BluSound Node and Node 2

Sorry about what happened to you. I’ve read many posts from contented Bluesound owners. If one goes to sites with many ratings, how does the BS Node do?

4.5/5 on Crutchfield (170 reviews)

4.5/5 on Amazon (500+ reviews)

Of course, others can weigh in here, but unless we get someone like Consumer Reports to add up the data (including reports about customer service), we just have anecdotes. Your anecdote motivates you to move on to other companies and to recommend others do the same. My anecdote would tell people to do the opposite. A third option would be to flip a coin.

The blue sound node streamers do have some problems, I had my node2 for 4 years, and it's been glitchy the whole time, with dropouts, the app just locking up, changing songs and the artwork still on the previous song. Sometimes it's so bad I have to uninstall the app and reinstall it.

I've never had a problem with my Node. Ever.

In my four years ownership of Vault 2, I never experienced any issue with playback or anything. 

My two cents, always do your due diligence when buying a budget product. 

@danimaz 

you aren't alone.  There are many satisfied Bluesound owners who have gotten good sound and longevity from their units but I am not among them.  I bought a Valut2 and two Node2s at once because I wanted the whole home thing.  THe Valut and one of the Nodes eventually died, just barely past warranty time, doing updates .  One of the Nodes escaped this fate and I still use it.   So I envy the owners that have never had problems but I do think there is a high percentage of failed units here.  

Sorry man.  If you’re going hardwired I’d recommend the iFi Zen Stream that at $399 seems to punch above its weight sonically and many seem to prefer it to the Node.  The glitch is if you use Qobuz over Wi-Fi as you need to use the MConnect app that might lose connection with the Zen, which is a pain.  By all accounts if you go hardwired direct from the router or through an extender there’s no issue, and it likely sounds even better that way anyway.  To significantly improve over the Zen Stream I think you’re looking at something like Innuos (if you have CDs too) or Lumin, which are both obviously much more expensive.  But, if you’re going hard wired I think the Zen Stream is hard to beat although their customer service is even worse than Bluesound if you ever need it.  FWIW, and best of luck. 

@soix 

"But, if you’re going hard wired I think the Zen Stream is hard to beat"

do you mean hardwired from switch/router to Zen or hardwired from phone/tablet to Zen?  I am hardwired Ethernet from switch to stream, but would be wireless from phone/tablet to the streamer.  I am playing around with the node 2i but might try the Zen as well.  

Had a Bluesound Node for years and had no issues at all. Have since upgraded to a Lumin/Denafrips combo and I am very happy.

Not sure why you are a such a glitch magnet with your Nodes, but good luck with things.

@soix 

 But, if you’re going hard wired I think the Zen Stream is hard to beat although their customer service is even worse than Bluesound if you ever need it.

I just don't understand what could have changed that people are discussing Bluesound as having bad customer service.  I thought they were excellent.  They responded to every question I had and after answering almost immediately any question they would email me back asking if everything worked out OK.  Things must have changed in the last 2 years.

So I envy the owners that have never had problems but I do think there is a high percentage of failed units here.

What is your factual basis for this? Why are there hundreds of people on Amazon, etc. rating it a 4/5? 4.5/5 indicates that a very high percentage are rating them as reliable. What countervailing data are you citing here? Or are you just speculating because of subjective, negative feeling?

Every so often, my BluOS app refuses to find my Node 2i for a day or so. Ethernet cable connections from modem to grid “pod” (eero) to Node…..so far, it’s always resolved itself - mysteriously - within 24 hours. Aside from that, I really love the contraption. I hope it lasts me another decade and that, with some future update, the intermittent connectivity glitch will “mysteriously” disappear for good!

I owned the Node (original one), and it worked well. Customer service can be a bit sketchy, but if you are patient, they will come through-albeit sometimes with a considerable wait time.

Is Bluesound perfect, no.

Is Bluesound a good value for what it offers, yes.

