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I've been searching for an under $1,000 music streamer that plays all the modern audio formats and can be wirelessly controlled with an iPad from the listening chair.
I've narrowed it down to the Bluesound Node 2i and would very much love to get feedback from the current owners on,
- What you like and dislike about the Node 2i?
- Would you recommend the Node 2i?
... and past owners,
- What streamer have you replaced the Node 2i with?
- Why?
Thanks!
Follow Ups:
My old laptop is noisy, and I am happy to have it out of the audio equation. I shut it down for serious listening.
I use the Node 2i with Tidal. I used to subscribe to Qobuz as well when we were locked down; once I went back to teaching in person I had a lot less time at home. It works very well with both. Sometimes I use the BluOs app and sometimes I go directly from my Tidal app. I have not had a problem with either.
I have a large collection of DSD albums ripped from SACDs. I miss that I can't listen to them without converting them to PCM.
The USB connection is not designed for a permanent hard drive; it's for an occasional file or album on a USB stick. So I do need my laptop on for the Node to access my library of ripped CDs on an external HD.
I don't have a very high-priced set up. But in my system, the Node sounds great.
Jeff
"Decaf is for cowards."
Jack Kevorkian
If you are using the Node, you have to use the Bluesound software. How are you using the Tidal app?
Late to this conversation but I have a Node 2i and Tidal and never use the Bluesound app. From any playlist or album in Tidal on my iPad the Node 2i appears as an output choice in the lower left corner of the selection. Click it once to select it and it continues as the target as long as the listening session lasts.
Edits: 02/19/21 02/19/21
Perhaps I am misunderstanding, but I don't see how it is possible to play Tidal via the Node 2i without the Bluesound app, which is built into the Node.
What you are describing may be sending Tidal from the iPad to the Node using bluetooth, which is surely not optimal.
One clarification, the indicator of the file resolution that shows up in Tidal when a song is playing changes depending on the resolution of the original, HiFi, Master, etc.
And here's an article in TechHive that has some information on this.
Here's a reference to this on the Tidal support site. It reads as if Tidal Connect is an alternative to the Bluesound app and it does work that way.
You may well know more than I do about this but the Tidal app on the iPad shows that it is transmitting Tidal Master quality files via Tidal Connect to the Node 2i and the audio quality I hear is clearly far better than anything I've heard via Bluetooth.
You are right and I was wrong. On Tidal it is possible to bypass the Bluesound app.
Glad we sorted that out, it is very useful to be able to use the native Tidal app with the same interface as the desktop app.
You folks are scaring me now. LOL.
Are there any streamers out there that have no negatives?
Many advocate for the Rasberry Pi, any negatives with that solution?
Every single thing in the Universe has pros and cons. The Pi is a neat little trick that is both affordable and powerful. A year or so ago I jumped onboard and bought all the parts and pieces only to discover that there was no way to get it running because I don't have a computer at home any more. Wife and I only have iPads and they simply won't do what needs to be done to fire up a Pi. For starters they can't burn a SIM card. Should you choose the Pi route you will find many on this site are extremely helpful to novices by offering step by step advice to set it up. However, if you don't know the difference between HDMI and USB cables, a Node may be a better and simpler choice: plug and play versus build and program.
Either way, you really can't go wrong or get frisky and do both!
Will
So I get my new Node 2i today, go through setup and updates, listen to radio stations, and it works great. I am not yet signed up to a music service. My wife comes home, downloads the Bluos app, and signs into her Amazon Music. The left channel immediately drops out and nothing that I do brings it back (switch the interconnects at the reciever, turn the 2i off for a while, check the app settings, turn off wifi on both phones etc.). It is doing it now with the radio as well. We have strong Fios wifi with all bars showing and the router about 8 feet away, thru one wall. The Bluesound "support" is incredibly bad - it is a "search" of already posted items. Has anyone had an issue like this, or has an actual way to get through to actual an bluos support person? What should be a nice experience has turned quite sour.
Thanks
If you call them, they say send it back to Amazon, not our problem. If you send them an email, after a week or two, you get a canned reply saying, in essence, send us a problem report, and if we get time in the future, we may look into it. In meantime, feel free to search all the forums, and with luck, someone else will have figured out your problem.
Searching the forums will reveal bugs that have gone addressed for years.
