And I have to say, I’m very pleased. If you know me, you know I’m a big Sonos fan. Before trying the Bluesound app, I really thought the Sonos app was second to none.
Let me admit here that I was wrong. The Bluesound app is just exceptional. It’s well integrated with Roon and AirPlay 2 in that it shows the metadata in the app associated with what each external stream is playing. Add in that it can control play, pause, and track forward/back in the external streams and you’ve got a winner.
Extra bonus? It can learn remote codes, so the unused 4-way arrows surrounding the mute button on my PS Audio remote are no longer unused.
Plus features I don’t use like playing MQA and hi-res formats. (But not DSD, also something I don’t have and thus won’t use)
This thing is a winner. I wasn’t sure I was going to keep it. I’m pretty sure now I will be.
(I don’t work for Bluesound nor am I a paid shill. Just a new, happy customer)
I have a Powernode 2i and love it. The amazing thing is that you can get that quality of software and the whole thing costs $450. It also indexes network libraries, in my case the files in my Innuos server.
I use mine wirelessly and it’s faultless. Most wireless devices fall over at some point, but not these.
The only issue is the lack of booklets that appear in Roon and Qobuz but not in Qobuz or Roon embedded in BluOs.
Also, it doesn’t have keyboard shortcuts like Roon.
I have a similar desktop system to that used by @stevensegal, with a Bluesound Powernode 2i and Harbeth P3ESR speakers The most convenient controller for it is the Windows BluOS app. That has adequate functionality but I find it clunkier than the BubbleUPnP I use for my main system, and the access to metadata is more difficult. In particular I dislike HiRes just being labelled HR instead of displaying the actual format, and the inability to access digital booklets.
The Powernode 2i itself seems remarkably glitch free, which is more than I can say for most renderers I have tried. The Powernode 2i is a Node 2i with integrated NAD Class D amplifier.
I’ve had my Node 2i for a little over a year and I have to say it’s a great piece of equipment. My only complaint is that it can’t read my iTunes library over the network because the library’s not on my iMac’s internal drive, but on a USB-attached external. I’ve spoken with support about it and they confirmed it’s not possible at this time. But I can use my phone’s “iTunes Remote” app to get those files and push them to the Node via AirPlay. It works, but no resolutions greater than redbook.
I’ve had mine for a year and generally like it. Using a Pulse 2 in the kitchen as well. Only problem I have with the node is I have to reboot it every day because the wifi signal drops significantly between uses. Not sure if the issue is with my Mesh wireless or the unit itself. I use the volume controls for each room to play them together, but switch to fixed output and use the SGCD volume when it’s the main system only.
