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Bluesound releases 2024 ICON streamer

Btw...have you tried their suggested "resolution" with RCA?
I did not since I already packed and returned it. I don't even have an RCA to plug into. Genelec speakers don't have RCA and nor did I have RCA to XLR cables and frankly I was not gonna attach a grounding to all 3 of my genelecs via their AES connection.
 
If anyone is having trouble getting an order filled for an Icon, I know that ListenUp.com has 1 in inventory as of Monday this week. They have a warehouse in Denver, CO (USA) and also a few brick+mortar stores and are who have the 60 trial period.

I decided against this, but it occurred to me that one could purchase the Icon, have it measured by Amir, and return it within the 60 days if desired.
 
Right, but it’s not clear if everyone with XLR output and XLR inputs has this problem. It’s unlikely that EVERYONE has this problem but it is clear that you should only buy the Node Icon if there is an in home trial associated with it.

I am not sure if there have been any revisions, if there are supply chain shortages, or if demand is sky high.

Clearly, some people got theirs last December. It’s not vaporware. Bluesound.com in the U.S. claimed that it would ship this week for orders, but it has been updated to week of Jan 20. I ordered mine Jan 2 from TMR, and my understanding is that the retailer is waiting for their next shipment, which they said is “before the end of the month”.

There are clearly people with issues, but there is no clear answer what percent of buyers have the problem.

NAD/Bluesound have poor and stellar measuring products so there isn’t a clear prediction you can assign.
Yes, who knows what is going on with the ground loop issue. I was more just pushing back that someone would reply to discussion about the problem by breaking out pom poms and saying there is a lot of flexibility (not that I understand if that meant in features or in allowing the customer all kinds of creativity in devising their own solution).
 
Right, but it’s not clear if everyone with XLR output and XLR inputs has this problem.
No, I sure do not have any issues with hum or ground loop. Feeding the Icon into a McIntosh MX122 via XLR, and then to the MC462 amp via XLR. No other connections, but the simple guidance from Bluesound to also connect a random RCA out to an amp or other device with an RCA makes sense. My interpretation is that the RCA is not used for any signal, just the ground via the RCA.
 
No, I sure do not have any issues with hum or ground loop. Feeding the Icon into a McIntosh MX122 via XLR, and then to the MC462 amp via XLR. No other connections, but the simple guidance from Bluesound to also connect a random RCA out to an amp or other device with an RCA makes sense. My interpretation is that the RCA is not used for any signal, just the ground via the RCA.
I think it's because you have isolated your speakers to devices that are grounded. Issues would have a higher probability of showing had your McIntosh didn't have grounding. Which is why manufacturers should just provide a grounding point or pin, in case an issue arises not because it will.

Even in the case of node attached to an external DAC (via USB) and then using that DAC to speakers fixed the grounding for me. My DAC was grounded. Obviously then you have to argue why spend $1000 on a device which has issues out of the box and you have to have specific setups to get around it. Not to mention defeats the purpose of getting a device with a possibly good DAC only to attach another DAC. This is what made me switch to WiimU as I don't feel too bad about a similar setup at a third of the price.
 
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And here
WTF. I have zero connection to Lenbrook or any other tech or audio compant. FFS, these kinds of accusations are truly bullshit and unwarranted.
 
If your amp has only XLR inputs it seems the only option is to return the Icon
No. If your amp has not a floating ground capability/implementation (floating ground is the preferred grounding style for audiophiles), you can connect the XLR cable ground signal to the ground of the Icon (RCA, USB, ...).
 
No. If your amp has not a floating ground capability/implementation (floating ground is the preferred grounding style for audiophiles), you can connect the XLR cable ground signal to the ground of the Icon (RCA, USB, ...).
Can you solve the problem with powered speakers described in post #309? I think an equivalent situation would be connecting to the power strip ground where two Class I type mono amps are plugged in. I am sincerely hoping you can help him and that there is a good solution for all with this kind problem.
 
