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Article: A 2020 Review of the BluOS Platform


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48 minutes ago, MikePM said:

Great review.  I use the node 2 with the SPDIF out to the DAC and find it easy to use and can access my NAS, Tidal and Deezer apps very easily.  The one thing that was unclear in your review, especially to a non-roon user, was what exactly does roon add or what is the BlueOS missing compared to roon?

 

Also, did you try the Alexa voice control integration?  I find it a little finicky to use.

Hi Mike, I think BluOS is quite underrated. It’s great to read you’re using it with success. 
 

The biggest thing Roon offers over BluOS is an integrated / single panel view of all one’s music as if it’s a single library. Searching for Pearl Jam shows all my local albums on my NAS and the albums from streaming services together. As if everything was in my local collection. Searching is also over all sources at once. 
 

I started using Google Assistant and was underwhelmed. However, I need to circle back and really dig in before concluding anything. 

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8 minutes ago, Nickolay_V said:

As far as I know, BluOS does not have built-in DSP (like Roon) and thus loses

Also does not work as PC / ARM software to traditional peripherals (in the form of audio cards)

BluOS has limited DSP options depending on the hardware. Not sure what you mean by “loses.”

 

What do you mean by “PC / ARM software to traditional peripherals (in the form of audio cards)?”

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27 minutes ago, Nickolay_V said:

 

1) As far as I know, BluOS does not have built-in DSP (like Roon) and this is а big minus

2) I mean CLIENT-SERVER SOFTWARE for open hardware (PC & ARM)  and software platforms ( Win/OS X/Linux) for working with usual DAC. Like Roon is

Ah. Correct, there is no EQ or convolution engine. 
 

There are apps for macOS and Windows but they require BluOS hardware endpoints. 

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4 hours ago, markebrauer said:
Excellent review, but you did not mention gapless playback...
 
I have had my Node 2 for two years now and I love it. At the time of purchase I had decided that it was necessary to move on from my Squeezebox Touch and I started looking into everything on the market. I was about ready to acquire a highly-regarded model when I discovered that it did not support gapless playback. Further research proved that many of the competing hardware/software offerings out there did not provide gapless support . Even some of the "high-end" models lacked gapless support. I had never thought much about gapless because the Squeezebox just did it, and I expected that it was the norm. I believe that even now, two years later, gapless playback is not a given.
 
Also, I had been ripping CDs and purchasing downloads for 8 years and it was all identified by the usual mess of metadata. Early on I had experimented with editing the metadata myself but decided that organizing in folders suited my needs best. The Squeezebox provided a folder view of my music and that suited me well. I found that many of the systems I was researching did not support accessing music by folder.
 
These two concerns (along with a preference for Android control) effectively narrowed my search down to Bluesound. I had been prepared to spend quite a bit more for a streamer, but it turned out the Node 2 was my only real choice. Both the Bluesound hardware and the BluOS software have been extremely stable and are updated often. I have never had an issue. I use the Node 2 with an external DAC and the SQ is fantastic.
 
Oh, and another difference between BluOS and Roon is that BluOS runs on directly the Bluesound device whereas Roon software needs to run on some sort of central server (basically a PC), much like the old Squeezebox system. That's not a bad thing, but one should realize that to be useful it must be on 24/7. And depending on the platform, computers usually require management tasks to be performed occasionally. With BluOS your music files can reside on a low-energy/low-noise NAS connected to the router, and the Bluesound device pretty much manages itself. Of course one still needs a computer to load music onto the NAS, but it need not be running all the time. Not a huge difference I know, but depending on one's computer skills it's a good thing to know.

I just re-tested the BluOS components I have for gapless. I have full gapless support when using the Bluesound app with local or Qobuz content, and full gapless support when using Roon with local or Qobuz content. 

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23 hours ago, Lobbster said:

This is interesting and timely. I've got many zones of Sonos plus Crestron. My Sonos gear is 10-13 yrs old and the Crestron is being upgraded to the newer display. The old one couldn't integrate anything but distributed audio. Nice to know there's an alternative to Sonos. That NAD network music player is intriguing.

