Did you use Dirac Live? I'm interested to know if you can use it as a one off to correct the eq and then stop your subscription? Or do you have to keep paying for Dirac in order to keep the eq settings?
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Bluesound Node Icon Streamer Review
- Thread starter amirm
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It's one off, perpetual, license, linked to one specific device.
noisey
Member
As far as I know, there's no recurring payments, no subscription fees. The Node Icon should come with Room Correction Limited bandwidth preinstalled. From there, you're able to upgrade to full bandwidth with a one time payment of $99.
www.dirac.com
Bluesound NODE ICON (N530) – Dirac
DIRAC LIVE FOR Bluesound NODE ICON (N530) Get your license Your Bluesound NODE ICON (N530) is fully prepared to run Dirac Live, the world’s most...
www.dirac.com
Thanks. As far as I can see it's not free. It costs $159 for limited bandwidth or $259 for full bandwidth. I know it's the benchmark but that leaves a sour taste when room correction is free with the WiiM.As far as I know, there's no recurring payments, no subscription fees. The Node Icon should come with Room Correction Limited bandwidth preinstalled. From there, you're able to upgrade to full bandwidth with a one time payment of $99.
Bluesound NODE ICON (N530) – Dirac
DIRAC LIVE FOR Bluesound NODE ICON (N530) Get your license Your Bluesound NODE ICON (N530) is fully prepared to run Dirac Live, the world’s most...
Limited bandwidth is usually better.
Thanks vicens for your comments.
So my take away is that as a streamer only (into your external dac) your node 130 and icon are pretty similar?
Is the Icon as a streamer/Dac - is the Icon Dac noticably better than the Copland Dac?
I doubt that you can realistically compare Wiim room correction to Dirac.
Q: if one uses the digital out ,the horrible DAC filter is omitted i assume ,but you never now it could be software ?
It has Dirac , but is there any manual PEQ and how many bands ?
The analog input ADC how does it work in practice can you trim levels hard to find a spec of this
It has Dirac , but is there any manual PEQ and how many bands ?
The analog input ADC how does it work in practice can you trim levels hard to find a spec of this
Roland68
Major Contributor
DAC filters are applied either within or after the DAC chip. Anything else would be completely pointless.
Depending on the device's design, configured DSPs could affect the digital signal.
Using Digital Passthrough with Bluesound Players
Bluesound Players offer a comprehensive solution for MQA playback, decoding and rendering audio up to 24-bit/192 kHz. When connecting an external DAC to the Bluesound NODE or VAULT, the maximum out...
Note: The Bluesound NODE ICON introduces QRONO D2A, an advanced DAC optimization technology engineered to significantly improve the timing and audio performance of the internal DAC. Because of this feature, all 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz audio content is upsampled to 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz when output via the Optical and Coaxial outputs. For a bit-perfect signal when connecting to an external DAC, make sure to enable Digital Passthrough. Enabling Digital Passthrough will affect the performance of the Analog outputs including the Headphone output
2) Only Dirac or tone controls. NO PEQ.
3) the ADC is good hardware but there are minimal features. They put a fancy chip for marketing but realistically, it’s intended for connecting a LP turntable but there’s no phono preamp.
SoundStageNetwork.com | SoundStage.com - Bluesound Node Icon Streaming Preamplifier Measurements
In defense of QRONO d2a?
To be clear, this is just a scientific approach. I'm not sure it's even audible, but seeing these results was worth sharing.
I'm having trouble with doing a blind test. When I volume match in Audacity and save a FLAC, it increases in size tremendously even though I have dithering off, which prevents me from attaching the files to the post.
Test CD: IASCA 2023 Reference CD
IASCA 2023 Sound Quality Reference CD | IASCA Worldwide Inc.
2 Disc set with 'Evaluation' and 'Entertainment' CDs and liner notes. This CD includes music and test tracks for the 2018 to 2023 competition season.For current year's competition tracks, go to https://iasca.com/sqc-tracks/.iasca.square.site
I chose this since it's a bunch of high quality 16/44.1 kHz content. I chose Track 7 on the IASCA disc, which is Anvil of Crom from Telarc's Great Fantasy Album, a very percussive track. I have that disc somewhere as well, so I could check the liner notes, but this is DDD and done by Telarc, which was one of the best audiophile labels in the 90's. I chose this because I saw the imaging artifacts.
