BlueSound Stinks(!), anyone?

I bought one new about a week ago and using Tidal currently as my music service. There isn't a lot of help as far as set up for it in the box it comes in. While there's info on how to hook up a few of these $$ beauties together there isn't any as far as how to use multiple devices to control it; for instance I have Bluos on laptop and phone. This caused me to have some drop outs in the middle of a song, buffering. I discovered to that if you have to have settings across all devices same as far as whether going through wi-fi, ethernet or by Bluetooth. If for some reason phone was set to use Bluetooth and you were ethernet on your laptop they sometimes compete with each other for Nodes attention. Anyway, because I'm a semi-geezer and barely keeping up that's how I'm going to explain it. Once I had the bugs worked out I'm very satisfied. Plan on looking into QuBoz. You have to wade through a lot online to get the answers you need but they're there thankfully! Good luck.

You need a good router with proper coverage and you need to keep the software updated on your players and phones.

I had bluesound and connection problems with Spotify. I deleted and reinstalled Spotify ap on iPad and it got better. I thought dac on bs was very poor and got a new dac and abandoned bs. Now I use a roon nucleus to stream qobuz and it works with iPad quite well. 
And restart mode and router too

Another node 2i ethernet user with zero issues. Haven't tried using it with wifi.

Sorry to hear about your issues.  I have had three Nodes, a Node 2 and 2i (both currently in use) and another Node 2 that I gave to my brother when I upgraded to the 2i.  One is wired to the router, other wired to an another router used as a repeater upstairs in the man cave.  I have never had any issues with the Nodes, neither has my brother.  I set up another Node 2i for my sister-in-law and she has never had any issues.  I think hardwiring is the way to go. 

I test drove a Matrix Element X in the man cave to possibly replace the Node 2, in order to get better sound quality.  It did not do well set up wirelessly, but did fine hard wired.

I like the BluOS app.  It covers most services and also does internet radio.  The Matrix app displayed album covers better, but is harder to navigate, doesn't do internet radio, Spotify etc.  Really limited on services.  It also froze up to the point that I could not log into my Tidal account after a Matrix version update.  I returned the Matrix. I now use the Node 2 to stream to a Denafrips Terminator via coax.  Still no issues with the Node.

Every time I am forced to upgrade my BluOS player software or the application, the new version breaks. What used to be perfectly functional now doesn’t work and I can count on a few hours of messing around and rolling back to previous versions to make it all operational again. Have had 2 Node2i’s for 2 years in my system and the upgrades never work properly.

Another happy Node 2i user here. I have it connected directly to my mesh with an ethernet cable, and control it through Roon. Excellent. No Android devices in the household.  The BlueOs controller and Roon is all on Apple gear. 100% reliable. 

Has anyone been able to stream Amazon HD "bitperfect" ? I'd like to buy one only for this purpose.

My idea is :

1. connect the node 2 to my network
2. via my DLNA/Ethernet, be able to get my PS Audio DSSr DAC (no network card BTW) to show the actual Amazon HD playback bitrate (USB/Windows 10 defaults to 352kHz/24 Bit)

This method via Ethernet/Audirvanna/Qobuz (trial) works flawlessly. I use a Sony UBP-X1000ES as my "Streamer" and via HDMI to I2S into the PS Audio DAC, the playback is indistguishable form the CD/HI Res PCM counterparts. 

Anyone else notice that playback levels form Qobuz are a bit on the "hot" side when compared to the same tracks from a DVD-Audio disc or pre loudness wars CD ?

Currently I have NAD T-758V3 and one Pulse Flex. (Using iPad and iPhone for UI) I had nothing but issues with flaky connectivity issues and was close to pitching it all into the trash.
I spent a lot of time with Bluesound support and reading the various Bluesound boards. The root cause seems to be around how the various routers manage muticast traffic. I replaced my Asus AC3100 router with a TP-Link AX6000. Wow what a difference!
To be fair, until the last update I was having issues with Tidal hanging occasionally. Playing FLAC from my NAS was fine. The NAS is connected to the router via ethernet. The NAD and Pulse Flex are wireless.

