Article: A 2020 Review of the BluOS Platform

[Nickolay_V]

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

[The Computer Audiophile]

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.

[Lobbster]

On 2/3/2020 at 11:35 AM, The Computer Audiophile said:

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

Cool! Forces the use of software Volume control which is very responsive. Sounds like a good fit for smartphones and Crestron touchscreens. My wife operates the volume control buttons like a gas pedal and expects immediate feedback.

[scintilla]

It sure would be great if BluOS supported multi-channel file playback over network though.  I have all these multi-channel music files in Roon to play and no way to get them into my HT receiver unless I buy a NUC or A/V pc to provide HDMI out.  

[harmonica2]

Chris - I have a specific question about the C 658.   Did you test it with or without a preamp?  Does it serve as an acceptable preamp?   I currently use a Bluesound Node with an integrated amp, and I am considering the C 658.   I am wondering if I should hang on to the integrated or purchase a standard amplifier.   

[steveoat]

BluOs doesn't do DSD -- it converts it to PCM.  And I don't believe you can use HQ Player with BluOS

[cat6man]

i'm thinking of the powernode 2i for my wireless patio music system, giving me a one box solution to my speakerstone speakers.

in the past, i've had a couple of systems including a logitech touch==>geekout DAC==>kenwood car stereo, all powered by a PC power supply.

 

my needs are relatively simple but not negotiable.

1.  gapless playback

2.  reliable streaming via wifi (strong signal available)

3.  easy/fast navigation of NAS based music library by folders

4.  good sound quality and sufficient power to drive speakerstones

 

i recently had a horrible experience trying to get an NAD7050 working to meet these capabilities, eventually giving up and returning the 7050.  since bluesound is a sister company of NAD, i was afraid to board that boat a second time but it seems that bluesound, with their bluesound app and hardware, may in fact have resolved the problems.  i noticed on bluesound's support page they say they will not support dlna/upnp as it is unreliable, etc.........after encountering their NAD version, i can second that opinion for their previous implementation!

 

so, a couple of questions before i take the leap:

a)  how is music set up on the NAS in order to be accessed by the bluesound app?  just a pointer to a location or is there a server or something else that needs to be run on the NAS?

b)  is the library structure indexed and stored (on the phone/tablet?), so it does not need to be re-scanned each time the app is opened?

 

i think the following were confirmed above, but i want to double check

c)  back and forth navigation through the library by folders is well implemented?

d)  gapless for WAV and FLAC?

 

thanks..........we may have a winner here

 

[cat6man]

guess this thread has outlived its timeliness

 

bought a powernode 2i and was streaming qobuz in 10 minutes, excellent sound

still trying to get it to recognize NAS though.........

[WSomm]

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.

[The Computer Audiophile]

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. 

[WSomm]

6 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

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. 

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?

[The Computer Audiophile]

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.

[WSomm]

3 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

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

Will do, thank you.

[DarwinOSX]

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 on the Roon community Bluesound forum.

[The Computer Audiophile]

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. 

[Toolonginexile]

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

[The Computer Audiophile]

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.

[Toolonginexile]

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 ...

I would like either device to also allow for playing flac fikes from a thumb or external hard drive...

 

So any further thoughts greatly appreciated .....

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

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/ 

[cfriedman2000]

Chris,

Thanks for the detailed review, I integrated it into my own new purchase of the rubicon2c. I am now in the midst of either returning or demanding that Dali start supporting their customers alot better. The bluos npm module was snap to install and get running  via a direct router ethernet connection. My dilemma revolves around the sound hub ---which one would think is a very clever and useful streamer preamp----one would be wrong. I am being distressed by the horrid performance especially with being forced to stream via BT siriusxm and stitcher(a tradeoff I am okay with but would prefer a chromecast module to have cloud server which hardware manufacturers would be better enabled) and the performance to date has been unintelligible  playback ( enough that my wife said I can stop the testing). This has persisted thru factory reset and firmware update. 

Presently ascribing this to a faulty bluetooth set up on the sound hub as the coveted BT remote is as jancky as the BT playback of these services and individual music files. If you have suggestions please let me know as DALI is not showing itself  to be premium priced audio equipment worth!!!!!

[The Computer Audiophile]

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

[centurycycler]

Hi BluOS users. I recently purchased a Vault2i. I am having difficulty finding any detailed tutorials on some of the functionality of the OS. Perhaps I can get some help on this string.

1) Am I able to use the USB ports on the back of the unit to import music from a USB device? (Thumb drive etc.) Is it as easy as plug in a thumb drive and the system does the rest? 

2) How do I use the "genres" tab in Library? With iTunes, music is automatically dropped into the appropriate genre (rock, classical, country etc.) 

3) How are folders created?

Seems to me Bluesound could make the OS far more intuitive, but enough of my complaint. If I can find some answers to these questions, fo now I would be a happy camper! Thanks for any help and advice

 

[rherron]

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?

[The Computer Audiophile]

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)?

[rherron]

I can't seem to find that option, on the android app or the desktop app. All I can find is the 'Bluetooth Headphones' option under Home / My Players ...