Author Topic: Bluesound Node  (Read 31282 times)

Offline ejk

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Re: Bluesound Node
« Reply #15 on: December 08, 2015, 12:45:05 PM »
Great explanation Tom. I responded while working so  my explanation was brief. I have been a Tidal member since it rolled out last November and I will say that in my sweet spot it is just as good as CD. Imaging and soundstage is on par with my cd's
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Offline tmazz

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Re: Bluesound Node
« Reply #16 on: December 08, 2015, 01:35:16 PM »
Great explanation Tom. I responded while working so  my explanation was brief. I have been a Tidal member since it rolled out last November and I will say that in my sweet spot it is just as good as CD. Imaging and soundstage is on par with my cd's

Hey it very well could be hat the reason it sounded like the difference between two different good CD versions is because the Tidal rip is of a different CD version than what I compared it to. And while I did hear some differences they were small in nature.

And also the Tidal is connected to the DAC via an optical cable while the CD payer is via coax, so there is another variable. And I am using a generic optical cable I had laying around and need to work on getting a better one.
« Last Edit: December 08, 2015, 01:37:22 PM by tmazz »
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Offline ejk

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Re: Bluesound Node
« Reply #17 on: December 08, 2015, 02:15:40 PM »
Great explanation Tom. I responded while working so  my explanation was brief. I have been a Tidal member since it rolled out last November and I will say that in my sweet spot it is just as good as CD. Imaging and soundstage is on par with my cd's


And also the Tidal is connected to the DAC via an optical cable while the CD payer is via coax, so there is another variable. And I am using a generic optical cable I had laying around and need to work on getting a better one.

I'm using a Blue Jeans cable optical. I could not get 24/192 to play out of the Node until......

I bought one of these and it solved all my problems. I connect straight to my dac now via my coax connection .


http://www.ebay.com/itm/TOSlink-to-COAX-Coaxial-Digital-Audio-Cable-Converter-24bit-192K-sampling-rate-/370695549213?hash=item564f2d311d

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Offline sleepyguy24

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Re: Bluesound Node
« Reply #18 on: December 08, 2015, 06:32:36 PM »
If any of you guys on Long Island need one of these Toslink to Coax converters I have one that I'm not using I can lend you.

Also for Toslink I use this cable. I preferred it over the grey Monoprice one I had.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-6-ft-GLASS-TOSLINK-DIGITAL-OPTICAL-CABLE-Premium-/390469819849?hash=item5ae9d09dc9:g:Gw4AAOxy3zNSe9gc

Offline jimbones

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Re: Bluesound Node
« Reply #19 on: December 09, 2015, 05:17:11 AM »
Tom,  Coax is soooooo much better than toslink. I'm not sying it's worth $150 more, but it is significantly better.
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Offline Emil

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Re: Bluesound Node
« Reply #20 on: December 26, 2015, 01:42:19 PM »
Tom
Thanks, but a couple more questions if you don't mind.

1) What does the server actually do? Why cant I just connect my laptop with Tidal installed and connect to my dac?

2) What do you get with more expensive servers compared to the Node 2?

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Offline tmazz

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Re: Bluesound Node
« Reply #21 on: December 26, 2015, 06:37:46 PM »
Tom
Thanks, but a couple more questions if you don't mind.

1) What does the server actually do? Why cant I just connect my laptop with Tidal installed and connect to my dac?

2) What do you get with more expensive servers compared to the Node 2?



The Node is not a server in and of itself. It is simply an interface between your home network (including the Internet) and your stereo system. Your can do the exact same thing with a laptop, but that would involve either a) dedicating a laptop to the stereo or b) hook up and unhooking a laptop to the stereo every time you want to use it.  It can play files from another computer or network drive or hook directly to a number of internet music service like Tidal and inTune via embedded software (but interestingly it does not come with software to play Pandora, which surprised me, but since I am using Tidal now was not a problem for me.