Please explain how a laptop is "dirty"??? If you are bypassing the laptop internal DAC and hooking it up to what have you external DAC then all the laptop is doing is sending a stream from wherever to the DAC of your choice. Why on earth you would need to buy a blue sound node or any other streamer is beyond me, when you can just use laptop, ipod, iPad etc....

Hi everyone ...

I have set up multiple node 2 systems ..... wired , wireless ....  don’t expect a 30$ Buffalo access point/ router to do the same job as a 100$ router/ access point or as a Orbi mesh network .  
As I have mentioned previously I stayed systems for speaker manufacture at audio shows using a Node2 , usb thumb drive , and a Cisco wifi router . With no issues .... at multiple shows . 
For demos at trade shows it has to be bullet proof ! Never had a problem . 

The units are sound , but you need to make sure your infrastructure is there . 
Be safe

good hunting

bill

I have Bluesound and it's awesome! The key to enjoying Bluesound is your network. More specifically,  the bandwidth of your network. I had the same frustration initially. My suggestion is to really understand your network. The bluesound note 2i sounds great and is an exceptional improvement over sonos. Again, it's not Bluesound. It's functionality requires fairly strong internet input and possibly bandwidth depending on its location. 

"I will also leave a stream of bad comments on every forum I can since going back to Sonos will represent a big financial loss to me simply because Bluesound is an irresponsible/deceptive company at my expense."

Are you a child? Go find an adult to try and help you.

I left sonos  due to the crappy Apple Music implementation , if they have fixed that then I may reconsider going back. The node 2i has worked flawless for me and sound pretty good in its own 

@1extreme +1 

I’ve been watching my father turn into a petulant child; the portion of time his iphone is tied into knots of disfunctionality has become the majority.  And yet he still feels entitled to access to technology and won’t give it up gracefully.  It’s always the phone’s fault.  

Please explain how a laptop is "dirty"??? If you are bypassing the laptop internal DAC and hooking it up to what have you external DAC then all the laptop is doing is sending a stream from wherever to the DAC of your choice. Why on earth you would need to buy a blue sound node or any other streamer is beyond me, when you can just use laptop, ipod, iPad etc....

I find this incredible.  
Tantamount to horning in on the analogue thread with “tell me why I should spend $150 on a turntable cartridge when my wife’s old stiletto heeled shoe strapped to a playground teeter-totter makes my records sound just fine”.  
If your ears can’t recognize bad sound that’s unfortunate: but, that’s not your problem is it.  

I have used bluesound node 2(not i) for years, never upgraded to the 2i because I use an external DAC.  node 2 has always been hard wired and controlled with IOS devices and I have never had any connection or issue with it.  I would add that the bluesound app has improved a lot over the years, when it first came out Sonos was way ahead, now its pretty much a push.

Thanks for the smile and complement 1extreme125 re my child like youth......and I assure you there are many like me.  My adult side is telling me to upgrade my wifi modem and router.  I have purchased, I think, the best of breed of both and am going to see if that fixes the issue.  This weekend I am diving into hooking that all up.  

Based on all the adult like posts:), here I expect/hope that will do the trick.

All, thanks again for your thoughts and encouragement.

It’s not always easy to get the connectivity issue straightened out, but when you do, Bluesound is great!  I’ve been using a whole house setup for four years, and have had only one piece fail, a first generation Powernode, just six weeks ago.  I have seven units, nodes and powernodes from all three generations, and they all perform well.  My only issue is that our house is sprawling and WiFi signal is weak.  Finally installed an Amplifi mesh system and performance showed dramatic improvement.  Now my only issue is internet accessibility.  We live on a ranch in Texas’ Hill Country and there’s no good ISP around, only twisted pair DSL line run in a half mile to the house.  That’s our limiting factor, not Bluesound shortcomings.  Words cannot express how much the whole house system has improved our retirement lives.  Music from end to end of the house as well as in garage/shop and pieces, front and back. (Thank goodness we don’t have any neighbors!)

