Bluesound releases 2024 ICON streamer

[Centuriaromano]

Hi.
Well, finally today I started the process of returning my Icon to the seller because they have not been able to solve the problem with the updates since the Icon stays with the solid red light and the screen off after an update and there have been two since that I bought it. On both occasions the device has been compromised the same. Furthermore, and to check the noise that some have detected when connecting the It has definitely made me return the Icon.
Bluesound has told me that instead of using wifi to use my ethernet cable, what solution is that?
I'll stick with my previous setup of Wiim Pro and my external DAC.
Bluesound: See you.

 

[pogo]

Have you tried this with the Ethernet cable?
Even in a different network?
It could be that the Icon is not the problem.

 

[Centuriaromano]

Have you tried this with the Ethernet cable?
Even in a different network?
It could be that the Icon is not the problem.

Hi.
Do you really think the same as Bluesound by inviting me to connect my Icon via cable instead of doing what all the other wifi-connected streamers do like my Wiim pro does?
I'm not willing to pay that much money compared to the Wiim to end up having to hook up the Icon with a cable that runs halfway through my living room. It seems like a joke but a bad one. Also, I checked the noise through XLR and I didn't like it at all. Solution, return.

 

[Snoopy]

Im just going to wait for the Onkyo Icon P80 preamp streamer (hdmi , Dirac , roon , airplay etc) with the AK4452 DAC .

If I want to mess with filters there are better options like roon+Hqplayer .

I have my trust issues when it comes to NAD/Bluesounds software support.
Also doesn’t help to be reading already about dead displays and hum wenn using the Icon.

 

[GXAlan]

Im just going to wait for the Onkyo Icon P80 preamp streamer (hdmi , Dirac , roon , airplay etc) with the AK4452 DAC .

If I want to mess with filters there are better options like roon+Hqplayer .

I have my trust issues when it comes to NAD/Bluesounds software support.
Also doesn’t help to be reading already about dead displays and hum wenn using the Icon.

I want a small HDMI ARC DAC with HDMI CEC that works and a company with a respectable privacy policy for a connected device …

Fosi ZD3: perfect except for CEC bugs

WiiM Ultra: bit of hum, CEC ok on Sony but not Vizio TV, sketchy privacy policy

That leaves the Node Icon…

I am hopeful that the slow production means there is a rev 1.1. I ordered mine a month ago and I am still waiting.

 

[sapphari]

I had a very enjoyable listening session yesterday with the Icon. The purpose of this time was to select an album to gift a friend. As such my plan was to skip through tracks of a few albums to remind myself what is on each - no intention of spending much time. I became really engaged with the music and found myself listening to the entirety of 10 minute songs instead of skipping through as originally planned. In the end I spent a lot more time listening than I had planned to and walked away impressed with what I heard, and grateful that I purchased the Icon. I'm still using a Crown amplifier (new Purifi will arrive Wednesday) and am surprised how much I'm enjoying the setup.

 

[jurajc]

I don't care what the review will be with the measurements, I am satisfied with the icon despite the "slight hesitation"

 

[elmoe420]

Do these newer Bluesound Node devices use the Amazon AVS SDK ("Alexa built-in" where the Node can be set as the default Echo speaker, used with MRM etc.) or are you still stuck with the clunky Bluvoice skill?

 

[ISchmidt]

I had a very enjoyable listening session yesterday with the Icon. The purpose of this time was to select an album to gift a friend. As such my plan was to skip through tracks of a few albums to remind myself what is on each - no intention of spending much time. I became really engaged with the music and found myself listening to the entirety of 10 minute songs instead of skipping through as originally planned. In the end I spent a lot more time listening than I had planned to and walked away impressed with what I heard, and grateful that I purchased the Icon. I'm still using a Crown amplifier (new Purifi will arrive Wednesday) and am surprised how much I'm enjoying the setup.

I'm addicted to the sound of this device. I can hear to it hours without fatigue.

 

[pogo]

I am hopeful that the slow production means there is a rev 1.1.

Why do you think there should be a new hardware revision?

 

[GXAlan]

Why do you think there should be a new hardware revision?