Bob

You have to often clear the data for the app. If insufficient, reinstall. And reboot the router to renew the handshake.  And/or the modem.

The problem with blue sounds customer service is if they can't figure it out they pass the blame onto the streaming services.

My annoying suggestion: Get a Sonos Connect, add a reclocker -- I use a Wyred 4 Sound Remedy -- and you'll be in streaming heaven. The Sonos just works, period. And when it's hooked up to my Moon Audio DAC, coming out of the W4S, the sound is great.

Is it as good as the megabux units? Dunno, as I've not tried one. But it's pretty darn good, and never gives me a problem.

By the way, the Sonos, without the reclocker, sounds like ass, so don't even go there.

Just one man's experience.

-- Howard

@12many Im not 100% sure, but I don’t think it matters whether you go wired from an iPhone, a switch/router, or Wi-Fi extender as I think Wi-Fi to the Zen Stream from Qobuz/MConnect is what occasionally causes the problem.  Everyone I’ve heard from who’s hard-wired into the ZS has had no problem.

I have five, one blue sound vault and 4 of the original nodes for quite a few years. They have been pretty reliable however on occasion they will get flaky. I am able to resolve using the following:

Reboot router and modem

power down and back up the individual nodes, vault.

Uninstall and reinstall app

Yeah, not perfect, but overall I've been happy.

+1 @61falcon if you’re using Wi-Fi to streamer, especially the uninstall and reinstall the app part but it all matters.  If I have to deal with any of this crap going hard wired to streamer I’d absolutely punt my streamer out the window and look elsewhere.  

My node works flawlessly with quobuz on my setup, detailed in my system. Never any drop offs whatsoever. Took a bit of equipment adjustments to get there. Biggest one was switching to Spectrum internet from AT&T. Went from 144 mbs to 866 mbs!!! Nothing like getting your internet from a coax cable rather than a phone line. 

Just traded my Node 2i on a Lumin D2. I wasn’t unhappy with the Node but wow….what a difference. With Sugden IA4 integrated and Harbeth C7 speakers.

I have have had a Bluesound Node 2i for several years and just bought the newer one for a second system.  (The 2i had some problems until it upgraded; the newer one is flawless so far.)  I am sure I could have bound a better streamer, perhaps at a similar price, but I get along well with the BlueOS app and that is important to me.  (My new system, in a small room, consists of Benchmark pre-smp, amp and DAC and Magnepan LRS.  So far, I am quite happy, although I need to play around with speaker placement and some room treatment.(

@wahoostewjr What a great example of how much everything matters in a streaming setup — wish everyone understood this.  Great amp and speaks BTW.  Now start playing with Ethernet cables, switches, digital cables etc. and max it out cause it’ll all help get even more outta your nice Lumin.  There’s no end.  

Bluesound 2i owner and user for over a year now. some glitches to be sure but hooked to a good stand-alone DAC it isn't a slouch for the price, I lose my unit over the android app but never off my laptop. Once going on laptop Android comes online. I do have BS hardwired.

I would like to see an easier way to see chronological album listing with Qobuz. . When I learn of an artist, I want to explore I like to progress from the beginning album.

I know there are better streamers, and one will be in my future, but BS served me well. 

I have owned a Vault 2i for about three years and its been pretty good for the most part. Some weird issues, most fixed through updates. Occasionally I lose connection with the Tab. All minor things when I think about everything it does.

You have to remember that streaming as a reference 24/96 or better source is still in it’s infancy compared to other past formats.

That said, what the Node and Vault can do for the money is pretty impressive. I have not really had to rely on their support so I can’t comment, but it w a s a great way for me to get into streaming, ripping, file sharing.

I recently got an Aurender N200. It is markedly better than the Vault , but it should be.... you can but 4 Vaults for what it cost. I had a few questions for Aurender, contacted them through the support icon within the machine. They got back to me lighting fast. I intend to keep the Vault, I have my TV connected to it and I can pull ripped discs off the Vault and copy them to the Aurender.