“pieces, front and back” = “porches, front and back”.

Node 2i here. Had a problem after one of their updates with my PC's app.  Sent them a help request. Their service responses were ASTOUNDINGLY GOOD.  I know, all caps but it really was as good as it gets.  Stayed with me until we found a workaround.  Yes, my DAC sounds better than their built-in one and yes, the app could use some tuning. And yes, I'd like a "remote without a speaker" to use with my other audio systems.  But wow, great support when I was at wit's end.

I have a Vault 2.  Never had a problem with it.  My only gripe is that it only connects over wired network.  I had to get a wifi extender setup that offers an RJ45 ethernet port over at my stereo area. Other than that it's been great. Phone app works well too.  I tried a Sony player that connected wi-fi but it was not reliable. Eventually had to hard wire it too.  I sold it because the Vault 2 has a better app.

@doodle6, Great post. 

I would tend to think the naysayers are the minority.
I’ve been a happy BlueSound user for at least 5 years.  Good sound at the price point and the  ergonomics are great and app operation has been glitch-free wirelessly with my Node devices thru my apple iPad.
As others may have eluded to... your WiFi might be the issue.  If so consider going the hard-wire Ethernet cable route or address whatever shortcoming might exist with your router.

This is my Bluesound story.  I have owned one Bluesound Node 2 for about five years and it has always been hardwired for use in my primary hi fi system.  It has always worked flawlessly.  When we moved downsized to an old (130 year old) townhome with plaster walls about three years ago, I purchased another Node 2 and two of the Bluesound speakers to set up a system downstairs.  Bluesound wirelessly drove me nuts.  I finally got rid of the downstairs equipment about one year ago and went to Sonos.  I must confess that even the Sonos had flaws until I finally did two things.  First, I set my Linksys Velop Nodes to bridge mode.  That seemed to do the trick (and may well have done with my Bluesound stuff).  I also got 1Gb internet and a faster modem.  That definitely solved the problem.  My only conclusion is streaming wirelessly is always problematic and dependent on internet signal strength -- there are just too many gateways to a stable signal.  I am happy with Bluesound when hardwired and frankly believe that it's interface is now less cumbersome than even Roon (which I tried and gave up because it was buggy).  As for sound quality, I A/B'd it with an Aurender, which I very much wanted to like, in an apples to apples comparison using the DAC in my Hegel integrated amp.  After hours of listening determined that they sound no different, so consequently saved over $2000.  I now run my Bluesound Node 2 through a Chord Qutest DAC -- that does sound better than the DAC in the Bluesound.  Good luck. 

Sorry to hear about your issues, frustrating I’m sure. Now we have had a Bluesound Node 2i just on WiFi, plugged into a Luxman receiver in our great room for about a year now. Everyone in our home shares it, except the cat, and it works just fine. Our first experience with streaming and we love it. Still have a higher end listening room in the house with analogue that’s not going anywhere. But this is great for casual listening and just can’t beat the convenience of a phone app. No problemo 

 No problem with any of my node 2i’s (5 in total).  I switched from Sonos several months ago. I did have a problem getting the original node 2 to connect to my Internet. The 2i’s have been wonderful. I use my iPhone 8+ to control the app.

Bluesound is an entry level piece. If you don’t want to use Roon, and you want to spend little money, then get an Auralic mini with the DS lightning software. Outside of Roon, the DS lightning software is the best. The Auralic mini for $500 new sounded very good, I had that and it’s bigger brother the Auralic Aries which I liked better than Aurender  or Lumin units.
For streaming there are many options. I use Roon and audirvana on a dedicated headless Mac mini running in a different room outside my audio room and use a network attached dac. For all my other rooms in the house, 6 in total, I use apple 4K tv’s, Apple TV 3rd generation, and homepods. All of these rooms with Apple TV’s are good for background/non-critical listening. Anything above background music I’ll use a networked Roon ready dac.

