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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
woofman74's avatar
woofman74 OP
43 posts
 
Thanks to everyone for the thoughtful responses.  Here are a few more points:
First, the factory reset did not work.  Bluesound was unwilling to be specific about the failure, but did say that it was a component failure that caused my unit to lock itself into Update Mode and so no, it can't be rescued and no they won't reconsider their offer to me. Thank you very much.  Still trying to get in touch with my dealer. 

Second, to the CDs are dead crowd, when my Bluesound Node decided to commit suicide, it was the ancient technological dinosaur silver discs and reliable Oppo player that saved the day when guests were here a few times over the recent holidays.  So yeah, HR files sound great through the Node, but if it ain't workin'...
As to my Qobuz playlists, lists created with the Node do not appear in my Qobuz app on my iPhone.  My only hope is if I choose to replace the Node, that the 40 or 50 playlists backed-up to a flash-drive will then actually repopulate when I plug in that USB drive.  A leap of faith that frankly, if I knew for sure, would go a long way towards encouraging me to get another Node. 

Even if I do, I'm likely to pick up a used one and not another new one.  Once bitten, twice shy and all that. 

The Bluesound Node was supposed to be my easy entry into computer audio and streaming and only ended up reaffirming my fears. 
Still not sure what I'm gonna do.  Definitely want to check out some alternatives.  Once you have touchpad access to your 3,000 CD collection, it's tough to go back to one-at-a-timin'. 

Maybe I'll pull out that old 5-disc changer packed away in the basement...  ?
gdnrbob
4,444 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
coburnerskine1's avatar
coburnerskine1
9 posts
 
Had the same thing happen to me. Bought a used Node 2 several months ago, worked wonderfully after getting my phone to connect to it, which took some back and forth-ing. Then just stopped working. Red Light comes on and nothing changes. Hard reset didn’t work, usb firmware upgrade didn’t work, Bluetooth connection won’t work. I tried customer service and so far that’s getting me nowhere as well. Frustrating that BS won’t service their own device. Considering bringing it to a local electrician to see if they can poke around and figure out what died inside the box. 
corelli
976 posts
 
@mahler123
I agree with you on the streaming for exposure to stuff you really like.  While there are incredible buys on CD box sets (avg cost $1-2 per disc) it is not often that all these discs are frequently played.  Remember when CD's went for $16-18 almost 40 years ago.  What a screaming bargain!  
                                                                        
So what was the cost of entry for you/monthly fees?  I could see myself doing exactly what you have done.  And by the way, if you ever move, I would be happy to move all those CD's for you to yo know where!
woofman74's avatar
woofman74 OP
43 posts
 
Hey Mahler, I think my Qobuz subscription is about 14 bucks / month, that includes hi-rez and I want to say 2 devices (phone and Node).  And it IS a terrific way to discover new music or sample artists that you think you might like or revisit some older artists that never actually made it into your collection (Amazing Rhythm Aces recently).  I let my SiriusXM subscription lapse (hardly in the car much anymore) and put the money towards Qobuz.  Bluesound lets you intermingle your files and theirs.  Their interface is not that good if you don't know exactly what your looking for, but a straight search usually leads you where you're going.  Also, not all artists have their entire repertoire available.  But I was continually surprised by what they did have. 

Mr Coburnerskine, you need a shorter handle!  Sorry you experienced the same issue as I did.  The Node 2 is such a neat little device.  I had plenty of software-glitchy type issues early on, but things eventually seemed to settle down (I am now down to only 5 or 6 albums that somehow have the exact same artwork as a Booker T Jones album).
However, since Bluesound is unwilling to help (us), I have a repair shop that is going to take a look at mine and presumably if it really is an issue with the power supply or power regulation, they may be able to effect repairs.  At this stage my lowest cost replacement would be $250 for a refurb Node 2 from Bluesound, so anything less than that would be a net gain -not sure what kind of warranty that comes with.  I plan to update this thread if that proves to work out and you're welcome to sit tight to find out what happens, but I'm not likely to have a definitive answer till mid Jan at the earliest. 
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