Bluesound reasserts its authority in the budget music streamer market
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Like the two Nodes before it at their time of arrival in 2014 and 2018 respectively, the latest Node (2021) entered the surprisingly sparse budget music streamer market with plenty of up-to-date, all-round appeal – and that much is evident before you even plug the thing in and hear what it can do.
BluOS – that is, Bluesound’s proprietary multi-room wireless streaming platform – is a given for networked Bluesound gear and, increasingly, streaming products from its sister brand NAD and partner firms such as Dali. So we get a reassuring feeling of business as usual when we first power up the Node, hook it up to our network via an ethernet cable, and open the BluOS app on our iPad to find the Node instantly identified as a ‘device’, raring to go.
From here, local and networked libraries, streaming services and internet radio stations can be accessed for playback; multi-room partnerships with up to 63 other BluOS-compatible products can be established and controlled, and presets for easy access to your favourite sources and music can be allocated.
Those who don’t have music stored on their network and who don’t subscribe to a streaming service can still benefit from the Node’s wireless nature through its support for AirPlay 2 and two-way aptX HD Bluetooth (meaning it can wirelessly receive Bluetooth files for playback and also send whatever it is playing to Bluetooth headphones or speakers).
The BluOS app also steps in for general playback controls for those who don’t want to splash out on the optional Bluesound RC1 remote control (£49), bother programming their own IR remote, or initiate voice control via the Alexa and Google Assistant BluVoice skills. The app also lets you switch between sources – both of a wireless and physical nature. The latter comprises mini optical/3.5mm combo and HDMI eARC inputs for connecting audio sources or a TV, plus a range of outputs including RCA, coaxial, optical and subwoofer. A 3.5mm headphone jack can be found in the middle of the front panel too.
The digital connections are fed by an all-new DAC that supports both hi-res 24-bit/192kHz and MQA files, the latter handy for subscribers to Tidal’s Hi-Fi tier who have access to MQA-powered hi-res Tidal Masters streams. Bluesound has also brought the Node into the third generation by packing in more powerful processors, an important part of the internal architecture for a multifaceted digital pr
