Bluesound Node 2

[Melvin]

53 minutes ago, DarwinOSX said:

 

Hmm.  Wonder why that would be an issue given that pandora seems to be in everything else...

 

Yeah, it's a mystery and kind of hard to believe, but for now it's Pandora via Bluetooth or no Pandora. 

[Melvin]

Well, I don't know about Roon or the Express, but I use an Apple Airport Extreme without issue with my 2 Bluesound products (Node 2 and Pulse Flex).

 

And speaking of Pandora and Apple, I have an ATV2 laying around and decided to connect it to the Node 2 (via optical-in), in essence adding AirPlay to the mix. Works great and now I can stream Pandora via wifi from my iPhone or Mac rather than using Bluetooth. I'm not sure the sound quality is any better but wifi is much more stable than Bluetooth. Not a bad work-around.

 

[Melvin]

2 hours ago, DarwinOSX said:

Thanks. I've never had issues like this with AirPort Extreme and I do about every kind of streaming you can think of. I would say it is very likely a Roon issue. They give no reason for this statement then recommend an Asus router that has many negative reviews. It's a pretty lame statement in Roons part. 

 

+1 .. being a cord-cutter I stream a great deal of content, both audio and video without issue. I'm not a Roon user (Roon-er? Roonie? Roonist?) so I couldn't care less what they say. It was reported months ago that Apple is getting out of the router business but it doesn't mean they're not supporting their products. Knowing this, I recently purchased an AirPort Express for work and it works like a charm.

 

I shouldn't say I couldn't care less .. I care about our fellow Bluesound users who may want to use theirs as a Roon endpoint. I would suggest posing the question to Bluesound support.

 

[Melvin]

FYI .. an update landed today:

 

https://support.bluesound.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002337408-Introducing-BluOS-2-10-0

 

More here:

 

https://helpdesk.bluesound.com/discussions/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4054&sid=e54795792fab328d4b7500d7447b5fe8

 

 

[Melvin]

@witchdoctor .. I see your Node 2 arrived. Hope you're enjoying it thus far. 

[Melvin]

The Node 2 is a great little box, no? For the money it's hard to beat. Bluesound continues to impress me as they tweak and refine their products (i.e., lastest updates). They truly listen to their customers. 

[Melvin]

7 hours ago, GUTB said:

I found that it couldn't compete with a real DAC. Might be a good value for someone with little money, doesn't have a lot of real estate and/or doesn't place a high value on SQ.

 

Hey GUTB .. did it ever occur to you the blanket statements you make can be a bit off-putting? There are plenty of folks with years of experience in our hobby who have enough money, care greatly about sound quality, and actually purchased a Bluesound device because they like what they hear (and yes, their ears are good enough to detect differences). A little perspective .. we are not talking about an Aurender or Melco streamer here, the Node 2 is a $500 device with incredible value. 

 

BTW, I would love to see you start a thread explaining which products/components you think we all should purchase going forward. It would be great to have at least some of your wisdom and knowledge in one easy-to-read thread. I'm thinking you could instruct us not only on streamers but also amps, speakers, cables, room treatment, .. well, every aspect of audio. Please.

 

[Melvin]

@Rob_ .. thanks for sharing your experience. It's this type of post that helps others to decide (one way or another). I see it's your 1st post. Glad you decided to join the conversation. Welcome. 

[Melvin]

3 hours ago, DarwinOSX said:

Meanwhile Melvin your foolish things list has cost me some money :-)

 

Hope it was worth it :-)

[Melvin]

4 hours ago, GUTB said:

Here is the Node 2. We can clearly see it's not a real DAC:

 

Fake DACs have been infiltrating our ranks for some time now and fortunately for us you are here to right the ship. Again, I hope you will take the time to start a thread so we may be educated. 

[Melvin]

12 hours ago, fredduc said:

A question for those who know more about DACs than I do, but, would connecting a Cambridge Audio DacMagic improve the sound? Of course, I can test it myself as I have this DAC, but, I'm awaiting some expert answers. I've read this thread, but I don't understand all of it as I'm not that much into this audio-science-stuff, but, I'm willing to learn

 

THX.

 

Not that I know so much about DACs (I don't) but in my non-expert opinion it's a matter of taste. Often the differences are subtle until you go much higher up the food chain. The Node 2 uses a Burr-Brown DAC which is nicely balanced and quite capable. Will the DacMagic be an improvement? That is truly for you to decide for yourself. Welcome to CA and to this thread. 

[Melvin]

59 minutes ago, arcman said:

I am currently using airplay thru ATV to stream on my main system I subscribe to Roon, Tidal and Qobuz sublime prime +.  I have the Nova Pre as my pre/ dac. Everythng sounds and runs perfect, except I can't stream above 16/48 (ATV). I'm ordering a Node 2 to be able to stream higher than redbook. I will hook both analog and digital outs to my Nova. I'll be curious to compare the two Dacs. The Nova pre peaks at 24/96 ( which covers 90% of Qobuz sublime + streaming). 

 

TEAC seems to be on board with MQA and Hoping they will release a new version of their 5xx series Dacs. 

 

This should prove interesting @arcman. BTW, because the Node 2 is also a preamp/DAC I would think a more accurate test would be to use it as such, taking the Nova out of the analog-out path altogether. Please let us know how you make out. 

[Melvin]

57 minutes ago, mansr said:

Does anyone know if the Node 2 works as an MQA renderer (for the Toslink input) with the "core" decoding done in software (Tidal or Audirvana)? I know it has a full decoder, so there's not much need for this mode of operation, but I'm still curious as to whether it's possible.