Because of complaints like @Centuriaromano ’s. Could be a bad batch of flash RAM. Happened to Monolith with their HTP-1. The flash wasn’t bad, but a like for like component swap resulted in less consistent ability to write Dirac curves.

It’s pretty clear that the Node Icon is loved or hated by owners. It should loved or liked based upon the paper specs, so it tells you there are issues that may not be so straightforward.

Second, there’s no reason to imagine that the Node Icon is selling in huge numbers. Better stated, I highly doubt the Node Icon is outselling the N132. There is more likely to be a true supply constraint somewhere.

 

[pogo]

Because of complaints like @Centuriaromano ’s.

I suspect an external problem here and Bluesound has offered a possible solution which has probably not been tried.
Especially when updating the firmware, it can be an advantage if you are not using an unstable WLAN connection.

 

[pogo]

There is more likely to be a true supply constraint somewhere.

In Germany, it is available immediately from several dealers

 

[GXAlan]

In Germany, it is available immediately from several dealers

You would think that with tariffs on Chinese manufactured goods well publicized there would be a push to import as many of these early on. Crutchfield had a batch in December with the next refresh in next week in February.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/bluesound-node-icon-reference-music-streaming-media-player-black/6605248.p?skuId=6605248

BestBuy which is probably like your Saturn or France’s FNAC in terms of physical size, but we have over 1000 of them in the United States. They sell high end products Iike McIntosh and Mark Levinson and mainstream products like Sonos. (And refrigerators, laptops, musical instruments, etc.).

They sell the regular Node and Node Nano along with the rest of the Bluesound line, but if you want the Node Icon, you’re out of luck in the United States.

 

[Centuriaromano]

Arrgggg.... Damm...
They have convinced me, for now, to continue testing the Icon for a while and to connect it by cable only at the time of an update. Let's see what happens.
Note: My wifi connection is strong and very stable. According to the file seen by Bluesound technicians

 

[sapphari]

Sorry to hear you are having issues. Updates have been smooth for me, using wifi. I don't have great wifi (sometimes get buffering with 24bit/192k, but not with 16/44). Personally I feel that a quick power cycle after the infrequent updates isn't a huge deal.

 

[robsonj]

Arrgggg.... Damm...
They have convinced me, for now, to continue testing the Icon for a while and to connect it by cable only at the time of an update. Let's see what happens.
Note: My wifi connection is strong and very stable. According to the file seen by Bluesound technicians

My first Icon had a dead screen, but it was dead from the get go. Crutchfield were good about getting a replacement out immediately though. Haven't had any further issues with the replacements, thus far, as others have stated also, I love the sound coming from it, especially so once Dirac'd.

Note with the dead screen Icon, everything else functioned correctly, just no screen output

 

[Centuriaromano]

Of course it has a good sound, I have never said otherwise. But it's those little problems that make you forget how good it sounds. When resetting it to factory settings I had to download and install the newest firmware again, so I did it by cable just in case, but it turned out that the Icon did not make any updates and when I checked to see if it had the latest one I was able to verify that it did have it. . Of course, the values of the Wi-Fi network and my Tidal and Qobuz did have to be reconfigured. In short, I also think it's nonsense if I can enjoy good sound.
Also, the seller told me that there is no problem to return it and get a new one if I want.

PD: I want to try the Dirac but I have no idea how to do it, or what to buy, etc.

 

[psykano]

PD: I want to try the Dirac but I have no idea how to do it, or what to buy, etc.

You could try it on PC or Mac. There's a two week trial. That's what I checked out before buying dedicated hardware for it

 

[Kolllak]

Well, TD+N at -97.9dB, that's not really close.
Is that the XLR output ?

The guilty is probably the ADC.
The easiest way to improve this is to use Cross-correlation averaging, which will help reducing the ADC influence.

But still, you may easily test first the issue with Tone control I explained above:

I tried to re-measure Icon using REW beta with cross correlation feature.
Can't increase the gain as my ADC overloads on higher input.
XLR, 96k, fixed volume, tone control and Dirac are off.

Spoiler: Topping, Dirac, Tone control

Cross correlation is off. THD+N is close to one I got with Multitone Analizer.

Topping E70V to compare. CC is on.

Icon Dirac is on

Tone control bass - 0,5 dB
The same issue as you've posted before.

Treble -0,5 dB is better