It is also a lot more visually pleasing as compared to having a laptop open on a shelf if your system is located in a shared space like a living room, although this would not be as much of an issue if you have a dedicated audio space that is out of sight from your significant other. But I do have to say that I like using my iPad to control the Node, because I can easily take it back to my seat or to any other place i the house , whereas a the location of a laptop would have to be fixed because of the physical connection it has to make to your DAC.

I spoke to the Blue sound folks and they told me there were three basic differences between the Node and the Node 2. First is the physical case. The Node is pretty much a cube that sits on a 45 degree angle so one of the corners points forward towards the viewer. As such it is narrower sided to side, but higher than the equipment we are sued to seeing as ans such caused problems to some folks when trying to fit it into a rack. The node2 is a lower profile rectangular case that is proportioned more like typical audio gear and as such is easier to place. Depending on where you keep your equipment, this may or may not be a problem for you. I have a rack with movable shelves and was able to position them such that everything fit, but I can see where people who have racks with fixed shelves cold have a problem with the original Node.

Second the Node2 added the ability to interface advice like an iPhone wirelessly via Bluetooth. I have no idea how this would compare with the SQ of a WiFi or wired Ethernet connection, but since I don't use my phone as a music player, the feature does not concern me.

Last and probably the difference that would be of most interest to us as audiophiles is that the digital out put of the Node is only via a Toslink optical connection whereas the Node2 has added a RCA based spdif connection.

The rep at Bluesound also said that the Node 2 has a faster processor but that they did not fell that this lead to any significant difference in SQ. He also said that aside from what some people may consider a difference in SQ between Toslink and spdif connections there is not SQ difference between the two units.

I hope this helps.
« Last Edit: December 26, 2015, 06:41:26 PM by tmazz »
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Offline hogg

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Re: Bluesound Node
« Reply #22 on: December 26, 2015, 08:00:11 PM »
Why not use a Chromecast Audio instead?  This is what I use on my PC casting Tidal.  The sound is quite good.

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Offline tmazz

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Re: Bluesound Node
« Reply #23 on: December 26, 2015, 08:38:56 PM »
Why not use a Chromecast Audio instead?  This is what I use on my PC casting Tidal.  The sound is quite good.

                               Jim

From a technical standpoint you absolutely could.

I choose not to because a) right now I do not happen to have a spare computer or laptop to use and b) Since my setup is now in the living room I would rather not have a computer hooked up to it permanently for aesthetic reasons. The Node is a small unit that needs no keyboard, mouse or monitor to operate it.
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Offline ejk

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Re: Bluesound Node
« Reply #24 on: December 27, 2015, 01:13:41 AM »
And the BluOs system is expandable similar to Sonos with wireless speakers.

And best of all no dropouts
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Offline Werd

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Re: Bluesound Node
« Reply #25 on: December 27, 2015, 04:43:16 AM »
O I get it, you just want it to look fancy.
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Offline Werd

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Re: Bluesound Node
« Reply #26 on: December 27, 2015, 04:47:27 AM »
Why you want it to look so fancy?
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Offline ejk

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Re: Bluesound Node
« Reply #27 on: December 27, 2015, 05:36:36 AM »
Because we can
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Offline tmazz

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Re: Bluesound Node
« Reply #28 on: December 27, 2015, 06:47:56 AM »
Why you want it to look so fancy?

Easy, WAF.  8)

Since my system is now in the living room, it is a bit more important how it looks as compared to when it was in a dedicated space that pretty much nobody saw except me, or somebody else who came into that room expressly to listen to music.

Another factor was that I did not have a spare computer of laptop to dedicate to the audio system and the Node unit cost me less than what I would have needed to pay  for a computer. So it was the right move for me from a number of standpoints.

But certainly from a purely functional standpoint there is nothing you can do with the Node that can't be done with a computer if you choose to go that way.
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Offline ejk

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Re: Bluesound Node
« Reply #29 on: December 27, 2015, 07:32:00 AM »
And no dropouts
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