Bluesound Node 2i

I was able to copy the music from my iMac to a Seagate portable 4Tb external drive and the Node 2i reads it and streams it perfectly. This setup eliminates the need for a computer all together.

 

This leads to a bit of a sidebar question for a second home that, admittedly, is a first world problem.

Sonos does not have a USB connection, and I've seen USB to RCA adapters on Amazon and BB's site. Has anyone purchased an adapter for this use and do they function as intended? If workable, I'd much rather connect a portable drive directly to my Connect Amp than purchase, store, and (most importantly) maintain a NAS.

 

Perfect. I'm gonna join the club.

 

Bump....
To clarify, let me restate the question: When connected to a hard disk drive (no computer), the 2i plays tracks in sequential order only, right? Or do you have more control than that?

 

If you mean directly connected, I don't know. Via ethernet or wifi that isn't the case, you can add the cuts you want to play, in whatever order you desire.

 

I was able to shuffle all songs. Each track option to add to a playlist so I would assume it treats the files on the USB drive just like any other files. I will try to create a quick playlist to see how that goes.

 

I was able to add one track to an added playlist but was not able to add a second track to the same playlist. Looks like it may not have the same control capabilities as the files stored on the computer. I only tried this out because people were asking the question. For me it will be a good backup option for whenever the internet goes down.

 

So from what I read people think the Dac in the Node is pretty good? I don't have any other Dac hooked up to me stereo - just want is in the Integra Receiver or nothing if I put back into my system my Super Phon SP100 preamp (the Integra has no HT bypass though), so if I go this route the Node has to to it all.

 

Thank you for checking on that. I was curious as to how minimal the 2i chain can go and still maintain some control. It sounds like, as you said, the HD-2i pairing can be of use on occasions, but for everyday enjoyment and variety, an "intelligent interface" (i.e., a computer) would have to be part of the setup.

 

Or You would need to purchase the vault version. I personally would use the node 2i and an Intel NUC pc with roon.

I am currently using roon on a Ubuntu server, a C388 with BluOS2 card and a Power Node 2. They work great together.

 

Added to that if you use Roon and happy streaming iTunes from your system to your mean system then you have another benefit. Through my system the quality of AAC reproduction albeit through a high quality DACis actually surprisingly good.

I've tried both a mini-Mac and a mini PC and was not happy with the results-the Node is excellent.

 

I have just set up my system with it's crap interconnects rather than through my DAC.

My view determined over the years by building systems-which may not be the conclusion for everyone is that the speaker amp/combination is the most important part of your system. I have heard more detail revealed in recordings by amp upgrades rather than the source.
So that's my starting point. I would also say the source is the cherry on the cake that's where the final part of the jigsaw comes in or the tightening of focus.

The DAC in the Node to my ears is very good-if I were to say to someone that my DAC cost x7 the price of the Node they would be disappointed in the sound of the Bryston however it never works like that-you can hear the difference on the Bryston, detail, realism, resolution whatever but on certain tracks the Node could bluff it's way through-noticeably more compressed stuff I tried from Tidal just for a quick comparison.

I used a variety of tracks I knew well including high resolution downloads I think this unit would hold up in most systems but my experience with modern decent DACs in components does that-the Oppo 105 for example was absolutely great for the money I'm sure there are other players.....I won't play through the Node DAC much but for the cash it sounds very capable to me. It is pretty detailed and balanced.

 

Had a Node 2i for two weeks and was using it (RCA out) with a Rega amplifier driving Dynaudio speakers. It sounded very resolving in the upper midrange but a bit dark in the treble. For low to moderate volume that was an advantage. Unfortunately it resulted in a bit of listening fatigue after a while due to that upper midrange. I tried using the coaxial out to a good dac and it was much better. I found the software very buggy and cumbersome to use and Roon did not work well with it (music out of sync with other endpoints). Using an Allo Digi One which sounds much much better to my ears and Roon works perfectly with it. I have installed Roon Bridge on it (via SSH) alongside volumio in order to benefit from the additional plug ins.

PS: The negative review of the Node 2i mentioned earlier was interesting. Worth noting though the results are not based on the toslink cable. The reviewer states they stopped using that and instead used Roon to stream to it. The bad Signal to Noise results are based on Roon streaming.

