BLUESOUND NODE (2021)

Like the two Nodes before it, the original Node and second-gen Node 2i, this 2021 model enters the surprisingly sparse budget music streamer market with plenty of up-to-date, all-round appeal – that much is evident before you even plug it in.

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Bluesound’s proprietary multi-room wireless streaming platform, BluOS, is a given for networked Bluesound gear and, increasingly, streaming products from its sister brand NAD and partner firms such as Dali. So there is a reassuring familiarity when we first power up the Node, hook it up to our network via an ethernet cable, and open the BluOS app on our iPad to find the Node instantly identified as a ‘device’.

From here, local and networked libraries, streaming services and internet radio stations can be accessed, multiroom partnerships with up to 63 other BluOS-compatible products can be established and controlled, and presets for easy access to sources and music can be allocated.

More powerful processors

Those who don’t have music stored on their network or subscribe to a streaming service can still benefit from the Node’s wireless nature through its support for Apple AirPlay 2 and two-way aptX HD Bluetooth. The BluOS app also steps in for general playback controls, and lets you switch between sources, wireless and physical. The latter includes mini optical/3.5mm combo and HDMI eARC inputs for connecting audio sources or a TV, plus a range of outputs that includes RCA, coaxial, optical and subwoofer, and 3.5mm headphone jack.