I find that Bluesound tends to deal with problems that affect basic playback and synchronization before they deal with software features such as searching, sorting, and displaying metadata information. Because I use my Node 2i as a basic digital music player, retrieving carefully organized albums from a NAS drive, I don't require much in the way of user conveniences. In that regard the BluOS controller works well. If you need more feature functionality you're probably better off with a music player that relies primarily on the Roon platform.
tketcham, 2 questions:
1 - I have my CDs burnt in iTunes on my PC, on the same WiFi network the Node 2i will operate in. Will the Node 2i see and play the stuff from the PC?
2 - Would my PC in question #1 the same as a NAS? If not, what HW and SW would I need to build a NAS?
I am new to this digital audio game so please disregard my ignorance.
Thanks!
I don't think BluOS will recognize a PC hard drive unless there's a way to share it over your local network. Beyond my computer skills and I'm not sure I'd do that anyway. :-)Setting up a NAS drive was fairly straightforward but I did have to learn a few things about sharing folders on a local network and managing a hard disk via an internet browser. (I use Firefox.) I went with a Synology DiskStation DS118 1-Bay NAS enclosure and a Western Digital 4TB Red Plus 5400 rpm SATA III 3.5" Internal NAS HDD drive based on the recommendations from inmates here. Cost me under $300 for both and other than a few glitches it seems to work well. Glitches have been mainly with corrupted PC permissions with certain files/folders on the NAS drive. Easily fixed using Synology's disk management tools.
I also have two 4TB USB drives attached to my laptop for music downloads, file management, and backups. I copy digital albums to the NAS drive once the metadata is edited and configured the way BluOS and I like it.
The installation instructions that came with the Synology NAS enclosure were fairly complete and because Synology is a popular brand there was plenty of useful information on the internet. This forum is frequented by some really sharp inmates that can help with any problems you encounter. I'll be glad to help if I can.
Edits: 02/15/21 02/15/21
There have been mentions of Amazon's music service not integrating well with BluOS in the past but not much lately.
If you want to hear the highest fidelity from the Node 2i use a wired internet connection from a NAS drive or a good USB drive. A NAS drive is more convenient to manage.
Strangely enough, I just switched out the interconnects (which were working fine previously) with another and the left channel is back (for now, we'll see). Checked the "bad" interconnect with another source and it works fine. Go figure.
Geoff, I am having the EXACT same problem with my Node 2i. With the same results. I've tried direct RCA output and Node 2i to DAC. Same result.
Another problem I'm having is that after 4 to 5 hrs of play, some songs develop an extreme edgy sound that it didn't have when I listened to it the previous night. Finally sent interconnect cables to manufacturer for inspection, repair, etc. No changes, same result.
At this point, I think it may be the Node 2i RCA terminations. Solder connection break or similar that becomes obvious when it heats up. In my Node 2i the same thing applies for the Coax cable digital output connection from the Node 2i to my DAC.
The Node 2i is a much more lightweight plastic device than those we audiophiles typically deal with. Pushing a pair of heavy high-quality interconnects onto those flimsy RCA sockets may have been too much for the Node 2i. Same for the digital coax output socket.
I have my Node 2i connected via ethernet. It's not a Wifi problem.
Heavy digital coax cable? What brand are you using? Or is it a long cable run? The two 1m coax cables I use, one from Kimber, one from Analysis Plus, are both relatively lightweight. The Kimber cable is somewhat inflexible so you have to be careful to support the cable or it can apply a lot of force on the RCA connection. I've connected and disconnected both cables from my Node 2i SPDIF jack many times and never had a problem. Even using 2m RCA cables with rediculously tight connectors on my Node 2 hasn't resulted in loose connections. But then, I'm always careful when connecting and disconnecting cables, especially with bargain components.
And the edginess you hear, is that with the onboard DAC or an external DAC? I recall you were looking for a new DAC recently.
Tom
Hi Tom - After I bought the Node 2i I tried it's internal DAC, therefore using RCA cables, 1m Cardas Golden Reference in my case. The connection was quite tight so I had to push fairly hard.
I later switched to the digital out. I didn't own a digital coax so I bought a cheap coax and then a cheap toslink. Extremely distorted sound resulted. So I bought a Wireworld digital coax which had an incredibly tight connection to the Node 2i. So tight I couldn't get it into the socket. I returned it and purchased an Audioquest cable which is fine. My system still has the issue described above. My wife says I "gorilla things" on repairs so it may all be my fault.
While doing this, I discovered that my old DAC likely has a bad S/PDIF input board which resulted in the distorted sound I heard. I'm now evaluating a new DAC, a Chord Qutest.