I still think despite a few shortcomings the Node and Vaults are a great way to stream without breaking the bank

My Node 2 has been great. Sound improved a lot when I added an MHDT Orchid DAC. I plan also to soon add a Teddy Pardo external power supply to improve the streaming fidelity even more. I’ve never had any issues with the Node 2. The app has been fine as well. I’ve never had skipping or any audio issues streaming Tidal or Spotify. I’ve had it for a few years and play music all day pretty much every day.

Have had my Node2 for five years now. Have had a occasional glitch here and there, but very reliable otherwise. I've always downloaded any and all updates. Don't know if this has anything to do with it's strong reliability, but I'm sure it hasn't hurt anything either. 

@hilde45 

these threads pop up constantly, just do your own search.

The Lumin D2 retails for nearly 4x the price of a new Node. You could spend 10x the price and the product still would not be immune to software/firmware bugs.  Sometimes the solution to software or operational issues is available from the customer base.  If I'm not mistaken, Bluesound's customer base is bigger (in North America, anyway).  I've found that when such problems occur, a solution often is available from another user if you describe it in detail in a forum post.  Or, you wait for a firmware update. Do you know for a fact that Lumin updates its firmware faster than Bluesound does?

Although, I haven’t had any problems with my nodes, when I did have issues I agree their customer service of recent time is the pits! Early on they were great but I guess as they sold more and more, they haven’t kept up. As for the quality and interface, it Is hard to beat. When you tweek them with outboard power supplies they become even harder to beat, even by streamers costing thousands more. Why pay so much more for such a small increase in performance! I’d rather put my money into a better DAC.

Have a node 2I

Working flawlessly for me.  Use an external DAC.  Love the App 

I would hazard a guess that Bluesound sells more servers than all the other brands combined, including ifi.

And it is sold at such a low cost that owners do not need to "defend" Bluesound product quality in fear of losing resale.

So IMHO looking at it in this light there appears to be an infititely small amount of complaints about Bluesound build problems and next to or none about its operating system.

@danimaz 

Are you using your Node2 via wifi? I've had my Node2 for a three years now. At first it was glitchy and connecting via the app quite frustrating. I then ran some Cat6 from my mesh extender to the Node2 and it was a completely different beast. Since then it's been rock solid dependable (*knock wood*) and sounded much better. Later on I went to an external DAC (Border Patrol) and I've been delighted ever since. It always responds via the app and I can stream my ripped library, no problem.

I really recommend NOT using wifi with the Node2.

Hope that helps! Happy listening.

What really does it for me with the NODE 130 is the bluos app for my android phone is an abolutely terrific app. Since that's the only way I ever want to use my streamer, with my android phone as a remote (no cumbersome laptop), there is nothing out there at this time that can rival the reliability of the bluos/android phone combo. A look at reviews of the various streaming apps will easily confirm that. So, in my case, investing to improve the NODE sound makes so much more sense than buying a "better" streamer. And invest I have. Just check it out in my system. Great sound improving daily as components break-in. Enjoy the journey.

I've been using 2 Bluesound Node 2i's for a couple of years now.  One in my whole house system with an ethernet connection (BS + OSD MI5 Amp+ Russound x5 Distribution amp) which feeds the multi-room speakers and outdoor music  and the other wireless in my main system with the BS out to a Schitt Gumby. I have since changed-out/upgraded both Nodes with new power supplies from www.pd-cf.com  whic really kicked both systems into another gear.  Solid performers both.  I have a rich soundstage and depth in the main room (Maggie 1.7i's). I've never had to really contact BS but have accessed their trouble-shooting webpage for minor setup instructions. Sorry to hear you have had a rough time. But for me, I will likely keep both BS for awhile before upgrading (Denafrips probably).  Good luck!

Thanks to the OP for the post. I had been considering a Node but based on the information in this thread I'll probably go another direction.

