display on their streamers, but I get your point about a display being unnecessary for many - though not for me, sitting less than 2 metres from it....as for showing off, nobody sees my hi-fi but me
No need (for anyone) to show off.

What kind of SQ do you get with a Raspberry Pi? Have you heard it against a Bluesound Node?

 

[Gray]

What kind of SQ do you get with a Raspberry Pi? Have you heard it against a Bluesound Node?

I use two Pi 3B+
One in the hi-fi has a Hifiberry Digi+Pro HAT to feed the digital input of a Khadas Toneboard.
The other, in a headphone rig, connects via its own USB output to an Epiphany Acoustics E-DAC (which is just an O-DAC in a metal case).
I use Volumio OS in both, which is free and good (may try the latest, version 3, soon).

The Node looks good. I've never heard it, but I would be amazed if it sounds better than the Pi / Khadas that I use.
I'd also be surprised if digital out of the Node and Pi didn't sound identical via the same DAC.