Bluesound Node 2i

[Erick R.]

The combination of a hybrid tube amp, Klipsch Forte's and the BS node 2i is fantastic. Highres music from Qobuz sounds awesome... much more detail than Tidal. 

[Tarheel]

I'm using a Primaluna Dialogue Premium HP integrated with Spatial M3 Turbos S speakers and the Node 2i.  Tidal and Amazon for now.  Surprised that there are no play list on Tidal for some popular performers such as Eva Cassidy, Chris Issac, Jimmy Buffett...........

[rplace]

29 minutes ago, Tarheel said:

 Surprised that there are no play list on Tidal for some popular performers such as Eva Cassidy, Chris Issac, Jimmy Buffett

 

Streaming = 35 and under

 

Your Popular performer = 65+

 

 

 

[Fido]

6 hours ago, Tarheel said:

I'm using a Primaluna Dialogue Premium HP integrated with Spatial M3 Turbos S speakers and the Node 2i.  Tidal and Amazon for now.  Surprised that there are no play list on Tidal for some popular performers such as Eva Cassidy, Chris Issac, Jimmy Buffett...........

There is a play list for Jimmy Buffet and all his albums are available on Tidal

[Sancho Panza]

& Jimmy Buffett, too... 😉

[Erick R.]

35 and under don't know what good sound is unless they have parents like us 😎 

[Tarheel]

New to streaming as I may have mentioned.  Making my first playlist I ran into difficulty editing while using the Bluos app. Wanted to delete a song and was unable to do so.  Had to get out of Bluos and log into Tidal.  On Tidal I can edit but the sound plays through my lap top and not my main system.  When I go back to Bluos the edits worked that I completed on Tidal.  It's just a bit labor intensive.

Ideas?

[jimjimbo]

32 minutes ago, Tarheel said:

New to streaming as I may have mentioned.  Making my first playlist I ran into difficulty editing while using the Bluos app. Wanted to delete a song and was unable to do so.  Had to get out of Bluos and log into Tidal.  On Tidal I can edit but the sound plays through my lap top and not my main system.  When I go back to Bluos the edits worked that I completed on Tidal.  It's just a bit labor intensive.

Ideas?

Exactly why I use Spotify Premium.

[MC39693]

“The Jimmy” is for all ages. My daughters know all the lyrics, one exception I hope, and have been to his concerts. When my eldest turned 21she wanted to see Jimmy in concert... we took her to Las Vegas all dressed in Parrothead outfit. We surprised her with tickets to Elton John same weekend. She was on stage two feet from Sir Elton. Total fun.

 

My Bluesound Vault 2 took a bit of time to get running but, it is very flexible and works well. They need to make their software human interface more intuitive but it’s getting there. Sound quality is good. In final config, I’ll likely use an external Dac as I can get sound I prefer that way although the Vault’s Dac is ok. Bluesound app on my iPhone 5 and iPad works fine but I don’t stream from a subscription service. Editing meta data and playlists is one area they should work on.

[joessportster]

On 4/7/2020 at 2:52 AM, ILI said:

This seems to be the common experience for DACs of the past 10 years. The SQ and user appreciation is determined not so much by the DAC chip and the apparatus it is mounted in, but rather the peripherals: the app, the cables, the psu, the network stability, amp and speakers, etc. Don't be fooled by marketing babble and expensive 'words'. 

Very True. I have used dacs from  the late 90's in the 300.00 range  to DACs costing 8 K new today  and the sound quality was no where NEAR the gap you would expect Infact it is much closer than you  would comfortably admit.   DACs are more about convenience and the various ways to connect them.    A quality dac like  Altman Attraction, Wavelength Cosecant, Theta Basics from the early 2000's Easily  sounds as good as some of  these new fancy R2R  DACs   there may  be a nuance or 2 that shines but overall  is that worth 7K.............Not Here

[Tarheel]

24 minutes ago, jimjimbo said:

Exactly why I use Spotify Premium.

Had Spotify Premium a couple of years ago.  A-B with CDs the CDs sounded noticeably better.  Cancelled Spotify.  Would probably be okay for background music.

[joessportster]

On 4/12/2020 at 2:18 AM, RadBlue said:

The Node-2i is a streamer with a built in DAC while the D90 is a DAC with streaming capabilities via Bluetooth. 

First thing to note here is the general consensus is as far as sound quality is concerned, hardwired beats wifi which beats Bluetooth. This has to do with hardwired is best for limiting rf interference. Next  Bluetooth 5.0 I think is limited to 990kb/s. CD quality is 1440kb/s. Wifi can do cd quality but open to more rf noise than hardwired.

When you stream with the D90 your phone or tablet is the streamer sending the signal to the D90 via Bluetooth (and thus limited to Bluetooth specs). With the Node-2i your phone or tablet is not streaming the signal, its only acting as a remote control for the Node ( thus only limited to the spec on the node DAC or an external DAC connected to it).

However you could connect a PC directly to the D90 and get full 24/192 with the PC streaming but you wont have remote control from  phone or tablet.