Regarding the high rating on Amazon, I take that with a grain of salt because most people leave their rating fairly soon after receiving and installing their product. It it tends to work OK for the first few months and then breaks down very few people go back and leave another rating.

I don't know what percentage of Nodes are failing but apparently it's enough so that there are known issues. It doesn't appear that Bluesound is taking it seriously as far as I can tell.

The biggest issue to me is the poor customer service. If the unit is not functioning properly it should be replaced with a new unit. It's probably unusual that the OP got two defective units in a row but odds are it's going to happen once in a while.

I always take complaints about a particular product with a healthy dose of skepticism but this one seems to have good credibility.

This is for the ones who are sticking to their NODE 130: There is a brand new update avaliable. Just installed it. Incredibly enough, the sound improvement is absolutely significant. It exhibits much more space, even going further outside the speakers and better filling the entire front wall. All while even becoming lighter on its feet. I'm floored.

baylinor,

I’m keeping mine for now.  I just downloaded the upgrade and it went well.  A prior upgrade bricked my player.  The fix was to load the upgrade from a usb stick. Your post gave me courage.  Haven’t tried it for sound yet.  Multi use room.

I had a Node 2i and now have a Node (130).

Have external DACs. BS is great.

i added a Teddy Pardo LPS last year and i think made BS even better.

Love the app, love widi connectivity, love airplay, love Bluetooth for frirnds when they come over.

great value for $550.

Sounds like the OP has had bad luch and vented here. Says more about him than about BS,

even though I’ve had a couple of Bluesound units go bad after a few years, I still use one that has survived and recommend Bluesound as an entry point to people who want high resolution streaming. It does an amazing number of things, and fairly well, at that price point.

As for reliability, well all streamers are networking computers that are gussied up to look and sound like audio products. I think of them like Dell Laptops. I’ve worked at places that had 20 or more Dells in circulation in one office, and every few months one has to be replaced. Maybe 80% survive the long run. I’ve talked with IT people that say when they open up the insides of a Dell they can’t believe what cheap parts are in use. Bluesound also probably has to cut a few corners to make that price point .

I heard the newer Node demonstrated at a shop, on equipment and recordings that I knew well, and I was very impressed with the improved DAC.

So I still think it is a great entry point for high resolution streaming, with one of the best apps. If you are unlucky enough to get a unit that fails hopefully it happens while under warranty. And if it goes bad after 5 years or more of heavy use, then the purchaser got their money worth. After all no CD Laser lasts forever either

latest version of the Node ("130") works great for me, so far... 

My Node 2i works great until it decides to not load itself properly. I've figured out how to simply help it find itself again but meh...I'll get tired of it eventually and upgrade to something else. Also I think its DAC sucks and I use a great sounding 64 bit Schiit Bifrost 2 with it. 

I am very happy with Bluesound Node, never had a problem for 3 months. For best performance connect to router with Ethernet cable with short distance. I use an external DAC to integrated amplifier. Sound is spectacular. My TV is connected via EARC HDMI, absolutely practical except when you turn on TV blue light blinks and you need to reestablish the connection, which is small annoyance. Other than it is a great experience. No jitter, no background noise, no skip. I think it is good value for the money. Jack of all trades, you can even use as a preamp. 

Anecdotal reports are well, anecdotal. We have no way of knowing how many units BS has sold nor how many actual problems that are real problems (not resolved by resetting the device and/or the modem router). We are just guessing.

If BS is experiencing a 0.25% failure rate, that would mean that yes, some people out there are unlucky. But not many. But they may be vocal on forums and such (like this one).

There’s always the issue of companies, even with a good design, having bad production runs. Things happen. Components might sometimes not be within specifications from a vendor. Training of new assembly personnel might instill issues.

Just many, many variables out there for any product at any price point. You can buy a computer and swear it is the best thing since sliced bread, but your friend can buy the same model a few weeks later and ends up cussing at it and cursing the day you told him about it.

