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Dead Bluesound Node 2

I have a Bluesound Node 2 that died recently and I'm wondering what I should do next. 
First off, it was only 3 years old.  I got conflicting reports from customer service as to what went wrong, but either way, it was working fine one day and the next day it would not respond and it would not re-set.  I have been round and round with customer service and as far as they are concerned, it is out of warranty, so tough toenails; they will not take it back for a repair.  They offered to sell me a new unit at a reduced price or a refurbished unit at an even lower price but somehow that doesn't sit right with me. 

My habit has always been to buy reasonably good gear and keep it for a long time.  It's also my habit not to reward a manufacturer with additional purchases once they have done me wrong.  I have never had a piece of gear fail so quickly.  I have never had a manufacturer tell me they would not repair or service a component.  This little guy was not abused, and barely moved from the time I plugged it in, so I don't think I did anything wrong. 

Now I know a lot of you folks love your Nodes.  Admittedly, I did too.  I used it almost every day, created dozens of playlists (which are presumably gone forever) and I even added a Qobuz subscription about 6 months ago.  I can't tell you how many friends I demonstrated this set-up for.  I was actually considering adding a 2nd unit for my primary system.  Basically, I was all in.  Now I'm just stuck. 

That's my tale of woe, so here's what I'd like to know:
Were my expectations for this component too high?  I understand that computer products have can have a short lifespan, but this seems a bit extreme.  So should I pony up for another unit?  Or do I try to save up for something more upscale and presumably better built (or better supported)?  Cambridge Audio has a streamer I think might work, but I heard not all streamers can handle 30k+ files.  I have actually heard several really nice units like the Aurender (at AXPONA) but that's probably out of my league.  So what affordable alternatives are there, that also sound decent? 

This is my first post/discussion thread here on A-gon, so go easy on me : )
Thanks for listening. 

WoofMan74
128x128woofman74

Showing 3 responses by gdnrbob

gdnrbob
4,420 posts
 
@OP, I own 2 Nodes that I bought 2nd hand on Ebay.
Both are working properly, to this day.
Thankfully😌.
Bluesound customer service has a bit to be desired, but being persistant helps. I know. I had an issue with software that took months to resolve.
Bluesound eventually fixed the issue.
I would think Bluesound customer service would have suggested the reset 'Big-Greg' provided, but if not, I would do that, first.
And, if the Node is indeed 'bricked', I think the offer of a discounted unit is fair. The original warranty is one year, I believe. After 3 years, even I wouldn't push for a complete replacement. Now, had it been 1 year and 1 or 2 months, I would feel they should be a bit more flexible.
Just my 2 cents...
Bob
gdnrbob
4,420 posts
 
Like I said, I bought my Nodes (the original square box) on Ebay.
They were cheap and are still working.
The only thing different with the latest model is that it supports the 5ghz wireless band. Everything else gets updated with firmware.
B
gdnrbob
4,420 posts
 
@OP,
I just realized I forgot to mention Sam Laufer of Laufer Teknik.
He makes The Memory Player- which is very expensive, and also The Mini- a much less expensive, but very capable piece of equipment.

His system has some very interesting software that upgrades sound quality of either CD playback or Streaming Music.
I would contact him- I think he has an account here of via his website.
Bob

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