 

Sonos was a wonderful experience originally because the Controller was so easy for anyone to figure out. I find the hardware volume controls on cellphones (Sonos or Spotify Connect) are too laggy for the average person (my wife) to figure out, there's huge delays so no tactile response. Does BlueOs handle cellphone hardware volume commands seamlessly? 

 

I'd like to integrate the home on Roon.

The hardware volume controls on iPhones don't change the level within the BluOS app. 

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33 minutes ago, joelha said:

Chris,

 

Thanks a lot for the video. That was helpful.

 

While it might not be possible for you to tell because the hardware differs for each OS, do you have an opinion (DSP not enabled) as to which OS sounds best?

 

Finally, will Blue OS run on a NAS as Roon does?

 

Joel

Hi Joel, I’m unsure if there is a difference between OSs running the Bluesound app. 
 

BluOS will only run on licensed hardware. No NAS. 

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37 minutes ago, Nickolay_V said:

By the way, BluOs still has a plus in comparison with Roon.

It has support for the REST protocol for external command management over TCP / IP.

This means that BluOS can be used in the Smart HOME alarm and notification system. Roon promises this in the future ( in v.2)

*Play ( and replay) at the event , pre-recorded message about the event . To the required ZONES

This is very important  for the all real MODERN system

Great point.

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  • 3 months later...
8 minutes ago, WSomm said:

I purchased the NAD C 658 about 3 months ago and have had a mixed experience. It has features that are compelling such as Dirac Live and subwoofer out, and I find BluOS to be capable and user friendly. However, there have been two issues that are annoying. First, sporadically the device will drop off the network and won't show up on the BluOS app. The fix is to reboot the player, sometimes multiple times. Second, I use the USB input by attaching a flash drive and it will be recognized by BluOS initially, but then later it will disappear from the app and I have to take the drive out and put it back in to have it recognized. Once while I was playing music from the drive the music stopped suddenly and the unit messaged that the USB stick had been removed, even though this was not the case. In my experience, when it's working it's provided pleasurable listening, but the annoyances are making me wonder about moving on to a more stable device.

Hi WSomm, have you checked to make sure the unit isn't going to sleep? When I had the C 658 I had a big issue with it going to sleep, before I realized I would change the setting easily. 

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1 minute ago, WSomm said:

I have Auto Standby ON and Network Standby ON, so the unit goes into standby mode after 20 min of inaction but the network connection is maintained. Do you mean I should turn Auto Standby OFF so that it doesn't go to sleep?

I would play with those settings to see if it solves your issue. It very well could.

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8 minutes ago, DarwinOSX said:

Apple Music integrates with more than just Sonos. They integrate with Alexa/Echo and Google Home but there are others that a simple Google search would show.

Also there are a lot of complaints about BlueOS devices and Roon integration.

Perhaps haps you can help us find the others. 

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5 minutes ago, Toolonginexile said:

Can anyone with a 658 provide any insight on a purchase?  I need a streamer and want to try Dirac but I would be giving up my tube pre amps which I dearly enjoy.   I’m debating between a 658 and maybe a mini dsp unit.   Any thoughts on sound quality and ease of use would be appreciated.   
 

Amy further comments on bus would also be welcome...the 658 has taken some hits on bugs over at avs forum.....

 

ideally I’d love a streamer and Dirac in one box with a tube preamp but that impossible.  Lol

There are many options in this space. 

 

Are you set on Dirac or you just want some type of room correction?

 

You can still use the 658 with your existing tube preamp.

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1 minute ago, Toolonginexile said:

Thanks for the reply,   My newly converted home office has Terrible acoustics. After experimenting for a few years in that space without much success I’d like to try room correction.  I was attracted to the Dirac in the 658 and new mini dsp unit since it appeared to be easy to use after taking measurements.  


it might be heresy soured here but I really don’t want to learn how to use REW and purchase my own mike etc...

 

Being a newb I was under the impression you had to use the preamp functions in these units in order to get the benefit of Dirac....if not that’s great ...

 

So any further thoughts greatly appreciated .....

 

Thanks for the reply. 

