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Bluesound releases 2024 ICON streamer

To me is perfect
To qualify my remark, you are entitled like everyone else to like any particular product. I'm not challenging that.

What I am saying is that the remarkable technical claims for QRONO are unproven, and in the light of what MQA's previous product didn't do, claiming anything objectively special is remarkable and demands proper evidence.

Lenbrook and their MQA subidiary have not given that, and we have no independent evidence for their claims. And one or two people liking the product is not that evidence for those claims.

At last we are the quality control.
No you aren't. You are a consumer expressing a personal preference. From the small sample of reports we have here, quality control might not be that great. We're already greeted here by problem devices including one with a dead display, remember?
 
Do you know what quality control does? Well, that's exactly what we users do when we have the right to purchase products and then give our open opinion about whether we like that product or not. That, for me, is my quality control or personal preference.
 
i went from an eversolo a6 to a node icon and i do enjoy the sound of it more. it might be a placebo effect or whatever because I can't a/b (eversolo died during audition) but it definitely felt like a step up in my system.
 
That's what I was referring to with my Icon, it sounds much better than the previous system I had, at least to my ears, without testing or anything like that. I can do A/B testing because I still have my previous devices but I like to enjoy music and I'm happy with that and I will continue to do so.
 
A friend is at Bluesound.
If you have a friend working at Bluesound, could you please ask why they don't care fixing this long lasting bug ?

I reported the bug one year ago, about the N100...
But still not fixed now with N132.

Tested today on my brand new Node N132
BluOS 4.8.15

Digital loopback with Tone control in
All is OK.
Level is just decreased by 6dB to avoid saturation - a good thing.

01JJBZCAQT6N0R8XZP0P4E4PYS.png


Still digital loopback, but now with Bass correction -0.5dB
We loose 40dB of dynamic range !

1000028279.png


Trebble correction doesn't give any problem.
Just the bass correction.

I wonder how they'll be able to implement Dirac properly if they are not even able to implement a basic bass control without messing up.

 
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Performance improvements
... curious to see if they -finally- fix the Bass noise issue.

I'll re-measure with 4.8.17 before posting my review of the Node N132 then...

Update:
No difference.
(Maybe a bit worse Jitter ?)
And, well, no. The bass control is still broken.
 
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Hi.
I have a question about how the Icon updates the software and it is that the first time I started the device when I installed it on my sound system and with the last update 4.8.17 yesterday it happened that it did both updates correctly but at the same time finish, the light turns red and the screen turns off. According to Bluesound, you have to disconnect from the power grid for 30 seconds and reconnect if this happens, but it doesn't seem normal to me to have to do this after each update. I have asked Bluesound and they tell me that it is okay to disconnect the Icon from the mains after the device is updated. Do you have to do this every time it is updated?
 
Hi.
I have a question about how the Icon updates the software and it is that the first time I started the device when I installed it on my sound system and with the last update 4.8.17 yesterday it happened that it did both updates correctly but at the same time finish, the light turns red and the screen turns off. According to Bluesound, you have to disconnect from the power grid for 30 seconds and reconnect if this happens, but it doesn't seem normal to me to have to do this after each update. I have asked Bluesound and they tell me that it is okay to disconnect the Icon from the mains after the device is updated. Do you have to do this every time it is updated?
Nope.
I have 5 Node N100, 2 PowerNode N150 and a NAD M50 -the oldest I own for more than 10 years now- and I don't remember I ever had to power cycle after an update.

Oh, and I also have a Node N132 since last week Friday, but that's a bit young to draw conclusions...
 
I have asked Bluesound and they tell me that it is okay to disconnect the Icon from the mains after the device is updated. Do you have to do this every time it is updated?
I think you may be mixing up a few things. I have gone through a number of firmware updates on a few units including my new Icon. There is nothing in the Bluesound instructions about being required to disconnect the unit after an update. Bluesound will say it is OK to unplug it AFTER the update finishes, and definitely not during the update. If you have questions if the update installed, look in the settings to see the version number. If it is not the updated version you may have to simply re-run the update process, but I have not seen this as a common issue.
 
Well, then my unit is damaged because on the two occasions that I have had to update the Icon, it has remained off and with a solid red light. So if I want to continue using my device I have to turn it off for 30 seconds. After this step I turn it on and check the BluOS app to see if it has been updated. I'll ask my seller tomorrow.
 
BluOS 4.8.17. Released January 28, 2025
• Performance improvements and feature enhancements
This update applies to all Bluesound, NAD, and PSB players except the NAD M66.

WHAT’S NEW
DIRAC: Support C379
DIRAC: OEM Provided Updates
Dolby: Support M10v3
MQA Qrono: Codec Update
 
This update applies to all Bluesound, NAD, and PSB players except the NAD M66.

WHAT’S NEW
DIRAC: Support C379
DIRAC: OEM Provided Updates
Dolby: Support M10v3
MQA Qrono: Codec Update

Does from this mean that non Icon products got QRONO? Or that the QRONO algorithm was tweaked?
 
It is only a matter of time before other devices receive the new MQA technologies. I can't say whether this is already the case. Maybe I'll have to do a listening session at the weekend.
 
If the changelog is complete and correct, only the QRONO update remains for psb.

This update applies to all Bluesound, NAD, and PSB players except the NAD M66.

WHAT’S NEW
DIRAC: Support C379
DIRAC: OEM Provided Updates
Dolby: Support M10v3

MQA Qrono: Codec Update
 
It is only a matter of time before other devices receive the new MQA technologies.
Let's hope we can disable it.
I don't want to be forced to get rid of all my Nodes and PowerNodes. :facepalm::rolleyes:
 
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Let's hope we can disable it.
I don't want to be forced to get rid of all my Nodes and PowerNodes. :facepalm::rolleyes:
This stuff isn't necessarily just old MQA and may not be a problem at all. Some of the older Nodes with poorer SINAD may even be improved, regardless of the controversial claims.

Just as I wouldn't buy anything with QRONO without more evidence of what it really does, I wouldn't expect horrors from it being installed without evidence either.

However, you didn't buy your devices expecting that codec and I'd certainly be upset if I couldn't turn it off under those circumstances. You should know that before any change gets inflicted on you… even if it’s desirable.

It’s slightly interesting to see it mentioned as a codec.
 
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