The Bluesound Node is a network player-Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth in, out comes your choice of digital (Toslink) or analog (RCAs) music. The Node supports MP3, AAC, WMA, OGG, WMA-L, FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF in resolutions up to 24/192, gapless playback, cloud services including WiMP, Rdio, Highresaudio, Slacker Radio, Qobuz, Deezer and Juke (all of these services require an account and some have geographic restrictions), and Internet Radio via TuneIn Radio. You can also play music from an Internet URL. All of this functionality is wrapped up in a relatively small round-cornered display-less cube in your choice of high gloss white or black highlighted with a brushed steel strip running down its center. Control of the Node is performed strictly through the Bluesound app for iOS and Android devices.

I'm going to focus on just the Bluesound Node here but you can read my review of the Bluesound Vault (see review) and Powernode/Duo (see review) to get an idea of the full range of products and options available within the Bluesound ecosystem as well as some of the features of the Bluesound app that apply to using multiple Bluesound devices in the Powernode/Duo review. I will also be reviewing the stand alone Pulse player in the near future. It's worth noting that when using multiple Bluesound devices, control of each of them is through the same Bluesound app and you can easily have the same or different music playing through all devices.

The Bluesound Node incorporates an ARM Cortex A8 processor and a 24/192 Cirrus Logic DAC. There's a digital volume control which you can defeat in the Bluesound app. Inputs include Ethernet, USB Type A for connecting USB storage devices, and Bluetooth using an optional Bluetooth dongle. The Node is also Wi-Fi equipped so you can have it connect to your home Wi-Fi network. The Node runs on the same custom developed Linux BluOStm as the rest of the Bluesound devices and you can output either an analog signal through the Node's RCAs or up to 24/192 digital via Toslink.

Setting up the Node took all of a few minutes. After connecting it to my network with an Ethernet cable and pluggin it in, I used the Bluesound app to point the Node to my QNAP NAS and within a few minutes the app was populated with my music library. You can also have the Node read from your network shared folders on your PC or Mac. I used the Node solo run directly into my Pass INT-30A as well as through the Auralic Vega DAC via Toslink. I also took the Node's Wi-Fi for a spin.

A Musical Node

Let's talk about the Node as Network Player and DAC first since I'd imagine that's how many owners will choose to use it. As was the case with the other Bluesound products I've reviewed, I found the Node to be a pleasure to listen to. Rich, full, and fun being the operative words that come to mind. I spent weeks listening to just the Node as my sole source and it was pure pleasure. From a big picture point of view, I'd say the Node paints things on the darker, full-bodied side as opposed to a focus on resolution and edge. While there is a fine sense of detail retrieval, the Node does not dig as deeply as other DACs into the nitty gritty of the recording.

Bass response is fit and full, the midrange is rich and meaty, and upper frequencies have that nice burnished glow without a hint of harshness. Again, the Node does not offer the last word in resolution but this did not detract from my enjoyment. The Node is certainly on par with the Class C DACs on our Greatest Bits list and even though it has been while, I'm most reminded of the NAD D 1050 (see review) about which I said, "I'd place the overall sonic center of the D 1050 in the lower midrange which some people might call dark which is also fine by me as I find dark to be tonally rich as opposed to the thin white heat of exaggerated upper frequencies."

I compared the Node's volume control to the Pass' and I preferred the latter. Music sounded a bit richer and smoother with the Node's volume control set to max (or fixed output via the app). Running from the Node's Toslink output into the Auralic Vega offered up that superb sense of resolution I've come to associate with the Vega along with a broader tonal palette. I should hope that adding a $3500 DAC into the mix would improve things and I found this to be the case which suggests that people looking to add a network player to their existing DAC should consider the Node as a viable option as long as they can accomodate its Toslink output.

I also compared the Node to the pricier Moon MiND (see review) also connected to the Vega via Toslink and with the MiND there was more apparent resolution. The presentation seemed to come from a quieter place, allowing you to hear further into the recording as compared to the Node. If you've read my review of the MiND, I also preferred its AES/EBU output to Toslink so it takes a few more sonic steps ahead of the Node when run via AES/EBU.

If there's an elephant in the room, even if only a ghost, it has to be the long lamented passing of the Squeezebox Touch. I leashed up my Touch to the Pass for a head to head with the Node and I'm happy to report that the Node cleared the air and elephant from the room. The Node is simply a better sounding player/DAC offering greater transparency and less of a sonic footprint of its own when compared to the Touch which sounds comparatively heavy handed. Music sounds less distinct and darker through the Touch and more engaging and alive through the Node.

While I had no issues with Wi-Fi, even playing back 24/192 files, Wi-Fi performance is very site specific. Signal strength and network traffic can impact Wi-Fi performance so its not possible to say if you can get by running the Node on your Wi-Fi network especially with higher sample rate files. If it was me, I'd bite the bullet and run that Ethernet cable into my listening room and be done with it. Streaming music from my iPhone to the Node via Bluetooth sounded fine if kinda unnecessarily bandwidth limited and redundant since all of my music exists on my NAS and can stream through the Node via Ethernet in its original resolution. But, Bluetooth is a very cool feature allowing you to allow guests access to your hi-fi without wires.

The Bluesound app worked without a hitch and offers most of the features you'd expect to have at your fingertips with a network player. Create and edit playlists, add albums or tracks to the playlist on the fly (last, next, now), and play them back in order, change the order manually, or select "Shuffle" to mix 'em up. You can view your music collection by Album, Artist, Song, and tapping on the Info tab brings up related info on the music currently playing provided by Last.fm. The search feature works well and very fast bringing up results as you type. There's even an "All Songs Random" option which is an interesting proposition. The one drawback with the Bluesound app is there's no way to edit metadata from within the app so you'll have to take care of that somewhere else.

A Touching Node

The Bluesound Node delivers. Capable of handling up to 24/192 files from network attached storage and USB storage as well as music from Bluetooth sources, Wi-Fi, streaming services and Internet radio, the Node also delivers an eminently enjoyable sound through its internal DAC. If you'd rather pass your networked music to your own DAC, the Node's Toslink output can do so at rates up to 24/192. Of equal importance is the Bluesound app is a pleasure to use and can control multiple Bluesound devices around your home filling it with music and you with joy.