I then recorded:
1) Node Icon from network share --> E1DA Cosmos ADC at 24/96
2) Fosi ZD3 from USB --> E1DA Cosmos ADC at 24/96...
@GXAlan would you be willing to do this again, either making sure the Fosi filter setting is linear phase or else using another DAC for comparison that has a proper linear phase filter? Pogo keeps linking to your measurements in posts on other sites, using it as evidence that Qrono has some kind of supereior phase response. It would be doing the right thing for you to set the record straight.
Hi,
I have N130 (with HDMI eARC) and I'm using it as a hub between my TV and Formation Audio and Duos. Samsung TV is connected to the HDMI port and Formation Audio to N130 optical out.
Everything works relatively well. Auto-sense works most time when I switch between the TV and Tidal Connect. One reason why I chose N130 some years ago was that Formation Duos and Audio doesn't support Tidal Connect. That's my main source of music.
I like my Formation Duos and although they were released 6 years ago, I still like how they sound. I have to Formation sub too.
I've observed that when I listen to music through the Formation app, the soundstage feels wider and more clear compared to when using Tidal Connect and N130.
I'm not using Digital passthrough and fixed volume as Formation doesn't have a remote and with fixed volume, I'm unable to change volume in Tidal. I should use Formation app for that.
It's a somewhat lengthy explanation, but my question is whether the newer N132 or Icon would offer an improvement in sound quality.
I can get the N132 for about 400 euros and the Icon for 700 euros.
Thanks,
Juhan
I have N130 (with HDMI eARC) and I'm using it as a hub between my TV and Formation Audio and Duos. Samsung TV is connected to the HDMI port and Formation Audio to N130 optical out.
Everything works relatively well. Auto-sense works most time when I switch between the TV and Tidal Connect. One reason why I chose N130 some years ago was that Formation Duos and Audio doesn't support Tidal Connect. That's my main source of music.
I like my Formation Duos and although they were released 6 years ago, I still like how they sound. I have to Formation sub too.
I've observed that when I listen to music through the Formation app, the soundstage feels wider and more clear compared to when using Tidal Connect and N130.
I'm not using Digital passthrough and fixed volume as Formation doesn't have a remote and with fixed volume, I'm unable to change volume in Tidal. I should use Formation app for that.
It's a somewhat lengthy explanation, but my question is whether the newer N132 or Icon would offer an improvement in sound quality.
I can get the N132 for about 400 euros and the Icon for 700 euros.
Thanks,
Juhan
I've also been considering the NAD M10 (V3), which utilizes the same Bluesound platform I like. However, it lacks optical out, and many features of the M10 would be unused in my setup.
I can get the NAD M10 for around 1600 euros. While Formation Duos might sound excellent with the M10 DAC, I doubt it's truly designed to work with speakers like the Formation Duos.
I can get the NAD M10 for around 1600 euros. While Formation Duos might sound excellent with the M10 DAC, I doubt it's truly designed to work with speakers like the Formation Duos.
Unless you are comparing blind, you cannot trust your perceptions. There is no mechanism whereby soundstage can be altered by the app you are using to play the music. Soundstage is 100% the way the stereo channels interact with the room via the speakers. Cannot be influenced by the app.
So I'm going to suggest your perceptions are being influenced by perceptive bias rather than any real change in the sound (just as happens to all of us).
So...
The N130 measures quite a bit worse than the 132, but is still close to Sinad of 90, and it is very unlikely this will be audible in real world listening - so probably not. If you are worried about this you could try paring it with an external DAC, and eliminate any weakness that way - but you are still probably not going to hear the difference.
Electronics is not where you will find sound improvements. You need to be looking at speakers, room interaction and equalisation.
Thanks for the feedback. I've ordered the Node Icon and will compare it. As an engineer by education, I understand that digital signals should be identical when unprocessed. It's a shame manufacturers don't share datasheets and schematics these days.
N130 still lacks Dirac support, while N132 and Icon do have it. I'll also want to try if Dirac makes a difference.
In general most of things in life are about perception and presentation
N130 still lacks Dirac support, while N132 and Icon do have it. I'll also want to try if Dirac makes a difference.
In general most of things in life are about perception and presentation
N130 is supported by Dirac.
It’s been released for the N130. On the Dirac website you can check the Compatible page for a list of devices supported.
Dirac should make a notable improvement if you are not already using Room EQ of some form.
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