Bluesound NODE (N132) — Performance Music Streamer
When Lenbrook Group’s Bluesound first hit the market with the Node N100 in 2013 I was still playing downloaded FLAC files of vague provenance on my laptop and feeding them to a DAC with a printer cable. Looking back, I can’t believe all the time I must have spent cleaning up that album meta data. Twelve years is nothing in analog but a lifetime in digital. The entire digital audio market landscape, including codecs, services, software and devices has matured dramatically since the first Node. Bluesound is still going strong having released the 6th generation Node in September 2024. The latest Node under review here (CA 799 sometimes identified by a model code N132) looks similar to its 2021 predecessor, the Node (N130) but contains a host of internal improvements. It now occupies the middle slot of a three model line up between the entry level Node Nano and the top tier Node ICON.
The current market for streamers is deep but the look and functionality of products, especially within price brackets, has somewhat homogenized. For Bluesound, being a leader in bringing an audiophile streaming product to the mass market has naturally invited many imitators. Is imitation still flattering in business? Perhaps the similarities stem from addressing the same well characterized problem of grabbing audio files from the internet and sending them to a stereo system with a convenient app-based interface.
There is stiff competition from Wiim on the budget side with streamers ranging from under $100 USD to around $329 USD. On the premium side Eversolo has made rapid progress in the audiophile streaming market with popular solutions such as the DMP-A6 starting at around $700 USD. Desktop audio stalwart FiiO now offers streaming solutions across an extremely wide price spectrum. And those are just a few streaming competitors, the share of integrated amplifiers from traditional brands with built in streaming has exploded too. The digital landscape can be tough to navigate because so many features could be deal breakers for different users. I hope my exploration of the latest Node will be useful for anyone navigating this market.
Design & Build
Most big digital audio brands have the unboxing experience figured out these days and Bluesound is no exception. The Node and its cables were tightly packed and well protected. The printed quick start guide was all the documentation I needed throughout my review. And yes, the touch sensitive top panel had the obligatory clear protective film in place. I tried to resist as long as I could but eventually caved and peeled it off after a few days. One of life’s small joys.
The Node’s clean industrial design allows it to live just about anywhere unobtrusively in the home. While potentially mistaken for a PC or other tech device from far away its functionality becomes apparent up close with the illuminating touch sensitive controls on top and 6.3 mm headphone output on the front.
Physical interaction with the device is just through the connections and the touch sensitive buttons on top. Always skeptical of these types of controls (love that knob feel), I was pleased that they were extremely reliable and responsive. In general the Node felt well constructed and dense with no creakiness despite its mostly plastic construction.
Features & Specs
As a minimum for a streaming product to compete, it must have decent software. Blueosund’s BluOS is a well established leader with lots of integration options, solid reliability and a clean, intuitive UI. In fact many newer streaming apps, including Wiim’s, look just like it.
Beyond the app, features start to play a role in the Node’s fit for a given system and use case. With HDMI eARC, the analog/optical combo input and subwoofer output, the Node can potentially handle every task in a 2.1 audio video system except power amplification.
The Bluesound Node does include Dirac Live Ready room correction capability which can be enabled with additional software and a microphone kit. Room correction is not really in my jam, especially since I am not an avid subwoofer user. However, I know that for some users this feature will be a must have in their system. I see Dirac is a common feature in Denon and Marantz AV receivers and some higher end streaming components but looking around it seems rare in an affordable audiophile streamer. Although I did not test it, the uniqueness in the market is noteworthy.
I found only one quibble with the features and that was lack of Chromecast support, which could be an issue for Android devotees who don’t use a streaming service with a Connect integration such as Spotify or TIDAL.
The complete specifications from Bluesound can be found here.
My Use
My review system was anchored by the PS Audio Stellar Strata integrated amplifier and Audio Physic Step loudspeakers connected with Audio Art Classic speaker cables. For digital connections I relied on Amazon Basics Toslink or RCA Coaxial cables. My reference streamer is the Wiim Mini, primarily streaming from Amazon Music HD in 16- and 24-bit resolution. The Sendy Audio Peacock were my reference headphones.