 

I view DSP as the next frontier in HiFi and having it at your disposal is a necessity. The ability to turn it on and off is also super nice. Here is an article I wrote about my own situation - https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/bits-and-bytes/a-new-listening-room-part-two-acoustics-speakers-dsp-r863/

 

 

I think you can do better than Dirac built into a product and give yourself many more options. Nothing against the 658 and products with Dirac built-in, as I know there is a large market for them. I have REW and a microphone and have done measurements etc...

 

In my experience, working with @mitchco, who has literally written a book about DSP / room correction, was the best thing I ever did. Check out his site here - https://accuratesound.ca/ 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Update from Lenbrook this morning. Here is the press release. 

 

Neil Young Archives –High-Res Streaming Content Added to BluOS Devices in
Canada and the United States


Unique fan-focused service comes to BluOS enabled products via previously announced
adaptive streaming protocol


PICKERING, CANADA, MAY 26, 2020 – Lenbrook International, developer of the BluOS hi-res wireless
premium distributed audio and music management platform, proudly announced the integration of the Neil

Young Archives (NYA), the high-resolution, studio-quality streaming online archive of famed Canadian-
born rock icon, Neil Young, into the BluOS platform.

 

Effective immediately, Canada- and US- based users of BluOS Enabled products from NAD Electronics,
Bluesound, and DALI Loudspeakers, will be prompted to update their players for the unique opportunity to
freely sample Neil Young Archives’ “Song of the Day” and “Album of the Week” in high-resolution, with a
tap of a button in the BluOS Controller app. Existing subscribers of the Neil Young Archives can simply
enter their credentials into the “Add Music” area of the BluOS app to access the service, and those who
wish to become a subscriber will find a link to the sign-up page on NYA’s website.


This integration is possible due to the addition of OraStream’s adaptive streaming protocol utilizing the
MPEG 4 SLS codec in BluOS, introduced late last year as part of BluOS’s goal to maintain its leadership
in offering high-resolution music content options for its users. Music files are encoded and delivered in their
native resolution, thereby retaining and preserving the nuances and details of the original source file.


ALL-CANADIAN COMMITMENT TO HIGH-RESOLUTION AUDIO


In 2018, Canadian-born Young launched his Neil Young Archives, an ambitious project that models a novel
way for artists to distribute unique content to their fans without the damaging compression so prevalent in
today’s mass market streaming music world. His website and app provide access to all of his audio, video,
memorabilia, notes, lyrics, original manuscripts, and news.


Meanwhile, Canada-based Lenbrook International was in the midst of growing its reach with a new and
modern audiophile customer seeking a completely new performance standard and user experience
supporting high-resolution 24/192 audio streaming, layered with multi-room music capabilities. Such an
innovative solution had never before been made commercially available and the Bluesound brand, with
its BluOS operating system, had been setting new standards and winning awards worldwide since its
launch in 2012.

 

This “Canadian connection” around high-resolution audio has been developing over a number of years,
with Young even mentioning Lenbrook as an example of hardware manufacturers who remain dedicated
to hi-res audio in his 2019 book co-written with Phil Baker, “To Feel the Music.”


“Perhaps an underappreciated point for those who want to experience hi-res audio is that it takes two
elements working together to achieve the optimal outcome,” explains Gordon Simmonds, President and
CEO of the Lenbrook Group of Companies. ”Hi-res audio is only possible when both the content is offered
in hi-res and the audio equipment that music lovers use can decode that content in its highest quality. In
this integration, we have put these two pieces together for the end consumer to enjoy, simply and
elegantly.”


A CONTENT AND HARDWARE PARTNERSHIP TO MODEL


Beyond just the technical integration of Young’s service with BluOS, the agreement also demonstrates
how a content creator and a home audio equipment provider can collaborate and model an effective and
simple solution for music lovers to access and enjoy a unique and fully high-resolution streaming
experience.


“It is important to me to be able to offer my life’s work to music lovers in its highest resolution. I want
them to experience my music in the absolute best quality possible on their devices,” says
Young. “Creating Neil Young Archives has enabled me to support and partner with established hi-res
audio brands using BluOS to achieve great improvement over mainstream consumer devices and bring
the true beauty of music to you.”


