In August Bluesound launched the latest additions to their Node range of streaming devices with three new models, most interesting of which is the Node Icon that pulls in a whole raft of features including dual mono ESS DACs, balanced output, aluminium casework and dual headphone jacks. More interesting is that includes new MQA tech which is now part of parent company Lenbrook’s portfolio and provides a new DSD decoder and Chrono D/A which claims to have time domain performance that is “as good as the air in the room”. It also offers Dirac Live room correction software which takes timing as well as tone into consideration when creating an even response in a room.
Node Icon in action
A demonstration of the Node Icon via a NAD Masters M23 power amplifier and PSB Synchrony T600 speakers (both Lenbrook brands) made a good case for this £899 streamer, which delivered a clean three dimensional sound with decent timing as claimed. It naturally compared well with the Node (£499) and Node Nano (£299) but it will be interesting to see how it stacks up against competition from Wiim and others, this is a very competitive sector.
The tyranny of choice
After the dem Bluesound organised a panel discussion with a selection of industry experts largely from the music business to talk about the future of streaming and how AI will impact music in general. Phil Sant is a metadata and DSP expert who tried to launch a Spotify type service before the iPhone, he was unlucky to get their ahead of the market but subsequently went on to work with Neil Young on his Pono music player, which was one of the first high res portable devices (DAP) back in 2014. His job involved persuading record companies to remaster their catalogues in qualities better than CD’s 44.1 kHz/16-bit, so in many ways he paved the way for the hi res streaming services that we enjoy today.
One of the points Phil made is that AI could be used to provide far greater depth of information about the recordings we play, that it can be used to log everybody in the room at any recording session (based on passport data) and that this provides the ability to credit and ultimately reward the actual creators of any piece of music. He also thinks that AI could be used to create far better ways to offer listeners new music based on more than just past preferences and title popularity, that it could be used to combat what he aptly calls “the tyranny of choice” provided by the everything, all the time nature of streaming services. It would indeed be great to be served up music that suits mood and situation, in other words options that are appropriate to the place, time of day and mindset of the listener.
Andy Davies is a music industry veteran who has worked with most of the big names not least Universal. His take is that music services created convenience but that we have lost the appreciation of complete albums and the ability for such works to seep into our consciousness slowly. Would Dark Side of the Moon have made such an impact in an era of too much choice and short attention spans? He feels that we are missing out on the deeper experience that the slow burn approach delivers and that listeners need to adapt their behaviour in order to get more than a quick hit from their music. Another interesting point that Andy made is that music streaming platforms are not where people discuss what they are enjoying, this tends to be in social media such as Reddit, and that the streaming services are missing a trick by not providing some kind of forum within their apps. On the subject of AI he is, like many musicians, concerned that original content creators have their rights protected and talked about the need for an ethical stance from the brands that benefit from AI’s ability to emulate voices etc so well. But he also appreciates that there are artists today who have had their hits sung in different languages and turned into hits in new territories by using AI, so it’s a technology that doesn’t just threaten, it can be used to advantage too so long as there is transparency of attribution.
Sania Haq is a diversity specialist who works with music, entertainment and social policy and she made the point that music consumption is stressful for many young people, who are more likely to engage with new music than average yet their choices become part of their identity and can attract negative feedback from online social circles if they get it ‘wrong’. She made the point that the reason why so few people enjoy good quality sound in the home is a low level of awareness and, for those that know about it, the cost which is so high relative to ubiquitous earphones and Bluetooth speakers.
Asked to sum up their thoughts Andy Davies suggested that the music industry could learn a lot from gaming where there is a much stronger sense of community and people are prepared to buy what they are using. Sania Haq feels that the business needs to understand what music means to people and Phil Sant wants the ability to pull in far more information about records, information that goes beyond the liner notes of old. Matt Simmonds is Bluesound’s product manager and a musician himself, he wants a way for creators to be able to stream directly to their fans. A sort of bandcamp streaming app in essence that would allow musicians to benefit directly from their efforts and for listeners to get more “high resolution goodness”.
Jason Kennedy