Bluesound releases 2024 ICON streamer

[EERecordist]

A friend is at Bluesound. Bluesound releases a new streamer with a screen. $1K US.

NODE ICON - Reference Music Streamer

The NODE ICON is a flagship wireless music streamer, designed for the audio obsessed. With its sleek aluminum chassis, and vibrant 5” full-color display, it sets a new benchmark for wireless music streamers.

www.bluesound.com

 

[lindberggreger]

Now im looking forward to this being tested!!

 

[Mike_Trueman]

Yes, waiting for the reviews. The price and size seems to be good if it delivers.

Pre-Order - Shipments to commence November 15th

 

[pogo]

Thanks to Dirac Live, it should outshine even a DMP-A10 in terms of sound quality in the room.

 

[pogo]

BluOS 4.8.7. Released November 19, 2024
• Initial support for the Bluesound NODE ICON, CYRUS 40 ST and Monitor Caspian.
• Gain control on M66 analog inputs.
• DSD support for the Bluesound NODE ICON, NODE (Gen 5) and NODE NANO.

 

[amper42]

A friend is at Bluesound. Bluesound releases a new streamer with a screen. $1K US.

NODE ICON - Reference Music Streamer

The NODE ICON is a flagship wireless music streamer, designed for the audio obsessed. With its sleek aluminum chassis, and vibrant 5” full-color display, it sets a new benchmark for wireless music streamers.

www.bluesound.com

$1000?
I'll take a Wiim mini or a RPi4 for 1/10th the price. I certainly don't need a little screen showing me what's playing for $900 more.

 

[pogo]

BluOS supports Qobuz.

 

[rdytro]

$1000 and it doesn't support Qobuz? What a piece of junk.
I'll take a Wiim mini or a RPi4 for 1/10th the price. I certainly don't need a little screen showing me what's playing for $900 more.

Where did you get this from? Other Bluesound and other BluOS devices use Qobuz.

 

[amper42]

Where did you get this from? Other Bluesound and other BluOS devices use Qobuz.

Why would the promo page show Tidal support and not list Qobuz?
Confusing at best.
The manual for the icon doesn't list streaming services supported.
Apparently, Blu OS is a different company or product.

 

[rdytro]

Why would the promo page show Tidal support and not list Qobuz?

They most likely have a promotional agreement. All BluOS devices support Qobuz AFAIK.

 

[pogo]

The manual for the icon doesn't list streaming services supported.

If you click on the link for streaming services on the ICON page, you will see the current ones: Link

 

[JustJones]

It's showing Spotify connect and Tidal connect. The other streaming services login through the BluOS app I guess. I thought Qobuz was coming out with something similar.

 

[Astoneroad]

Where did you get this from? Other Bluesound and other BluOS devices use Qobuz.

At 4:46 screenshot of Qobuz logo. Then he says it will include "new MQA" technology? I guess MQA isn't dead... it is just a zombie?

 

[pogo]

MQA Labs' groundbreaking QRONO d2a technology further refines DAC performance by correcting timing errors during digital-to-analogue conversion, ensuring the timing response aligns perfectly with the original recording for an authentic listening experience.

 

[qirex]

At 4:46 screenshot of Qobuz logo. Then he says it will include "new MQA" technology? I guess MQA isn't dead... it is just a zombie?

Lenbrook (parent company of Bluesound, NAD, PSB, Dali) bought MQA's assets in their bankruptcy liquidation, they probably feel like it was worth it to be able to use the name to people who never figured out what they really were. There was also supposedly a pretty good bluetooth codec in the package but we'll probably never see it anywhere.

 

[pogo]

This is not just a bluetooth codec. This will probably also give Lenbrook's new streaming service a boost.
And yes, SLC6 (MQA Airia) is coming.

 

[Astoneroad]

And yes, SLC6 (MQA Airia) is coming.

To serve what audible improvement or function?

 

[pogo]

What few people noticed when upgrading from BluOS 3 to 4.x is the fundamentally new architecture of the OS, which now provides, among other things, 'Increased maximum group size to 60 players'. If all these innovations are now combined, surround material from the new Lenbrook streaming service could soon be transmitted wirelessly to the BluOS devices in an unprecedentedly scalable form and quality. Currently, only a maximum of 4.2 surround is possible with BluOS.

Btw, there will also be headphones that support MQA Airia in the future.

 

[Mike_Trueman]

This Node Icon streamer and a Purifi amplifier is a nice combo.

 

[pogo]

Bluesound currently seems to be setting the bar very high in the streamer sector, most recently with Dirac Live.
The Marantz LINK 10n will follow soon.