Bluesound Node Icon streamer
A dealer friend recently told me that a streamer’s success is highly dependent on the quality of the control app assigned to it. Looking at the impact made by brands such as Auralic at the higher end and Wiim at the budget end suggests that this theory is a valid one. Bluesound has made waves with its Node range over the last few years, and it is no coincidence that its app is one of the best around.
Although the Node Icon tested here is the first Bluesound product that I have tried, I did enjoy the niceties of the Cyrus Streamer XR back in the summer of 2023, which features the Bluos control app. I remember stating in the review that the app is one of the best out there, and that remains true today. What first impressed me was the sheer range of music services on this platform – everything from Bugs (whatever that is) to Nugs is available, as well as the usual audiophile suspects Qobuz, Tidal, Amazon HD and Radio Paradise. The Bluesound App also looks great and is fast and intuitive to use. There is even a version of it for Windows and Apple computers, which is a lot simpler than messing around with the settings within a third-party media player, as is often the case with UPnP-compatible streaming systems.
Even the best app will not save a poor-sounding product, but the success and, indeed, reputation of the Bluesound range suggests they have that base covered. However, for best results, audiophile users have tended to utilise the services of an external DAC fed via the digital output of their Node. I have read of many Bluesound customers using their products to feed some pretty tasty DACs, some of which retail for several times the cost of the Node. This is where the Icon, which is marketed as an audiophile product with its dual-mono top-spec ESS9029Q2M DAC chips, comes in. The maker’s website shows the Node Icon being used with a big NAD power amp and impressive-looking PSB speakers, so clearly, they have set their sights high with this new streamer. Let us see if its performance matches such lofty ambitions.
Build and features
The most obvious feature that sets the Icon apart from other components in the Node range is the 5-inch colour HD display, which shows artwork and track information. The Node Icon retains the top panel controls from the standard Node which are proximity sensing, just like the control screen on my Volkswagen – thankfully, the Bluesound sounds better and doesn’t keep losing connection with my phone. You can skip tracks, put the Icon into ‘standby’, change the volume level or select from one of five presets from this panel. The front screen is not touch-sensitive, so you need to use the Bluesound app to skip through the track that is playing or select music from something that is not within the current playlist.
The aluminium casing looks good and feels suitably sturdy, although the Node Icon is certainly no heavyweight. There’s a full-size jack headphone output on either side of the Node Icon and the makers claim great things from the headphone stage, which includes something new to me called THX AAA technology. Whatever the inner workings of this system, it worked surprisingly well and had more than enough grunt to drive my planar magnetic headphones.
To the rear are a plethora of connections. The negative first—considering Node Icon’s audiophile pretensions, I was surprised to see a two-pin figure of eight mains input, which precludes the use of a high-end mains cable without an adaptor – I couldn’t find my adapter, so I stuck with the supplied lead. There is a pair of RCA analogue inputs and, indeed, outputs. Exclusive to the Icon within the Node range is a pair of XLR outputs, which, depending on what you connect them to, may or may not improve performance. Notably, there’s a sub-output and a 12v trigger socket. Digital connections include optical input and outputs, coax and USB outputs, plus a LAN input – naturally, there’s a wifi module built in as well. Impressively it has an eARC HDMI input for your TV or perhaps Blu-ray player, making the Node Icon a true digital hub.
There is even USB C input for the latest USB sticks – I didn’t realise these were a ‘thing’ until my latest VW included four of them. You can connect an HDD or a USB-A memory stick as well. Whilst testing the Cyrus Stream XR, I configured it to read files from my Melco server, and the Icon works in the same way. You have to enable SMB within your server or NAS and input the IP address, rather than it simply appearing on the network as with a UPnP streamer, but once set, it works flawlessly. I successfully managed to play tracks from a USB-A memory stick, which indexed quickly and performed seamlessly. Some of these tracks were in DSD, which confirmed the Icon’s ability to play music in this format. Although the music I tried was in the DSD64 format, the machine is compatible with files up to DSD256.
The Bluesound ecosystem allows for multiroom connections to fellow Nodes and their Pulse range of wireless speakers. Although I was unable to test this feature, I have friends who rave about it. Apple Airplay2, Spotify and Tidal Connect, and Amazon Alexa are all compatible, and as expected, the Node Icon is Roon Ready. Bluesound were proud to point out to me that the Node Icon will soon feature (via a software update) Dirac Live. For the unfamiliar, this uses an app to measure your room acoustics and make adjustments to compensate for ungainly characteristics. You will need to purchase a calibration kit and microphone from Bluesound to access this feature, which is reassuring as accurate results will require something better than your phone’s internal microphone.
