Bluesound releases 2024 ICON streamer

[Galliardist]

What do you want to hear? It’s 100% obvious to me and my friends. Node Icon way more spacious sounding, night and day. Close eyes, have someone play same song back and forth. Play same songs, soundstage alone, is the give away.

Maybe some people like more closed in sound, I don’t. I definitely enjoy big soundstage. Notes all over the room, yes.

Let it go man. Is there a sound stage measuring meter? Haha SO OBVIOUS, 1000%

Science is my audiophile ears. I give only my personal opinion. It’s your prerogative to believe or not.

MEASUREMENT IS HUMAN EARS IN THE END

You would be surprised how often "night and day" and "totally obvious" differences in sound actually disappear when put to the test.

Closing eyes is not blind testing. Blind testing is when you don't know which item is playing. Level matching is needed because otherwise you will prefer the device that is louder in your system.

It's not that I don't believe you. It's simply that I have no idea, posting from the other side of the world, why you are reporting this difference. It doesn't have to be in the sound waves for you to "hear" it. That is part of the science, and if instead of shouting about your ears, you took some time to learn from this site, you might get that.

Having said that, we believe that preference is unassailable. So, for you, it's the right choice. I agree, let's move on.

 

[Galliardist]

You are in the wrong forum

Not if they're here to learn. One might hope that more people who come in like this would maybe show some interest in what the forum has to offer.

Mind you, I don't really have hope in anyone who chooses a high end speaker brand as their username...

 

[threni]

We shall not take the bait.

On the contrary - we seem positively compelled to take the bait.

 

[GXAlan]

On the contrary - we seem positively compelled to take the bait.

The way I look at it, bait is free food.

You never know if there is a someone who posts a troll post, and then an innocent novice finds that thread in a search engine. So feeding the trolls is also to provide an educational opportunity to some future reader who stumbles across the post.

 

[diddley]

I am the owner of the CXN v2, and i seriously doubt if you can hear sound differences between good streamers

 

[pogo]

Somewhere they mentioned that it would downmix Atmos to 2 channel but I think it’s just the normal 2 channel downmix not a true Atmos downmix.

BluOS currently enables a surround setup up to 4.2.
However, this limit may fall soon.
The update to BluOS platform 4 was not just a cosmetic update (Increased maximum group size to 60 Players, ...).
The upcoming streaming platform and the MQA AIRIA technology could also contribute to this.
Dirac Live is a must have for a larger surround setup.

 

[GXAlan]

BluOS currently enables a surround setup up to 4.2.
However, this limit may fall soon.
The update to BluOS platform 4 was not just a cosmetic update (Increased maximum group size to 60 Players, ...).
The upcoming streaming platform and the MQA AIRIA technology could also contribute to this.
Dirac Live is a must have for a larger surround setup.

I have a lot of faith in Lenbrook BUT the question is if the Node Icon will see all of these benefits or if the Node Icon 2 is what you need. The soundbar will do Atmos, suggesting that the CPU in the Node Icon is a step lower from the flagship in their lineup.

Sonos is going through a bit of a rough patch but I would absolutely buy a Sonos version of the Node Icon (XLR out, 4.2; especially if they can do it with the Era 300 as rear)

 

[pogo]

suggesting that the CPU in the Node Icon is a step lower

Even if that were the case, the ICON could take over the front channels in a larger surround setup. Decoding does not have to take place in the ICON under BluOS.

 

[Galliardist]

The way I look at it, bait is free food.

You never know if there is a someone who posts a troll post, and then an innocent novice finds that thread in a search engine. So feeding the trolls is also to provide an educational opportunity to some future reader who stumbles across the post.

True - and a lot of relative newcomers posted in and are presumably reading this thread. So we aren't addressing one person.

 

[Esprit]

Not if they're here to learn.

Good afternoon to you.
Read the post I responded to.
I arrived on ASR and I'm here "to learn", I'm not a technician, I'm not an engineer, I'm not a designer, I'm a simple user and end consumer.
Many times, and rightly so, therads are out of my league but I'm here humbly and I don't go out or act like a troll.
When visiting a new forum it is a good idea to read first to learn about the forum.
Over the years I have frequented, or simply read thanks to Google, Italian, American, German, Chinese, etc... forums.
Today I frequent, read and write, obviously with my rather basic skills, only here.
I don't even frequent the forums in my country anymore where I was also a moderator for a long time.

 

[Galliardist]

Good afternoon to you.
Read the post I responded to.
I arrived on ASR and I'm here "to learn", I'm not a technician, I'm not an engineer, I'm not a designer, I'm a simple user and end consumer.
Many times, and rightly so, therads are out of my league but I'm here humbly and I don't go out or act like a troll.
When visiting a new forum it is a good idea to read first to learn about the forum.
Over the years I have frequented, or simply read thanks to Google, Italian, American, German, Chinese, etc... forums.
Today I frequent, read and write, obviously with my rather basic skills, only here.
I don't even frequent the forums in my country anymore where I was also a moderator for a long time.

Of course I read the post you responded to, and your own post.
The comment I made was not directed at you but for the group of newcomers in this thread and the person doing the shouting. If they are here to learn, as you are, then they are in the right place.

The mods are watching this thread now and if Siltech breaks the rules then he'll know about it.

 

[pogo]

NODE ICON power consumption:
approximately 17W during playback
stand by after 15 minutes of idle, < 3W (even with the display showing the time) to meet EU standards as an always on/always ready smart device

 

[pogo]

This simple non touch display is certainly not a milestone for Bluesound.

Bluesound also offers a remote touch display. The CP300 can also display content other than the ICON display in parallel.

 

[AdamG]

The mods are watching this thread now and if Siltech breaks the rules then he'll know about it.

We just try as best we can to squelch out as much of the “Equidae Manure” that fills endless pages at other Audiophile sites. Not an easy task. The world is loaded with poo cannons and we are bound to get pelted for time to time. Help a Mod out and report fecal spills on sight. Try not to track it through the house please…

 

[darth]

Bluesound also offers a remote touch display. The CP300 can also display content other than the ICON display in parallel.

Interesting, and neat. But guessing this is still fixed in position due to requiring power over Ethernet or dc.

 

[graycat]

I have received mine yesterday. I found that when using Airplay, the music volume was occasionally inconsistent. I needed to turn it up from 28 to 40+. It didn't happen when I am using USB-C as the source. Do any of you have similar experience?

ps. I used it's 6.3mm jack for my headphone.

Any of you have received the new Icon yet? Have you encountered such issue?

My current workaround is having the Icon connecting to my Headphone DAC through coaxial, with digital passthrough "on" on my Icon. The sound is consistent as I am using my Headphone AMP. Not the original purpose when I made my purchase :-(

 

[pogo]

Have you tried a factory reset?
Did you open a ticket via the BluOS app?

 

[graycat]

Have you tried a factory reset?
Did you open a ticket via the BluOS app?

1. Yes I did
2. No. I told the reseller this situation and they said they will follow up with Bluesound

 

[pogo]

I told the reseller this situation and they said they will follow up with Bluesound

It is better to use the BluOS app, as a device dump can be sent along for a more in-depth analysis.

 

[pogo]

with digital passthrough "on" on my Icon

It could also be due to the controller app. Have you tried a PC or Android version?