 

I won't comment on the other parts of your post as they are your experience, though I don't agree with some of it. But I found the software to work well and I haven't found any bugs myself. I use it with Quboz and Tidal as well as my own library and the software has been a breeze to work with compared to a Raspberry Pi using Linn Kazoo or the UIs in Rune Audio or Volumio. I suppose the only complaint I have is that if the cover art is to big it won't display it. I haven't used it with Roon. But to each their own. I hope you've found something that works well for your needs.

 

Thank you, Bubbamike. To be honest, I want to revisit Bluesound at some point as it has the potential to be much more convenient and discreet than what I use at the moment. I know a lot of folks use it and like it so I must assume I have been unlucky for the time being. I am planning to wait a few months (hopefully for the software to advance a bit) and then give it another go.

 

I am in my 2nd week of the Qobuz trial period. This morning I attempted to open the app (Win 10) and was unsuccessful. I only got a partial screen and several "Error 500" and "your request could not be completed..." notifications. After several attempts, I rebooted and tried again. Same problem. Anyone else having Qobuz app issues today?

 

I’m getting an error message from the iPhone app this morning.

 

Working fine for me this morning.

 

I'm running coax out to a PS Audio dac from my Node 2i, and can't decide whether to go Tidal or Qobuz. I think Qobuz has a bit more air up top, but the interface sucks. From the Bluos app on my phone, I can't tell if its hi res until I click on it, which is annoying. Tidal seems to be a bit softer on top, which isn't a terrible thing for a lot of digital files, and the interface is much better.

I have three weeks left on the Qobuz free trial, so I've got a little time to decide, I don't want to keep both. What are you guys doing?

 

I also am on a Qobuz trial but have decided to cancel it because of a lack of certain albums that I listen to regularly and the higher cost for hi-res streaming. I did not detect any noticeable difference in sound quality between the 2. I also like the Tidal interface better. Qobuz does have some features that I do like the album and artist info. It appears that Qobuz is down this morning as I just went to take another look at it and could not access any of my saved albums.

 

Thanks, guys. Sorry, I meant to post this in the "qobuz-music-streaming-discussion-and-news" thread. After opening the Qobuz app dozens of times with no significant problems, it is still not working for me today. Just an abstracted screen with the little roulette wheel spinning and spinning.

 

Qobuz is not working for me this morning through the web player.

 

Thanks. @britt2001b in the Qobuz thread refers to it as a DDOS attack.

 

Took the plunge based on the impressions in this thread. I'll be using the Node 2i with Tidal since I hate the Qobuz UI.

I don't expect it to replace my vinyl rig, but I've been pretty impressed with how close well-mastered lossless music can get, for a whole lot less cash. I did some A/B-ing over the weekend with my turntable (VPI Prime Scout+SS Paua mkii+SS MCP2 phono pre) against Tidal running through a laptop and out a Dragonfly Red, plugged into a PrimaLuna HP Integrated with a cheap 3.5mm to RCA cable. Speakers are Focal 1008's.

I listened to Gillian Welch - "Soul Journey," CCR - "Willy," and Ryan Adams - "Heartbreaker." It was...humbling. The Tidal files were probably 80% as good, running through a $200 DAC, against a $7000+ turntable, cartridge and phono pre setup. The biggest differences were in the vocals and the drums. In the digital versions vocals were grainier and less life-like, and the drums lacked the same sonic punch and decay, but the difference wasn't huge. "Willy and the Poor Boys" was especially close though, probably 90% of the way there, which is telling, because both the hi res version on Tidal and the vinyl copy I was comparing it against were mastered by the same guys, Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman. I really had to listen close to pick up on the differences.

I expect the Bluesound Node 2i to close the gap even further. The biggest difference in may day-to-day it's likely to make is I'll probably stop buying records I really only like a few tracks on. Lossless is close enough

 

I started using the Qobuz trial with my Node 2i last week and quickly went back to Tidal (and started paying for it!). I did not like Qobuz very much. For my tastes, their library seems limited compared to Tidal, and I feel that Tidal offers a better search engine, interface, and curates their content in a much more friendly and accessible way (I've only used them via the BlueOS). I also felt that Tidal Masters had a slight edge in sound quality.