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Thread: Bluesound Node 2i

  1. #1
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: Near Oxford

    Posts: 1,220
    I'm Bill.

    Default Bluesound Node 2i

    Before I borrow one for a home demo, has anyone put the Bluesound up against a Raspberry Pi/Dac hat?

    Interested in sq differences only really.
    Chord Mojo / Sennheiser HD600

  2. #2
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: Near Oxford

    Posts: 1,220
    I'm Bill.

    Default

    Popped down to my local Sevenoaks and borrowed a Node 2i this afternoon. There is a good deal on at the momemnt with £70 off if you trade in another electrical item. I offered a broken pair of headphones that came with an old phone from a few years back and these will be accepteable if I had decided to go ahead.

    Anyway, I wont be buying it as it was very obvious to my ears straight away that it wasn't to my taste, I much prefer the sound of my existing R-Pi/Allo Boss set up. It has what I would describe as 'bloated bass' in my system, although otherwise quite similar to the Boss. However, it is nice to be able to use Tidal from the app, rather than as I currently do through Volumio.
    Chord Mojo / Sennheiser HD600

  3. #3
    Join Date: Nov 2016

    Location: Aube, France

    Posts: 49
    I'm Ian.

    Default

    Out of interest did you listen through the Bluesound dac or an external one?

  4. #4
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: Near Oxford

    Posts: 1,220
    I'm Bill.

    Default

    It was the internal Dac.
    Chord Mojo / Sennheiser HD600

  5. #5
    Join Date: Oct 2016

    Location: Hampshire

    Posts: 306
    I'm Mel.

    Default

    i have the original version of the node and a selection of pi hats including allo and much prefer the whole bluesound experience over the pi.

    Mel

  6. #6
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: Near Oxford

    Posts: 1,220
    I'm Bill.

    Default

    How do you find the sq comparison?
    Chord Mojo / Sennheiser HD600

  7. #7
    Join Date: Oct 2016

    Location: Hampshire

    Posts: 306
    I'm Mel.

    Default

    I am a great fan of the Pi and what it does and probably have around 6 or 7 dac hats so its a unit I like and use a lot.

    However the Bluesound is a significant step up in both the sound and usability aspect. Mine is played through a WAD EL84 valve amp and WD 25T speakers and the bass and indeed all other frequencies are clear and sharp and the unit very musical.

    I still find the PI streaming software (Volumio and Moode) a bit buggy and unfriendly but at the price i have no complaints. Mine are mainly used out on the patio powered from a battery through Bose speakers. I also have a unit connected to each of my hifi systems and they do get very close in sq to my permanent streamers - again to me its mainly the user interface i do not like. My favored hat is the Audiophonics ES Sabre but i have a pi zero with a Boss which is very nice also.

    Mel
    Last edited by Cycleallday; 07-07-2019 at 09:28.

  8. #8
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: Near Oxford

    Posts: 1,220
    I'm Bill.

    Default

    Thanks for your thoughts Mel
    Chord Mojo / Sennheiser HD600

  9. #9
    Join Date: Jun 2012

    Location: London

    Posts: 177
    I'm Marcus.

    Default

    I have the 2i, the software is very good, and as a streamer, also very good, better than my pc. The optical output is excellent, then again, better than coax for me, but I don’t have a fancy coax cable.

    However, I am not a big fan of the internal Dac, I feed into a Roksan K3, and the improvement is very clear in all aspects.

    Listen to a Radio Paradise, and you can’t help but be impressed.

    If you need the internal dac to be top notch, then look elsewhere.
    Ziro power cables -> Modded Marantz CD63SE or Bluesound -> Roksan K3 Dac -> RFC Venus -> Onix DNA 45 -> LS25 -> Proac D18

  10. #10
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: Near Oxford

    Posts: 1,220
    I'm Bill.

    Default

    I gave it another go yesterday before returning this afternoon, to my ears it's not as good as my current set up. A good product though!
    Chord Mojo / Sennheiser HD600

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