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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
jrwaudio
333 posts
 
@Larry5729 I'm assuming you are suggesting the Belcanto e one? And if there is a $300 discount, that's a pretty fair price. I've been seriously considering it as my streamer.
But just recently I've come across the 
Audiolab 6000N that has a lot of options to download hi rez music such as Spotify Connect, Tidal, HDtracks, Deezer, Qobuz, Amazon Music, Napster, TuneIn, iHeartRadio and SiriusXM and can stream files up to 24-bit/192kHz from networked servers, with DLNA and UPnP compliance. It can also connect wirelessly with up to 32 other Play-Fi-equipped devices for a multi-room set-up including your smart phone, and I really like that option. It also has a high quality internal DAC. The units are made in GB and the company has been around for fifty years!

mahler123
3,088 posts
 
HeyCorelli and OP
  I started with Spotify at about $10/ month, now paying about $15 for Qobuz. 
vinylandtubes
45 posts
 
I bought a BS Node about 14 months ago.  Worst product of any type that I have ever had the misfortune to own.  It never worked as it should have, even after updating the firmware and performing multiple factory resets.  Customer service was nonexistent.  As I wanted access to more than Internet radio, I returned the dud of a device.  It was only then that I discovered that my experience was not at all unique.  Major disappointment.
woofman74's avatar
woofman74 OP
35 posts
 
B.S. Node.  I like that :-) 
ghulamr's avatar
ghulamr
104 posts
 
I have to respond to this. OP - sorry for your loss. Yes I think node2 is an excellent entry level player. I myself bought one 4 months ago. But I think it’s not the best and you can do better. Their interface with music services like Amazon etc leaves a lot to be desired. Personally if I were to do this all over again on a budget (obviously If you can spend $$$ for PS Audio, Antipodes, NAD etc that’s great) - I would build a computer solution using Mac Mini or Raspberry Pi. The reason is - the streaming industry is not mature yet. Both on music services like Amazon, Qobuz, Tidal etc. and streamers. No one solution is fully baked yet. To buy yourself time build a Raspberry Pi and the sound you’ll enjoy more than node2. A little bit of work - but it can be a fun project and there is tons of write ups online. At least you will enjoy the music interface better than what node2 provided and the sound. Once the streaming industry matures you’ll be in better position to spend your hard earned money. Unless you are one of the audiophiles who has a $25,000 power amp and $5000 SPDIF cable where money ain’t a thing. 
Check the link
https://darko.audio/2017/08/allos-digione-pulls-five-star-sound-quality-from-the-raspberry-pi/

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