The distortion, frequently but not always, reappears on long listening sessions. Which means it could be a small break somewhere that is heard with thermal expansion of parts. Or it could be something entirely different. Such as my integrated amp. Ugh! I'd try a different source but my vinyl system is temporarily down and I'd rather not listen to 5 hrs of CDs, but that's the probable next diagnostic step other than switching to my old integrated amp.
It's annoying when a cable or component company can't seem to get the connections right. I pulled the RCA jack out of a receiver one time. Granted it was an inexpensive component, but the cable end was so tight that I had to modify it just to use with it with other components. That's also why I take great care when connecting and disconnecting cables; I'd be pissed (at myself) for ruining a connection on a more expensive component. It's also why I tend to stay with a single cable manufacturer, one that I trust will use a consistent RCA connector that fits like a glove, not a Vice-Grip. I'm appreciating balanced connections mainly for the better connectors that are used.
Troubleshooting problems can be a pain. But the likelihood that both the line-out and SPDIF connections were damaged in the same way so as to create the same problem seems low. But you won't know until you listen to your CDP for the same amount of time. I suggest using the same input on your integrated for both the Node 2i and the CD player to eliminated the possibility that it's one input and not the other. Just put a CD on repeat and leave the house for several hours. :-)
You're correct on all counts. I'm frustrated with this problem and I just need to do the work, starting with your suggestion. What really gets me PO'd is that this problem is intermittent. Last night the system was perfect. Sounded great,, no problems. The night before had the problem. That's how it's been for quite a while. Thanks for the troubleshooting suggestion!
Tried wiggling the left IC at the Node 2i?
There's a choice of Stereo/Left/Right/Mono under Player > Audio > Output mode in the Settings section of the BluOS controller. It may have been a glitch in the software or an unintended change in settings.Tom
Edits: 02/13/21
I've had some strange glitches with BluOS but in the end it works. The user forum hasn't been very active lately but there is helpful advice there. I find that trying a few searches with Google usually gets me a solution or at least useful trouble shooting suggestions from the BluOS website. I have to admit that sometimes the problem is operator error. Doh! :-)
Tom
Friends,
Thanks so much for the many positive feedbacks. Your real world reviews are invaluable and have convinced me to pull the trigger on the Bluesound 2i.
I look forward to accessing the thousands of songs online from the listening chair with my iPad and a glass of wine, or local brew :-)) and play my favorite songs as well as discovering new ones.
May 2021 bring you good health, security, new toy(s) and countless hours of music enjoyment.
Best regards,
Peter
I would be particularly interested in reading about your experience if you connect your Node 2i to your network via WiFi. And any comments you might care to share about setup and the BluOS software.
I have a Node 2i with a good Ethernet connection that I use in my main stereo system and I've been enjoying hi-res music (16-44 to 24-192 FLAC) played from a NAS drive for over three years now. I use an external DAC, a Schiit Bifrost 2 multi-bit DAC and it's a good pairing.I also have five other Bluesound units scattered around the house (one Ethernet Node 2, one wi-fi Node 2, and three wi-fi Pulse Flex's) that we use to listen to internet radio and occasionally albums from the NAS server. I don't ever group the Node 2i in the main system with the grouped units to keep the sound quality as good as it can be.
At first it was frustrating because the BluOS software obviously had some bugs in it. At one point I was ready to give up on Bluesound and go with another music player. But the last six months or so I haven't had anywhere near the problems as in past years. We did get an upgrade to our internet service (5MB to 25MB) and that made a big difference in playing hi-res files from the NAS on our grouped units. The sound quality of the Pulse Flex's isn't great but it's background music so not that important.
I've considered trying another player, mainly to compare to the Node 2i, but at this point the BluOS app and Ethernet-connected Node 2i are just as enjoyable as listening to my vinyl setup or CD transport/DAC. The 24-96 (and up) albums are especially good played through the Node 2i and Bifrost 2 combination.
Tom
Edits: 02/11/21
Much appreciate the thorough review!
The FiiO M11 Pro meets all your requirements and costs $650.
Check it out on the FiiO website. FiiO M11 Pro
Interesting recommendation.
