Bluesound Node help
I purchased a nice current model node here a while back with HDMI input on it. I have Sony TV only two years old with ARC and also eARC on it for the HDMI. I can not figure it out, wont work when I use it. I get good sound with another DAC using toslink from the Sony but nothing with the Node. In fact, I am struggling a lot with the Node. I can not get it to do what it does best and work flawlessly with my phone. I installed the app but it does not always sync or turn on at all. I can only use the bluetooth to get it to work. Is there a website or manual or help out there. I may have to just sell it. Is nice unit and has potential I just know it. Can someone help?
I agree with fastfreight on ARC. As a new Bluesound user with the N130, I can confidently say that Bluesound has resolved my long-standing frustration with PC-based streaming. Previously, I relied on a basic Musical Fidelity M1 CD transport, which consistently outperformed PC streaming, even after upgrading to a linear 5V input for my USB cable. While that tweak slightly improved the sound, it still couldn’t compete with my CD player.
Enter the Bluesound Node. The sound quality it delivers is on par with my CD player, offering more revealing, smoother highs, though I did notice slightly weaker mid and low bass. To anyone doubting the impact of a good streamer: consider this. An Amazon Fire TV Stick is technically a streamer too, but it never inspired me to enjoy music the way the Bluesound Node does. On the downside, I did have times when the BluApp did not load.
I also connected my TV via ARC to the Node, and the improvement was immediately noticeable. My wife and I both agreed that the 2025 Vienna New Year’s Concert sounded significantly better than the 2024 edition. The difference? Bluesound’s ARC input paired with USB output to my Denafrips Pontus II DAC. My system, which includes Classe CP and CA components with carefully selected AudioQuest and other high-quality cables, has enough resolving power to highlight these improvements.
For comparison, I tried using the TV’s optical output with the same Pontus II DAC. The result? The sound was reminiscent of the 2024 concert’s muted highs and a lack of clarity, with instruments blending together in a way some might prefer, but which doesn’t replicate the live symphonies I have experienced at SF’s Davies Symphony Hall.
Later, I added a DDC, which significantly improved PC streaming. But that's a story for another time. |
@hifi_lc Congrats on realizing the significant improvements even a budget streamer can bring over a PC. I experienced the same adding an iFi Zen Stream w/ their iPowerX power supply. You probably already know, but adding an external LPS from the likes of Teddy Pardo, SBooster, or LHY can bring the Node to an even higher level for only around $400 — no brainer to me. I also added an Iris and got a big performance boost, so are you using your DDC with your Pontus? I know others have used an Iris or Hermes with a Pontus and likewise got a significant performance bump. |
