Bluesound Node Icon

Bluesound aims high - and succeeds

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Bluesound has had a run of very competent, well featured and well-priced compact music streamers, but it has been a while since one really stood out as a class leader when it comes to outright sound quality.

Where the mid-range Node (2024) model conceded to the greater musicality of the Cambridge Audio MXN10, and the budget Node Nano couldn't top the wallet-friendly WiiM Pro Plus, the Bluesound Node Icon stands head and shoulders above its siblings in design, features and, most importantly, performance.

The three members of the Node family have distinct profiles, but instead of the slimline, 'modem'-like designs of most Nodes, the Icon is a taller, boxier affair. It is still a fairly compact unit, taking up roughly the same footprint as the smaller Node (2024) and Cambridge Audio MXN10, but it's twice the height of its junior sibling.

Its build quality is of a considerably higher quality, too – the anodised aluminium metal casing and shiny glass top feel sturdy and substantial. Altogether, it's a classier and more premium-feeling unit, but it is still discreet enough to hide away if that is your preference.

A 5in full-colour display dominates the front panel, and it is sharp, clear and appealing. It displays album artwork and track and source information when music is playing. A clock face is shown when the unit is on standby and, unusually, when the music is paused too. The display isn't touchscreen, but the Icon does incorporate the touch-capacitative controls that we have seen on its siblings. The sloped glass section on the top houses this strip of touch controls, which includes basic music playback and a volume slider. Even more usefully, you can appoint five presets, so you can easily play your favourite playlist or radio station with a single tap, without having to fire up your smartphone or app.

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