Well, the flagship FiiO M15 is my favorite digital player. I've also owned the M11 and the M11 Pro. In fact, I still have the M11 Pro and I think it might sound just as good as the more expensive M15. All of these players can be remote controlled using the FiiO Music app on a smartphone or tablet. There's a similar app for an iPad. However, I simply use a 15-foot interconnect so I can hold the FiiO in my hands while listening through my home stereo system. All the music files are displayed on its one-megapixel touch-screen. It also displays album covers and lyrics. The FiiO app provides a clone on your iPad if you decide to control it with your iPad.
I'm really impressed with FiiO components including their earphones. These little players are really exceptional in my opinion. I also own a Mytek Brooklyn Bridge and I think the M11 Pro and M15 sound just as good. Moreover, the fact that I can load my digital albums onto a micro SD memory card that plugs into the FiiO makes them exceedingly convenient and completely autonomous. These FiiO players will read digital formats up through DSD256 directly from their plugin micro SD card. The M15 will even play DSD512 if you stream it from a computer streamer like JRiver. They have both balanced and unbalanced analog outputs in addition to a USB connection. FiiO is my favorite digital player .
Best regards,
John Elison
First the good:
Sound quality is great; I am completely happy and have no desire to get something more expensive or to get an expensive external DAC. If that is your main concern, read no further.
Now the bad:
Software: This one is puzzling, because most people here and most reviewers seem fine with the Bluesound app. I guess this is an individual thing, because I find the app poor-confusing and counterintuitive. It varies significantly depending upon which streaming service you are trying to use. Qobuz and Tidal are fair, Spotify is downright bizarre. I often find myself leaving Bluesound, going to the native app to do something, then returning to Bluesound to play the track. The Qobuz implementation, in particular, has a bug which has been complained about in the forums and support groups literally for years, namely the inability to change how Favorites are sorted, which renders them largely useless. Bluesound seemingly has no inclination to fix this. This is just a minor example. When people complain about a software bug, Bluesound's typical response is (paraphrasing) "Send us a problem report and if we get the time we will look into it at some indeterminate future time."
Product support:
At one point my system started emitting a loud high frequency screech. The sound disappeared when I took the Node out of the system, so I am sure it was the Node. First, I tried calling Bluesound (NAD). Would you believe the number included in the packaging was disconnected?(!) After finding an email address for support, it took multiple emails over a couple of weeks to respond (COVID?) When I asked for a return authorization to get it serviced under warranty, their response was "Send it back to Amazon." (!!) In other words, they assume Amazon will send a replacement and they will save the cost of actually honoring their warranty. This is a sleazy, if not illegal, business practice. Fortunately, the noise disappeared as mysteriously as it appeared.
To summarize: great sound, mediocre software (IMO), dreadful support.
Perhaps my case is the exception, so take this for what it is worth.
I've returned product with the simple explanation that it was broken when in fact the item was just buggy and not ready for prime time. In my view, it was broken because it didn't reliably work as advertised. [ Wish we could easily do that with cars! ]The return policy will vary depending on who you actually bought it from, Amazon or a 3rd party using Amazon as a selling platform.
We're finishing the basement and I ordered a couple styles of fixtures and lighting. On the ones I returned, I simply chose "Ordered by Mistake". No hassles at all, they took them back and refunded my Amazon account.
Edits: 02/12/21
Hi, Jim,
I guess I'm less critical of BluOS because I don't stream hi-res from a music service and don't have as much need for searching or sorting. I use BluOS mainly to access my digital albums off a NAS. For that it works fairly well. But there's no denying that Roon provides a superior controller.
Tom
Proprietary software. ----
You're locked in and no where else to go.
I ran an original Node, not the current model, for a couple of years...I was extremely happy with the performance until the unit failed to turn on one day, which, I believe, may have been due to a power surge after a big storm...
If that hadn't happened, I'd probably still be using it.
Had a couple of minor glitches with the app, but no more than any other platform I've used (e.g. small laptop or my current raspberry Pis).After the hardware failure, I went to an Allo Digione. Initially, bought this as a stop-gap because I didn't have the additional dollars to buy a Node 2 at that time.
Anyway, that was couple of years ago and I now have two Digiones, running Volumio... One is on the main system and has the Shanti LPS. The other is on my headphone setup and uses the iFi iPower. I haven't felt the need to look into a new Node since getting these...
Anyway, in summary, I really liked the Node when I had it. I had no real issues with the app which, obviously, would have been somewhat less mature than the current one. But, the Digione fulfils my needs and I have been able to put one in each of my systems for about the same price as one Node 2 would cost me...