Iconic performance
I initially set up the Node Icon in my bedroom via wifi and the listened with the Sendy Peacock headphones that I usually use with a Chord 2Go/Hugo2 streamer/DAC. The Icon proved a doddle to pair with the app, which then installed an update on the machine before I could use it. I had a brief listen and then left it powered up for a day before listening properly, which proved a good idea as the warm up helped sound quality. Whilst the music was not as detailed and open sounding as via the Chord, which costs three times the price, it provided a clean, full-bodied and rhythmic rendition of Odetta’s Hit Or Miss, which I streamed via Qobuz. One thing that impressed me was how much current the headphone stage had on tap, this was not the case with the last affordable streamer I tried these headphones with.
Moving the Node Icon to the main system and comparing it with both my resident Moon 780D streaming DAC and a popular budget streamer from a competitor was an interesting exercise. To keep things balanced I used the same wired ethernet connection into all three streamers, via a Melco S100 switch and a Network Acoustics eno2 filter and cable system. Initially, I used the Townshend F1 XLR cables with both the Moon and the Icon. As the third streamer did not have XLR outputs and its recessed RCA sockets proved too tight to accept any of the higher-end RCA cables I had to hand, I switched to some entry-level Kimber interconnects to compare these two units. All of the streamers fed a stellar, all-Italian amp and speaker combo from Audia Flight and Chario.
Moving away from the Moon streamer, which, when on sale, retailed for well into five figures, provided the expected drop in performance, but I was still treated to enjoyable music via the Node Icon. The Bluesound has the better app, though, and better connectivity, including the ability to stream from a memory stick or external drive. Switching to the third machine, which retails for £349, is where things got interesting and shows why it is worth spending the extra cash on the Node Icon. Via this system, the cheaper machine was revealed to be suitable for background listening at best.
Before I give some musical examples, I will mention that the Node Icon’s single-ended RCA outputs, at least in this setup, proved significantly superior to the XLR output. Despite the XLR cables used here considerably outgunning the RCAs, I found the RCA output to be smoother and had far superior timing. Your experience may be different, but mine certainly proved that this comparison was worthwhile.
Beginning with the live version of The Cure’s latest, Songs Of A Lost World, aptly named Songs Of A Live World: Troxy London MMXXIV (24/96 Qobuz), the superiority of the Bluesound streamer over the budget unit was immediately apparent. Vocals were given far more space and presence and were easier to follow. The drumkit and cymbals were better defined yet more controlled. Via the budget streamer, the cymbals sounded splashy, and the timing and image placement were so poor that if I didn’t know better, I would question if they were part of the same drummer’s kit. The Icon’s timing qualities extended to the lower frequencies; the bass guitar sounded considerably faster and more bouncy. Sticking with the bass guitar and over to master of the instrument, Les Claypool and his album Live Frogs (16/44 Qobuz) sounded far weightier via the Node Icon. Detail levels were vastly superior, which revealed the reverb of both lead and bass guitars. Vocals sounded fuller, and the Node Icon’s timing abilities allowed me to marvel at the interplay between Les on bass guitar and drummer Jay Lane. Again, the soundstage was far superior via the Node Icon, which sounded vague and ill-defined through the cheaper machine.
Mop Mop’s Lunar Love, from the album of the same name (Qobuz 16/44), sounded weighty and satisfying through the Bluesound streamer. In fact, the whole track sounded pacy, well defined, and insightful. Moving on to what is arguably Don Henley’s finest solo moment, The Boys Of Summer, from his album Building The Perfect Beast (Qobuz 24/192) which sounded vague and strangely languid via the budget machine, as if the band were recovering from a hard night of partying, which is entirely possible. Thankfully, normal service was resumed when the Node Icon was delivering the tune, which, although lacking the airy finesse of my far more expensive Moon streamer, at least sounded like the performers were on form and gave me some insight into the instruments they were playing.
Feeding both the Node Icon and the budget machine’s digital outputs into my Moon 780D’s USB input levelled the field between the two machines considerably and, thankfully for me, confirmed that my investment in this DAC was well spent. The differences between the two units here were small, suggesting that the Icon’s superiority is in its DAC and perhaps output stage. So perhaps if you are planning on using your streamer via an external DAC, the regular Node may well suffice. A further comparison between these machines and my top-of-the-range Melco server’s streaming section showed there are still benefits to be had by spending more, with the Melco sounding more delicate, airy and expansive. Still, I was using a highly revealing system here, so these differences may be less evident in many systems.
Conclusion
The Bluesound Node Icon has achieved its brief as a superior streamer in the sub-four-figure market segment and one that it is worth stretching your budget for, especially if you intend to use the internal DAC. The app rivals the best in the business, and the Icon’s connectivity is comprehensive. The screen looks great and is easy to read and the Icon is of a size that means most buyers should be able to accommodate it without making compromises.
The Bluesound Node Icon marks a great entry point into the world of true high-fidelity streaming. It has enough musical talents for me to recommend it as a main source in a budget to mid-priced system and as an additional source in a higher-end one. The results I enjoyed with the Node Icon feeding a high-end DAC showed that the digital output is capable enough if the upgrade bug bites and you want to pair it with a better DAC further down the line. The Node Icon could well be the best sub £1k streamer on the market, and it’s a competitive field.