“Although my music already sounds better on all devices because our master’s high-resolution source is
so pure,” Young continues, “to reach its true potential, it will sound even better with BluOS Enabled
products!”


“This is how the hi-res masters enable the very best quality for all music lovers, combining the best
source with superior playback of devices using BluOS, designed to provide all the music and easily
unwraps the true emotional hit from my hi-res music.”


ABOUT THE NEIL YOUNG ARCHIVES


The Neil Young Archives (neilyoungarchives.com), described as a “Revolution in fandom” by The Guardian,
is a website and app where fans have access to Neil Young’s audio, video, memorabilia, notes, lyrics,
original manuscripts and an eight-page newspaper. It’s where Neil is continually adding new content and
where his fans and he communicate with each other. It went live a little over a year ago and has tens of
thousands of paid members. A subscription costs $19.99 per year.


ABOUT BLUOS


BluOSTM is a premium multi-room audio ecosystem that manages stored and cloud music sources and
playback, with support for high-resolution audio streams up to 24/192. Adopted by some of the most
renowned hifi audio brands and integrated with numerous smarthome and voice control systems, BluOS
allows for interoperability among enabled devices across brands for maximum versatility and use

cases. Integrations with popular streaming music services like Tidal, Spotify, Amazon Music HD, Qobuz,
and Deezer, as well as featuring support for FLAC, WAV, OraStream, MQA, and other high-resolution
formats and codecs, BluOS offers virtually unlimited access to music of all genres for any occasion.
Made up of an operating system and a control application for smart phones, tablets, and PC desktops,
BluOS is the ultimate choice for the modern audiophile.


ABOUT LENBROOK INTERNATIONAL


Lenbrook International, a subsidiary of the Lenbrook Group of Companies, is the owner and manufacturer
of award-winning brands for home audio and residential install applications. Its full suite of products from
NAD Electronics, PSB Speakers, Bluesound wireless multi-room players, and Bluesound Professional
commercial audio, are distributed in over 80 countries, while its BluOS hi-res distributed audio platform
continues to be adopted by some of the world’s leading premium audio brands.

NYA BluOS Integration 26MAY2020 FINAL.pdf

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  • 3 months later...
7 minutes ago, rherron said:

Thanks so much for the very informative review of BluOS. I'd been looking for a decent review for ages. I spent a long time researching this area in the past year or two as I wanted to upgrade from 25 yr old setup of Denon Amp, Aegis AE1 speakers and Technics CD player and Technics SL1200 turntables. In the end I went for the NAD C658 with Acoustic Energy AE1 Active speakers, Planar 3 record player and marantz cd006. A no-amp setup that I'm really happy with. Apart from one little niggle - I just can't get the 'Bluetooth Headphones' option to work. I have Sony WH1000XM3 wireless headphones which work with everything else but not the C658, any ideas?

Can you get it to work as a Bluetooth receiver (reverse of headphones mode)?

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1 minute ago, stefano_mbp said:

@The Computer Audiophile
I’m very impressed that in your review there is no mention about the terrific way BluOS manages the tags.

No multi item tags are considered/processed as they should be (ie Artist and Genre), according to ID3 and Vorbis standards.

What is an app without the ability to “surf” the music library with all the metadata informations available? Particularly for classical music.

Take a look to Lumin app with MinimServer and compare it to BluOS  .... BluOS is the Hell and Lumin the Paradise.

I do understand that BluOS is a complete environment but the ability to manage metadata should be at the first place, without it my library is totally unusable.....

Looks like you found a product that meets your needs (Lumin) and understand that the BluOS platform isn't for you. That's great to read. 

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Just now, stefano_mbp said:

That’s true but we would like to find in the reviews all the pros and cons described objectively, not everyone is capable of understanding all aspects of technology and certain huge flaws should be highlighted.
Otherwise what are reviews for?

There are endless reasons for writing a review and endless audiences which read a review. Listing "all the pros and cons described objectively" would lead to a treatise that possibly 1% of readers would find useful. There must be a balance and an understanding of one's audience. As the saying goes, you can't please all the people all the time.  

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