My $0.02
Cheers
Welly
He hoped and prayed that there wasn't an afterlife. Then he realized there was a contradiction involved here and merely hoped that there wasn't an afterlife.
- Douglas Adams
Edits: 02/09/21
Thanks for taking the time to share your story. I initially looked at the RPi solution too but don't have the patience to mess with the many pieces to make it work, and decided to search for a plug-and-play streamer instead, hence the Node 2i.
No worries...
And, based on my experience, I don't think you'll go too far wrong...
Cheers
Welly
He hoped and prayed that there wasn't an afterlife. Then he realized there was a contradiction involved here and merely hoped that there wasn't an afterlife.
- Douglas Adams
I'm also thinking about ordering the Node 2i, but I have some concerns about the very many negative reviews for the controller app that are posted on both the Apple and Google App Stores. The most frequent complaints are that it frequently drops its network connection and that it fails to recognize external drives containing music files. Many of the negatives may be due to poor ISP service, buggy routers, bandwidth problems, etc, rather than defects in the Bluesound hardware and app. Have any of you had any serious issues with the BluOS software?
Ever since day one it connected to my network in seconds, no dropouts eexcellent integration with roon.
I have considered shelling out for Roon in the hope that it would address my frustrations with the Bluesound software. I seem to remember someone posting that, despite claims, the Node did not integrate properly with Roon. Am I misremembering? Sounds like it is working great for you. Thanks!
Jim Thomas
Hardwire it and it will work flawlessly
Will
Absolutely!
I have a good Network - no problems whatsoever.
It's very easy to setup and it works flawlessly.
The App is fine, does everything I want.
'A lie is halfway around the world before the truth gets its boots on'. -Mark Twain
Likewise, my home network is pretty good and I don't expect it to be the deal breaker.
Get the Node and don't look back. I had one and it is a nice piece of gear and the software works well. You can see what I have upgraded to and IMHO, there isn't a whole lot in the middle that will be significantly better for your needs. In this business it's chump change and you won't regret spending it.
Will
Your point is well taken. Thanks.
This is great, often missed, advice. There doesn't seem to be a middle in digital like there is in analog. Or at least I haven't found it yet.
Nice system!
Thanks for the nice comment. Last March I lost what was left of my mind and sold off all my SET tube gear and went SS. This is the first time I have not owned a tube since 1979! Loving it by the way and a remote is a wonderful thing. The Luxman amp has a Loudness control that I haven't had since my Yamaha CR-800 in 1976.
Getting older and loving life.
The Bluesound Node is a deal of the century.
Will
I think I was going through the same feeling about tubes last year but instead of getting rid of them I sought out some good deals on a Lamm pre and phono pre. Luckily I live in LA where people getting divorced are desperate to sell their gear rather than giving half to their wife! The Lamm is as easy to use and as silent as good SS. Dual mono manual volume controls though. I'm not quite at remote volume yet. Probably soon.
I use. The node via analog to a jolida tube integrated, no outside dac, I use it multiple ways as a roon endpoint, direct from tidal , Amazon hd and Spotify ( seldom ), also y can stream just for experimenting to my Yamaha pre via Bluetooth . Also I use Bluetooth to hifiman deva cans, Is a great device .
Thanks for the affirmation!
Funny, I just this morning ordered one.
Great minds think alike :-)
Is this your first streamer, or are you replacing an existing unit? Would love to hear your insight if it's the latter.
First streamer. Can't wait to explore - I've only played records and cds until now.
I've had a Node 2i for several months and am very happy with it. The source is primarily Tidal over WiFi controlled by an iPad, iPhone or the iMac in my office. The 2i is connected to a Bel Canto DAC 3 and on to a Raven Audio Blackhawk LE and a pair of Reference 3A de Capo i speakers. It all sounds great and works perfectly playing hours every day, I never even think about it.
Thanks for your feedback, swfarrar. Nice system by the way. How does the Node 2i's DAC compare to the Bel Canto DAC 3 ? I might head in that direction (separate DAC) eventually as well.
Sorry, I never used the DAC and analog output of the 2i so can't make a comparison. I had the Bel Canto already in place being fed by a CD transport or the optical output of an Apple TV and just substituted the 2i and Tidal in place of the Apple TV streaming Apple Music.
Thanks again!
If you have a budget of $1,000 you should be able to get both a Node 2i and a good DAC. Getting a factory refurbished 2i would give you an extre $100 to play with. This is where I bought mine and it looked and works as new.
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