We all takes our chances on anything made by humans for humans.

I will say that better companies have better customer service. At the end of the day, that sets them apart.

I mean for instance, many would think it wrong for iFi to keep selling the Zen Stream as a "Wi-Fi capable" streamer when obviously it isn't very reliable in that set up and running it WIRED is almost a requirement.  So should possible customers be warned about that as much as the OP is "warning" about Nodes being balky and breaking? 

Agree with moonwatcher, I was never able to get the ifi zen streamer to connect to my android phone via wifi. Horribly frustrating. Back she went. Love the NODE more and more everyday.

My neighbor had to replace her refrigerator. It had lasted nearly 30 years. The place she was buying a new one from was honest and told her, "Well, don't expect this one to last THAT long" - LOL. 

So here we are 30 years removed from 1992 with far better manufacturing techniques, materials, computer aided engineering, and yet, the stuff being made doesn't last. Oh well. 

I haven’t read the entire post, so my thoughts might already have been touched on, but my history with Bluesound is that it performs best when hardwired and it is also dependent on a very strong signal since you’re streaming lossless.  I have almost 1mbps internet speed and have no troubles.  Before I upgraded my internet signal, I too had drops due to buffering.  I recommend you run through a separate DAC for best performance (I use a Chord Qutest).  I a/b’d the Bluesound streamer with an Aurender a couple of years ago through the same DAC and could detect no different in sound quality (even though I really wanted to).  The streaming of high resolution files is challenging for any setup since you are dependent on a strong signal coming in.  Good luck!

I went from Chromecast to a Node 2 with hardwire connection from modem and I’ve been very satisfied. Never had any issues with dropouts or anything for that matter, Understood that the dac could be better, so opted for a Bifrost. Eventually upgraded the Bifrost to a Yggdrasil GS, and have been vert happy. Its been my main source for my Rogue 99 and M120 monoblocks with Totem Forests in a treated dedicated room. I have been wondering if a Lumin or other streamer might offer a better digital signal or are all the signals in that form the same?

I had a very poor experience with mine and returned it for a full refund. It was not reliable, had to be defaulted and then the app wouldn't be able to find it. I would have to run through the setup process again for no apparent reason. It was hardwired. I have a tube amp with very revealing Klipsch Cornwall IV speakers, and at lower volume it would sound just fine. But good luck trying to get loud. Everything just fell apart. It was a terrible match for my system besides being unreliable. The fact that power supply upgrade kits are sold for it told me all that I needed to know. At that point, you have spent 1k so why not get something better?

I ended up buying a wonderful unit from Cary Audio, when bundled with their amp I got a big discount and the results are stunning. Totally transformed my system. The best money that I have spent.

I'm amazed when I see posts where people have systems much more expensive than mine and this thing is part of the chain. IMHO, this thing has no business in the chain of a truly HiFi system. And I like Bluesound- I think they sound much better than Sonos. But not as a source for really expensive HiFi gear.

After sort of defending the Node in earlier posts, mine is now stuck inno man’s land, with the icon spinning relentlessly.  I had this problem with previous units and had to do multiple reboots, factory resets, etc, which sometimes work and sometimes didn’t.  I had been thinking about replacing this Node, which resides in a secondary system, with the Cambridge CXN 60, which I use and love in my main system.  This generation of the Node doesn’t do AirPlay or Chromecast, and those two features are increasingly desirable in this system.  I think I ‘ll skip the calls to BS CS, the multiple factory rests, etc and give this one a proper burial after several years of service 

Sometimes it is your WIFI. It sounds like you are having a connectivity problem. Or, possibly a dirty, uneven electricity grid problem.. I have had a Bluenode 2 for a year, and it works 99% of the time. It is good to unplug it once a week for reset.

As far as sound quality, It is what it is for $600. It is a heck of a streamer that connects to almost every streaming service there is.  I use it with a Classe DAC with good results.