I was a newbie to streaming and got a Node2i about 3 months ago.  I'd love to complain about their poor documentation, but there simply isn't any.  It's VERY frustrating to try to figure out the BluOS app, and the interface is convoluted..... BUT.... aside from that, it all works fine!
We are enjoying the 2i very much running optical into my Anthem D2V pre/pro.  What I like about this is that it's our morning alarm clock.  The brilliant Anthem has a Timer feature, so I have it turn on every weekday morning at 5:55am.  The Node2i has an Alarm feature that I have set to play an internet radio station at 6:00am.  So my wife and I can enjoy a German 80s NewWave station every morning while we get ready for work.  I think EVERY AV-Receiver should have timer functionality on it, but I only know that the older Anthem's do.  The analog performance is stellar too, if you just want to use an old Anthem AVM-20 as a general purpose stereo preamp. That's what I'm using in my other room.       

Also (if no one mentioned this) if you are a Tidal users, Tidal now has a feature called Tidal Connect. You can run the Tidal interface and play the music through your Node 2i. This is great for me since I am used to the Tidal UI and it keeps on improving. Better than the Bluesound software if you are streaming Tidal. 

Just bought a Node 2i and, though I had some initial issues with accessing large files from my iMac system, am extremely happy with their customer service, which quickly resolved the problems. They were very professional, knowledgable and responsive. The Node 2i is a wonderfully versatile part of my system. 

I used to have connectivity problems with streaming, but those disappeared after upgrading my wifi to a mesh system. That might be a good place to start. 

Complete opposite experience on my end with the Bluesound Node 2i.  Also came from Sonos, which I still use in other areas of the home, but like you, wanted better streaming options.  My Node 2i has been rock solid, sound quality is definitely way better than Sonos and I personally like the Bluesound App.  Just my two cents

I concur that OP’s problem will likely be solved with a different modem/router. My Bluesound experience with iOS control is rock solid and a pleasure (although BluOS did require - as all new OS does - some getting used to). KEF and Devialet support taught me about modem/routers and the difference it makes. Those based upon certain chips (Puma 7) have such problems.

I ran into some problems with a Bluesound Vault 2i. The first thing I did when it arrived was to rip all 175 of my CD's onto its 2 Terabyte hard drive in "bit perfect" multiple passes it makes over each CD. However, it was impossible to arrange the recordings by composer. It s set up only for pop music: name of the song and name of the performer. I wanted a backup copy of my library and they transferred it to my laptop. My collection took up only 28 GB. I took all the compositions in my library and made a folder for each composer and in each folder the symphonies, concertos, overtures fell into numerical and alphabetical order. CDs having become obsolete, I added some high resolution downloads to my library. I made two copies of my library on two 60 GB flash-drives. I put a flash-drive into the Vault 2i and I use the flash drive and ts folders to play anything from my library. I stream internet radio such as the classical stations when the weather interferes with the signal to my towered antennas pointing to these distant stations.
I would have preferred a simpler way to do all this, but it all works without using the 2 TB internal hard drive which for all I know has moving parts in it, unlike a flash-drive. I also use a much better DAC than the one in the Vault 2i.

I have four units scattered around in my life… And they all work flawlessly. Two are on Wi-Fi and two are wired. I think the user interface is excellent.

I was ready to throw my node 2i in the trash I was so fed up with it - same issues as you. Tried every fix I could find but nothing helped. Then I realized it was being thrown off by the wifi extender in the next room, while I was connecting to the main router downstairs. I switched to the extender and the problems disappeared completely. As others have said, make sure your connection is solid, hardwired if possible. When you get it working, it's a good unit.

I use a Node 2i and have had no problems. One bit of advice to anyone still on wifi: dump it!  The sooner you move your gear to ethernet, the sooner your system will get up to speed and make everything sound faster--except the noise!