 

Not sure if this will help but .. https://support.bluesound.com/hc/en-us/articles/115006191908-Why-Isn-t-My-External-DAC-Playing-MQA-

 

This may be more helpful .. https://helpdesk.bluesound.com/discussions/viewtopic.php?t=3760&start=30

 

[Melvin]

2 minutes ago, mansr said:

That's the opposite, using the Bluesound decoder with an external renderer. My question was whether it's possible to use the Bluesound as a renderer with an upstream "core" decoder.

 

Sorry .. I just edited my post to include another link. A few posts down the page mentions MQA core. 

[Melvin]

Thanks for sharing @arcman. This info will no doubt help someone who finds themselves in a similar situation. Enjoy.

[Melvin]

8 minutes ago, BilboAlaska said:

I am not sure my problem is my wifi. The Node 2 often fails to connect to my wifi but my iMac, iPad and iPhone all work on the wifi. The Node 2 shows a solid green light and the Node2 shows up in the system settings of both iMac and iPhone so it has a signal,  but fails every time to connect. It has worked but won't anymore.

 

Bluesound help center is good but not direct like Apple Care is. You have to email to make an appointment for them to call you which I have done several times. I am dead in the water. Help is days away.

 

 

Curious if you've checked your wifi signal via Bluesound Diagnostics? Here is the link if you are unfamiliar with this simple tool:

 

https://support.bluesound.com/hc/en-us/articles/201940663-What-should-my-Wireless-Signal-Strength-be-for-best-performance-

 

I only ask because I've got nothin' else for ya. Sorry. I use my Node 2 wirelessly without issue however, when I first set it up I had to move my AirPort Extreme a bit for a better signal. And by a bit I mean 6 or 7 inches! I used the Diagnostics tool to figure it out back then. I hope you get it sorted out. Best.

[Melvin]

Ahh .. now I understand what you're saying (apparently I'm a bit slow). I hope Bluesound support can help. 

[Melvin]

For Android, I have the Bluesound app on my Amazon Fire HD 8 and Acer Chromebook, and for iOS I have the app on my iPad Air and iPhone 6. There seems to be little difference (if any) in stability and functionality. You can't go wrong on either platform IMO.

[Melvin]

2 hours ago, BilboAlaska said:

I am still trading emails with Bluesound support. Strange, I can play Tidal via an Airport Express on my home hifi with an iPad but I cannot do it with the Node 2. AE is only $100. For $500 you would think the Node 2 would work as well. I really wish I never started with the Vault 2 and Node 2. I must have wasted 100 hours screwing around with it. Now back to the Airport Express.

 

Well, that sucks (your frustration is palatable). Your situation seems unique and hopefully it works out for you in the end. That being said, if I had the same problems I would sell them both and look for another streaming solution.

 

I can understand your issue with the Vault 2 (needs wired ethernet) but not for the Node 2. Strange indeed. FWIW in addition to my Node 2 I also have 2 Pulse Flex's and have never experienced a wifi issue with any of them. In fact, the 2 Flex's are on the 2nd floor of my house and nowhere near my router. The router is on the 1st floor on the other side of the house. It's all very stable .. not even a hiccup. 

 

Best of luck whatever you decide to do.

 

 

[Melvin]

Hey @bobbmd .. as gomle69 stated the BSN2 is not compatible with A+ (or others) as it's a one-box streaming solution with its own operating system. The Node 2 is integrated with all the streaming services you mentioned. Some of the integration (i.e., Deezer) is very rudimentary and a work in progress, but works well. Will it be the better solution for you? I think you'll need to trial the Node 2 and see for yourself if it's acceptable. There are some members here (GUTB) that think it's crap and not suitable for an audiophile. After nearly 2 years with mine, I remain quite happy with it.

 

Your CD player can be connected via the Node 2's mini toslink/3mm combo port. BTW, the Node 2 comes with an optical to mini-jack converter in the box if you need one and there is a software setting for auto-sensing/switching for this connection. It works well.

 

Best of luck.

 

[Melvin]

Fantastic update for the desktop apps (Mac & Windows) today:

 

https://support.bluos.net/hc/en-us/articles/360002681993-Introducing-the-new-BluOS-Controller-for-Desktop

 

And for the mobile apps as well:

 

https://support.bluos.net/hc/en-us/articles/360002682553

 

You gotta love Bluesound .. they really listen to their customers and deliver!

[Melvin]

10 hours ago, BilboAlaska said:

The Bluesound Vault 2 should have airplay also. Why no wifi capability? I have to use an Airport Express to add wifi to the Vault 2.

 

I never understood Bluesound's decision to omit wifi on the Vault 2. Of course there are work-arounds like what you're doing but, considering their line of products, this shouldn't be necessary. For me, wifi is a must. You're frustration is palpable.

 

I've been using a Chromecast Audio (via optical-in) to stream Pandora and Google Play through my Node 2 as a work-around for the lack of integration with those services. I'm still amazed neither of these services, nor Chromecast support, is integrated .. it's been years now. Fortunately, the Chromecast Audio is only $35 and works great. At least Bluesound added an option for optical auto-switching in the settings .. much less cumbersome.

[Melvin]

Makes sense @audio.bill .. thanks for enlightening me. Still might be nice to have a wifi option for folks in a similar position to @BilboAlaska. May not be perfect but perhaps better than the work-around.

[Melvin]

That's regrettable @BilboAlaska. It's a mystery considering many (including myself) have had the exact opposite experience using the Node 2 via wifi. I hope you have better luck going forward.