Setting up the Node was straightforward. Like many devices the Node requires users to establish communication with it by connecting to its own WiFi hotspot. From there, a permanent local network connection can be selected for the Node to use. At first the Node would not recognize my WiFi network so I plugged in a LAN cable directly from my router. That seemed to do the trick and after that first time the WiFi connection to my network was established and never faltered.
Listening
There were a few simple ways I evaluated the Node in my system. The first was comparing its sound as a streaming transport to my Wiim Mini which has essentially no features other than digital volume control and digital-to-analog conversion utilizing what is surely a basic chip. For me it’s a hockey puck that sends bits from the internet to my DAC. Regardless of what other features may be utilized, the primary function of the Node is streaming, therefore comparison with my budget but extremely capable reference streamer was critical.
With both streamers plugged into the numerous digital inputs on the PS Audio Stellar Strata I could start the same stream in my Wiim app and my BluOS app and then switch between Stellar inputs for an informal A/B test. I must say I was impressed with myself for getting the timing matched quite close between streams.
Ever since seeing Billy Strings open for Dead & Company at Golden Gate Park in August he’s been pretty heavy in my streaming rotation. He plays fresh bluegrass infused with attitude from rock and outlaw country. Tracks like the single “Gild the Lily” from Highway Prayers (Reprise Records, 2024) are challenging for audio systems because they contain a variety of picked strings. Within the song Billy plays a 12-string guitar and pedal steel and is backed up by banjo and mandolin. Timbre is essential for these to come across as distinct instruments instead of a twangy mess. With both streamers I experienced nice separation, enough to pick out the players floating behind Billy’s vocals with the edge going to the Node for spaciousness. Timbre was basically indistinguishable to me. In the past, I’ve found noticeable differences in the sound of streaming relative to CD, but any differences here between two streaming transports were not as obvious.
Where the Node impressed even more was when utilizing its internal DAC. While the Wiim’s DAC is a convenience I do not rely on for serious listening it turns out the Node’s DAC is much more reliable. The Node outputs analog and digital signals simultaneously so I could also A/B test the unit’s DAC against the DAC in the Stellar by connecting analog and digital outputs from the Node and switching between them mid-stream. Perhaps the biggest surprise in my time with the Node was how difficult it was to distinguish the very capable DAC in the Stellar from the Node’s own DAC.
It was a simple exercise to listen to streams via the Node’s headphone output then compare it to the same stream while listening through the Stellar Strata’s headphone output. For clarity this utilized the DAC in the Stellar so it wasn’t quite a comparison of only the analog headphone circuits.
For me electronica and headphones go together like peanut butter and jelly. Through headphones, it's easy to become immersed and totally locked in when listening to Virtual Dreams: Ambient Explorations in the House & Techno Age (Music From Memory, 2020). Through both the Node and the Stellar I noted immaculate, clean, deep bass and crisp high hat cymbals. The amps were more similar than different given their disparate power ratings, but I generally don’t punish my ears to find a headphone amp's output limits. The Stellar may win on soundstage and dynamics, impressing me with bass slam and birdsong samples seeming coming from way outside my head. The Node was right there with it though. I found the Node to be more neutral across many genres. Neutrality on its own is an advantage to some, and certainly would enable synergistic pairing with many headphones making it a fine daily driver for personal listening.
On paper the heapdone amp doesn’t seem extremely powerful, but with an easy load like the Sendy Peacock (50 Ohm, 103 dB) it was great. I regret not trying the Sennheiser HD6XX because it would have been informative to hear if the Node (rated 53mW into 250 ohm) had enough juice for that 300 ohm model.
Conclusion
The Bluesound Node (CA 799) will be a great fit for audiophiles looking for a streaming solution to upgrade an outdated or budget system or as an alternative to streaming from a laptop. Its strong DAC makes it a fine candidate for bringing a beloved vintage, tube or otherwise all analog amplifier into the digital ecosystem. The Node’s sonic performance earn it an easy recommendation in principle. Its excellent headphone amp, HDMI eARC input and Dirac capability help justify its price relative to less expensive competitors. Whether its mix of features are right fit for a given system will ultimately determine if it’s the right buy. If the features fit the bill, the Node deserves a listen!
Further information: Bluesound