I have been using Node2 since 2017. I got off to a rocky start but Bluesound support eventually got me straightened away. They work hard to sort things out.
My initial connection issues were resolved once support set up a fixed IP address on my modem, whatever that means. Connectivity has not been an issue ever since that matter was taken care of.
BTW, all of my AV gear is connected via ethernet cable, despite that fact that virtually everything in my system is wifi capable. Modem is located directly behind the wall where my media center is located, so why not?

I’ve had a Vault 2 for well over a year now and love it. They were quick to answer my questions, I hope they take care of you too, as I’d hate to think their product or company is slipping. 

My 2i has been pretty flawless since day one. I’m running Optimum 500mbps, any connectivity issues are due to Optimum’s horrendous service.

I just picked up a CAT8 cable, curious to see if there is any noticeable difference from streaming via wifi.

I have two Powernode’s, the amplified version. They are grouped and run my in-wall speakers for the house. I control with Roon and it’s simple and easy, and the sound is decent.

I tested one on my main hifi, which at the time had Devore Super 8s. Plenty of power but the wireless mode was not good. When I hardwired, the sound improved a lot. But I don’t really like the sound of Class D amps, and the Powernode could not hold a candle to the Lumin D2 or my tube amps. 
For background sound it works fine, better than Sonos. Wish they made a multi channel amp has I had to buy several to power all the inwalls, happy I could group them and adjust each room’s volume separate if I needed.

I've tried the Node 2i twice.  Yes not sure why I tired it a second time.  I ended up returning both before the return period was up.  Recently ordered a Lumin D2 and honestly it's night and day difference in both sound, app, etc.  

I have found my node2i very stable. Also using an Ethernet cable to an Apple airport express. Compared to Oppo default streamer it is much more stable and a better overall interface (don’t know anything about Sonos). I did not do extensive sound quality comparisons because...
...The node DEFINITELY benefits from a good external DAC. The analog out on the node is not of the highest quality and would be a weak link in an otherwise medium to good quality system. I assume people with MEGA systems are not considering the node in their chain. 

I found the node 2i worked great.  I did use the ethernet connection and if you want the best sound that should be standard. 

An external DAC does help with sound quality as well. 

Overall very satisfied with bluesound. 

Fully empathise with the OP. I have owned and used Bluesound speakers and streamers over a 5 year period. Initially had Sonos (connect / play 1,5 etc) then replaced with Flex 2 / Node 2 before selling it all to move back to Sonos and then back to the later gen of Bluesound: Node 2i and Flex 2i. Overall I prefer the sound of Bluesound but recognise that the Sonos sound flavour feels to me a bit more dynamic. Bluesound has been very buggy when I owned the non 'I' versions, especially when I used it with Roon. They suffered a very well documented 'out of sync' bug that took about 18 months to resolve. The customer service experience was borderline traumatic with endless requests for the same logs, responses that had nothing to do with what was asked and 3-6 days wait time between each response. At the time Bluesound was denying the existence of the problem and was blaming Roon for everything. Roon customer support was more open in recognising there was a bug that was being worked on in collaboration with Bluesound. Bluesound denied this consistently. 
3 months of back and forth and I can safely say I felt like a Ping Pong ball... and not in a good way.

Fast forward to today, the 2i versions work a lot better but I agree with comments above regarding the flakiness with WiFi. What is more, I find that problems increase when using multiple blue sound units. Many users I see commenting in forums have only one Bluesound unit, usually the Node 2i or the Powernode 2i. My problems with WiFi increased significantly as moved from using a Node 2i alone to then adding 2 x Flex 2i speakers. Drop outs, speakers disappearing from the app and then coming back, volume slider freezing etc. Contacting customer support brought back the terrible experience: 5-7 days wait for each response to email, repeated requests of the same thing (despite providing the info asked), responses to questions I never asked (almost like mixing support tickets) and a by default denial of any recognition that there might be a bug. It almost felt like gaslighting and I just stopped engaging. I think that is what they hoped anyway.

While I love the sound of the Node 2i and Flex 2i with Roon especially, I would like to scale up to multiple speakers in the house. Having experienced the above over the years, no way I can take the risk. I may have to compromise and go back to Sonos for a more reliable experience (with necessary sound quality compromise).

