The Bluesound Node unlocks the world of hi-res music streaming and multiroom audio to create a modern addition to existing hi-fi systems or complementing any set of powered speakers. The design allows users to access Internet radio stations, dozens of streaming music services, or even digital music libraries, with a few taps of the BluOS Controller app for iOS, Android, Mac or PC computers.
Inside, the Node features an updated Quad-core 1.8GHz ARM Cortex A53 processor, and a new 32-bit/384kHz DAC design with notably improved performance that not only supports 24-bit/192kHz audio processing, but also MQA for studio-quality listening. Powerful, user-friendly software features like tone controls and subwoofer crossover optimization allow users to customize their listening preferences in detail. It is also equipped with an array of digital and analog inputs and outputs for maximum versatility, supporting wired and wireless headphones, speakers and subwoofer outputs.
Users can bring music into their Node using Dual-band Wi-Fi or Gigabit Ethernet, Apple AirPlay 2, aptX HD Bluetooth, or USB Type A connectors. The Node now features an HDMI eARC input on the back panel, to keep the setup future-friendly. Designed to be as comfortable in a two-channel TV system or gaming console as it is in a dedicated listening room, the updated Node provides the best way to experience high-resolution audio, no matter where it’s used. It can be connected to an existing hi-fi system or through wired or wireless headphones, by connecting to the RCA, Toslink optical, aptX HD Bluetooth 5, 3.5mm jack, Apple devices, or other Bluesound or BluOS enabled players.
The system was also originally designed to support whole-home audio systems, and the new updated Node is an ideal multi-room hub. The BluOS platform is the only platform in the world that can support up to 64 players, all streaming in 24-bit hi-res audio. With a growing stable of brands and devices being added to the BluOS platform, the Node opens up a world of hi-res listening options throughout the home.
In addition to using the BluOS Controller app with any smart devices, quick access controls like play/pause, track skipping, and volume are available as touch panel controls, via voice assistants like Apple’s Siri, Amazon Alexa, or Google Voice, by programming an IR remote or using the optional Bluesound RC1. The intuitive touch panel control with proximity sensor now also features 5 presets. Advanced controls, including tone controls are available in the BluOS Controller app. The Node can also be integrated into a smart home with full-feature drivers for Lutron, Elan, RTI, Crestron, and other popular home control systems.
The Bluesound PowerNode Wireless Multi-Room Streaming Amplifier combines all the features of the updated Node, to be used as an hi-fi amp, reinvented for the streaming age. The updated design, combines the highest-quality components and all multi-room music capabilities to create an intuitive “just add speakers” hi-res sound system. Source, control, and amplification come packed into the compact and minimalist PowerNode design, offering HybridDigital 80 watts per channel of zero-distortion power, tested in real-world listening conditions and not just in a lab.
In one or many rooms, the PowerNode is a versatile workhorse, placed either freestanding or in a custom installation rack, allowing users to toggle back and forth amongst a number of listening set-ups with a few taps in the BluOS Controller app. It can power a traditional 2-channel or 2.1 wired or wireless systems, and can even be combined to a pair of Pulse FLEX 2i to provide rear channel additions for a wireless Dolby surround sound home theater experience. And combined with other Bluesound players around the home it can become the center of a multi-room audio solution.
And Bluesound continues to push the performance envelope, equipping the new Node and PowerNode with a powerful ARM Cortex A53 Quad-Core chipset that processes audio 8 times faster than previous generations of Bluesound architecture. Not only does this processor boast all the power and speed required for the latest and greatest HiFi performance but these products are ready for whatever technologies the future may hold.
“Since the beginning, Bluesound has set out to provide a modern hi-res multi-room streaming experience for customers who care about audio quality,” says Matt Simmonds, Bluesound Product Manager. “We have seen the Node and PowerNode quickly become the go-to streaming components for discerning music lovers, because of our focus on high quality listening and on the software features that make the products - all the way back to our first generation - even better over time. This latest generation, once again, sets the bar for performance and value in their respective categories.”
The Bluesound Node will retail for $549 USD and the PowerNode for $899 USD and are available for pre-order now, with availability planned for June 2021.
www.bluesound.com
