Just got a new Bluesound Node. Very disappointed!

Jetter,

I extensively played with the tone controls but felt “off” sounded best

You may have either a defective unit or the settings are wrong and it’s something for the Bluesound support folks.  There are other streamers that sound better that are more expensive, but the difference should be that the others have better SQ not that the NODE sounds bad in an obvious way such as you describe.

BTW, to NODE detractors, as a DAC/streamer it’s SQ can be much improved by changing out the PSU module and using an L PSU (such as the Fidelity Audio PSU module & LPSU). That worked really well for me.

And now that I’m using an external DAC (Gustard X26 Pro) via usb, it is working great as a streamer in my system.

OP you have a defective unit. I tried a Node2i , it sounded like a Sonos or any inexpensive Streamer.

Irrelevant to to these specific problems, but I discovered an anomaly in settings of the node 130. The MQA out selection does not switch the MQA digital out on and off - it is permanently on. Instead, it  switches the Nodes own MQA unfolding/ rendering on and off. Discovered when noticing that certain 2L tracks on Qobuz are MQA -unfold to 24/352.8. Same as MQA cd when the TEAC does the rendering. 
RP unfolds to 24/44.1. Looking forward to their promised 24/96 MQA stream. World beaters SQ wise, imho. 

I like the latest version NODE.  I’m very pleased with the sound improvement compared to streaming through my iPad Pro to an Apple AirPort Express.  Perhaps an external DAC would be an improvement.  I’ve read that a $2K DAC will result in a modest improvement, but I’m not ready to make that jump.