I recognise this is just one person's experience but still... 

I realize this is an old thread but....I own three Nodes, have used them for about 5 years, in two different locations. Controlled mainly via IOS app and Windows app. All three get extensive use (pretty much constantly during the work day for my wife.) Have absolutely never had any issues at all with the app not connecting; I fully believe the OP of course but there’s gotta be something going on with his network or setup. I am not a fanboy of Bluesound and would make three criticisms: 1. No DSD. 2. it is needlessly picky about cover art and even when the cover art meets its requirements, sometimes it will not show, and 3. They use cheap caps in the power supply and 4 years service life is IME about all you’re gonna get, at least for versions pre-Node 2i. The latter of course being the most serious issue. but we have had zero problems getting them to work reliably.

I have 9 Bluesound products in my home, including a soundbar, 2 Pulse Mini’s, 2 Pulse Flexes, 2 Pulse 2’s, a Power Node and a BlueOS module for an NAD receiver. Have had continuous issues with wifi, none with wired.

Wireless requires a robust router to include multicasting support. If you’re not an expert on wireless routing you are out of luck - Bluesound support is among the most dreadful I’ve experienced anywhere. It’s exceptionally poor in my experiences, of which I’ve had multiple now.

Beyond that, though, my conclusion is they have used poor wifi antennas, and the hardware itself is not quite up to the task in this area. Case in point: I have a Flex sitting right in front of my mesh router and it STILL gets dropped from the home theater group nearly daily. It gets dropped no matter where I place the router. So does the other satellite that’s just 12 feet from the same router. After a few emails back and forth with someone who barely read the messages, and FINALLY getting a rep on the phone on Day 5, their solution was to remote in, and simply reconnect the group, which promptly disconnected about 5 minutes after the call ended. Trying to get them back on the phone again was another three day process of back and forth emails that got answered about every 30 hours or so. And to this day I still get regular drop outs. Despite selling their hardware as wireless, it’s so buggy as to be worthless in my opinion. Wired is the ONLY way to go in my opinion, unless you’re a networking pro, have a robust router and an inclination to play with such things.

I’m not a pro and don’t want to be. I just want to enjoy streaming music. My sense that they allocate as few resources as possible for support and have no intention of admitting/rectifying flaws. I’ve read reviews here where some feel like sending an email, waiting a few days to get a response, and avoiding all human contact is a good thing. That’s exceptionally poor to me. I want to spend as little time as I can get away with interfacing with the hardware and their minimum effort/your maximum effort seems backwards to what it’s supposed to be. It’s quite the juxtaposition to say, SVS, who shows everyone how support should be done - they are the finest anywhere, bar none.

Once working, sound quality is excellent, amplification is excellent, and streaming is fine too with an excellent DAC, provided it’s wired. But don’t purchase Bluesound’s products expecting wireless to be flawless, or to get anything resembling customer-focused support. That’s all a bill of goods and I’m left feeling like I’m in some kind of ‘fight’ with them to get support after the sale for clearly unreliable products. You’ll be essentially on your own to troubleshoot what are nearly certain ongoing wifi and hardware bugs. I’m obviously in for the duration but if I could do it over I would have not spent the money.

I only have one Bluesound product, Node 2i. I was having problems with audio drop outs even with an extender wired to the Node. Now I have a Google Nest with one of the points across the room from the Node. That seems to have solved the problem for now. I may later get an extender and direct wire that to the Node. I have DSL, not very fast. 

I tried wireless extenders but with mixed results (drops still occurring) but the solution for me was installing Powerline adaptors which use your homes AC wiring. One unit is plugged into your router via ethernet and that unit is plugged into a nearby AC outlet. Plug the other adaptor same way but into the Node 2i, in this case my upstairs office and make sure to use quality shielded ethernet cables. I plan to use LPS's for the 2i and router next. Shielded power cables too. The Powerline adaptors are like $75 for a set on Amazon. Easier and cheaper than Mesh units.