WTF. I have zero connection to Lenbrook or any other tech or audio compant. FFS, these kinds of accusations are truly bullshit and unwarranted.
I didn't think his link pointed to you. Anyway I don't believe anyone really thinks Lenbrook employees are posting, just that the rah rah (not you) can be a little over the top.
 
Can you solve the problem with powered speakers described in post #309?
His idea with the RCA wasn't wrong, but I would have tapped the ground signal from the XLR plug on the Icon.
This would have been a more direct ground connection between Icon and amp/speaker.
 
His idea with the RCA wasn't wrong, but I would have tapped the ground signal from the XLR plug on the Icon.
This would have been a more direct ground connection between Icon and amp/speaker.
Seems worth trying some different connection points, but didn't Bluesound recommend taking it from an RCA?
 
The RCA ground can be the same ground as on the XLR of the amp/speaker. And if you don't have an RCA or other connection point, just use the ground from the amp XLR.
 
I decided against this, but it occurred to me that one could purchase the Icon, have it measured by Amir, and return it within the 60 days if desired.
For what it’s worth, Amir is backlogged so it is tricky and I have mine on order from Jan 2 and can provide some basic E1DA Cosmos based testing when it arrives. It hasn’t shipped yet.

I guess the last wild card is the XLR cable construction. It seems that even the cables can be wired in different ways which can generate ground loops or allow injected audio noise, etc.



Post in thread 'XLR cable pin 1 variations'
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/xlr-cable-pin-1-variations.1403337/post-22651782
 
I have mine on order from Jan 2 and can provide some basic E1DA Cosmos based testing when it arrives.
Will definitely be interested in this!

Last night I tried to get my new unit set up quickly before I headed out to a concert. I pugged it in, went upstairs to do something, then came down to go through connection/setup with the app and couldn't get it to work. The unit doesn't ship with any user manual so there's no help. In my Lyft downtown I googled and figured out that the purple-ish light on the unit was indicating that while I was upstairs, the unit went into sleep mode and one can't commence setup in sleep mode. Bummer.

Unplug/plug back in tonight and setup was smooth. Unit connected to wifi, downloaded and installed update, then rebooted on its own.

First listening impressions were not great. I was using airplay of downloaded iTunes music and it just didn't have that wow factor. I even heard some distortion on louder passages :/ Switching to streaming Spotify Premium (not airplay) and all the sudden my arm hair stood up - that goosebump feeling when it sounds great. Phew! I'm only 40min into listening so really not ready to pass much more judgement. Came here to ASR because the central air came on in the house and I don't want to do critical listening with that background noise.

Btw, I can't really comment on the grounding topic right now. I just noticed that even when no sources are plugged into my amp, and even if the levels are at 0, I still have a little hiss in the speakers (audible within ~12 inches of speaker, not audible further away). Connecting Icon via XLR to the amp adds a little bit of hum that is inaudible further than ~20"). Without a silent amp I don't think it's fair to comment on the Icon ground topic any further.
 
Connecting Icon via XLR to the amp adds a little bit of hum
I don't know which country you are from, but if possible, you can try turning the mains plug 180 degrees. Just try different combinations.
 
Interesting idea, thanks for the suggestion. I'll give that a try. Honestly it's not audible beyond 2 feet from the speaker so I'm not that worried about it.

I've been listening for about 3hrs now and honestly I'm *shocked* how good it's sounding. It's even more surprising considering I'm streaming with Spotify and still using a mediocre amp. Super super stoked about it.

One annoying thing about the app (I'm new to Bluesound) is when I tap the + or - button for volume only once or twice, it automatically resets itself back to the level it was at before I adjusted it. If you press several times (>2), it will stay at the newly adjusted volume. Using volume up/down buttons on the side of the iPhone work as expected, but those jumps are a bit larger increments than I'd prefer.
 
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