There is software that will allow remote control using Phone or tablet.  J-River for instance  under 40.00 and  you are in for life. Been using it  for 10 plus years now and still loving it

[rockhound]

15 minutes ago, Tarheel said:

Had Spotify Premium a couple of years ago.  A-B with CDs the CDs sounded noticeably better.  Cancelled Spotify.  Would probably be okay for background music.

I have Spotify premium and amazon music HD. Once I rebuild all of my spotify playlist in amazon music I'm cancelling Spotify. I was not expecting to hear a difference between Spotify and Amazon HD but there is, my wife could even hear the difference. I can't tell a difference between my CD's and amazon HD.

Glad you got your issues sorted streaming really is convenient and with today's technologies I seem to play my physical media less through my CD player. I use these streaming services to also check out new releases from artist I like. If I enjoy it I buy the physical media and rip it to my library. I still like to look at the booklets that come with CD's.

[joessportster]

On 4/23/2020 at 4:31 PM, Tarheel said:

What a frustrating time but at the end of the day I'm up and running.  The Bluos app never came up but we went in through a back door.  Went first to devices on iphone and selected Node 2i.  Then had to go to the Tidal site for a free trial.  After the trial the price quoted was $25.99 and I was expecting $19.99.  Only money and Jay Z probably needs a few bucks more.

 

But the good part of the day was a long phone call with forum members Fido (David) and support from RadBlue.  I think David and I could have talked audio all day.  Thanks to these fine gents who shared their time.

 

Now I guess I need an ipad.........did someone mention rabbit hole.

Ebay find seller Blinq usually has great deals on refurbished Ipads. I bought 3  for  the wife and boys been using for over a year with zero issues   paid right around 129.00 each

[joessportster]

On 4/28/2020 at 1:19 PM, rplace said:

 

Streaming = 35 and under

 

Your Popular performer = 65+

 

 

 

Now thats funny I dont care who you are (well except maybe tarheel)

[jimjimbo]

1 hour ago, Tarheel said:

Had Spotify Premium a couple of years ago.  A-B with CDs the CDs sounded noticeably better.  Cancelled Spotify.  Would probably be okay for background music.

Not exactly an apples to apples comparison.

[glens]

On 4/12/2020 at 2:18 AM, RadBlue said:

First thing to note here is the general consensus is as far as sound quality is concerned, hardwired beats wifi which beats Bluetooth. This has to do with hardwired is best for limiting rf interference.

 

I guess that depends which direction you're looking at it.  In terms of other uses you might have for the radio spectrum, going hardwired would limit the amount (now none) of interference from streaming music.  In terms of streaming music the reason hardwired beats wifi is reliability, plain and simple.  I'm unsure about DSD rates but at least otherwise a good wifi connection is great for streaming music, a hard wire is intrinsically better (and more secure if that matters) if doable.

 

On 4/12/2020 at 2:18 AM, RadBlue said:

Next  Bluetooth 5.0 I think is limited to 990kb/s. CD quality is 1440kb/s. Wifi can do cd quality but open to more rf noise than hardwired.

 

I think here you're clarifying your earlier similar statement?  The noise is problematic mostly for the connection maintenance / reliability, coupled with the increase in program content packet retransmissions.

 

The sound quality change of an affected connection is not something subtile.  It has mostly to do with moments of silence while waiting for data to fill the buffer which has run dry.

 

On 4/12/2020 at 2:18 AM, RadBlue said:

However you could connect a PC directly to the D90 and get full 24/192 with the PC streaming but you wont have remote control from  phone or tablet.

 

I believe that last phrase to be incorrect, at least as a blanket statement.  I'd swear I've seen mention of plugins allowing remote control, though I forget which software package it was.  Something doubly free, I'm sure, and possibly doesn't run on Mac or Microsoft (though it might).  Surely both those platforms have something available with which to stream and remotely control music files.

[glens]

6 hours ago, Tarheel said:

Making my first playlist I ran into difficulty editing while using the Bluos app. Wanted to delete a song and was unable to do so. 

 

Were you unable because there was no such method available, or that the method was ineffectual?

[Tarheel]

10 minutes ago, glens said:

 

Were you unable because there was no such method available, or that the method was ineffectual?

I have to log on to Tidal....do my edits.....and then either listen through lap top speakers or go to Bluos app to listen through the main system.  I cannot delete songs on Bluos.  I wonder if when I'm on the lap top on Tidal that I can only stream the 1 device.....the laptop? But I see no way to add a device or change from one to anther.  I'm sure this is operator error😑

[glens]

Interesting.  https://tidal.com/nad says:

 

All NAD BluOS Enabled products allow music lovers to seamlessly connect, manage and control all their music with a smartphone, tablet, or dedicated CI controller.

 

I don't believe NAD alters the BluOS in any way so the statement should equally apply to a Bluesound product.  I would expect by that statement you should be able to "seamlessly ... manage and control" your Tidal music via smartphone/tablet running the BluOS app..