So I purchased a Bluesound Node X with the hope that it would improve my streaming experience and overall listening experience. It really hasn’t.
I use Amazon Music and other than some minor conveniences (like not interrupting music when a call comes in) I’m not sure it was worth the $750. The sound from the Laptop via USB sound fuller and just as detailed as the Node and it seems like its just another piece of equipment I don’t really need. Am I missing something?
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At the end of the day they’re doing the same thing. Streamers are for people like me who don’t want o run a wire to their laptop every time they want to play music and like to control music from their phones.
Suggest upgrading the laptop with a USB DAC / sound card to improve audio quality - such as Sound BlasterX G6 or SMSL SU-1. my desktop to a G6 with Klipsch The Fives in my office sounds great (to me).
Alternatively and for a stretch, you could upgrade to miniPC (Minisforum) or get a TinyMiniMicro PC (see Serve the Home) or an RPi plus a DAC then use LMS / PiCorePlayer with iPeng.
So many solutions depending upon tech skill, interest and whether you just want to install in rack and forget or tinker.
Would need to know about where you are doing Digital to analogue conversion but in general unless you need a box that you can stream to from many platforms and it can’t be like a chromecast. If that’s not true then absolutely return this ASAP. The only thing that matters for your sound quality here is what is doing the digital to analogue conversion. It sounds like if your laptop is out via USB then you are actually plugging both the node and the laptop into an external DAC. Digital is digital, it’s the same 0s and 1s.
Why would you spend on a Bluesound Node X? Just return it and get a WiiM Pro Plus
Cuz I don’t want to be wired to my system.
I have the cambridge streamer in m y rack and love it. Either I or the wife can break out our phones and stream to it from anywhere in the house , Tidal, sporify, etc… I run my CD player through it as well as a DAC which made a big improvement in sound to me. To me, a laptop would be a big step back in terms of convenience, if nothing else. But, to each their own
To be clear, you’re not streaming from your phone to your streamer right? You’re using your phone to tell your streamer what to stream?
I just use a 50$ Raspberry Pi and digital output for streaming, it is exactly as good as any other product and easy to hide because it is small.
I just use a 50$ Raspberry Pi and digital output for streaming
I used a Pi3 with a HifiBerry DAC for several years.
I recently switched to a WiiM Pro with an SMSL SU-1 DAC.
With the DAC, it sounds “slightly” different than the Pi setup, but not enough to say which is better or what is different.
The WiiM wins for “easier setup”, but I still rely heavily on my Pi.
The Pi is running Logitech Media Server to host the library. I typically use Squeezer to playback from my local library. WiiM just shows up as a player for LMS/Squeezer.
Browsing from Squeezer on my phone seems faster to load and search than using the WiiM app to do the same.
Spotify playback is still handled through the Spotify App and using the WiiM as the player (much like using Spotty with LMS).
On the digital realm it’s all the same. Start caring when you go to the analog real. The DAC matters (to a point), the streamer does not.
In terms of sound quality. Then you might find convenient to have spotify connect on the streamer and don’t depend on the laptop, but nothing to do with sound quality.
It’s about convenience, that’s all. With a streamer you don’t need to have your computer plugged to your setup. You can also control it with your smartphone and your guests can connect themselves to it almost seamlessly if they want to.
Nope.
I use a MacMini with remote software/screen sharing. Works great. Steamer won’t be better SQ if you have a quality DAC hanging off your computer assuming same source files.
Streamer is more about convenience and source aggregation. And some of them look cool…
Same. But I’ve been struggling with the remote recently. I was using the “Control” feature on Deezer to tell the Mac mini what to play. Do you have a better app which allows you to control from a phone or tablet by the couch? Bad connectivity is the bane! All those years dealing with shitty Bluetooth disconnection issues led me to connect my sources directly to my speakers.
These are for people who want something nice to put on the rack and leave it there. They don’t want to be looking at a laptop between the speakers. This is why things like the Wiim products are doing so well. Same functionality at a quarter of the price
Ditto. I picked up a Cambridge mxn10. I don’t want a laptop in my system.
How do you like it? I’ve considered replacing my Node 2i with a CXN
Good the app could be better…
The sub out and optional high pass filter is a nice feature.
A Mac Mini looks good on the shelf, is interoperable and lets you stream video and audio from a single device. I’m here to hear what advantages streamers have. The only one I have found is that some audio streaming platforms are struggling to keep the remote “control” function steady. But if dedicated streamers also go through disconnection issues with remote device (ie iPads) whether running the steaming app or diverting to roon, I struggle to believe that a streamer can enhance the source that significantly to warrant anything over usd 1000
Or just use a raspberrypi and leave it behind out of sight and it costs less than even cheap cables
No, you aren’t missing anything. Fancy DACs are generally the last ugrade you should make.
I suggest you compare the Linn Katalyst and Organik DACs. It may change your mind.
Node is not ‘just’ a streamer. You also bought a multi room system. I guess you just got the wrong product for your needs.
If you’re not using the built-in DAC, the benefit of a streamer (whether laptop or something external like the Node or Wiim Mini) comes down to features and convenience. If you want something the rest of your family will use, or if you don’t want to keep a laptop wired to your system because it’s in the middle of your living room, then a dedicated streamer may make a lot of sense. But sound quality, not really.
I have the Bluesound Node and I love it so much. I don’t care for the other streamers because they don’t have a sub out and an HDMI eARC. Yeah I use both of these. Any other streamer wouldn’t do.
I’m stuck between the node and matrix mini i4. Logic says keep the node but the i4 looks cool AF. Arc is a must. Not many small devices to choose from.