Bluesound Powernode 2I Wireless Multi-Room Streaming High-Res Amplifier (with HDMI) - White - Compatible with Alexa and Siri

First impressions of the unit were just how tiny it is. The photo shows it dwarfed by my turntable. Setup of the unit was fairly straightforward. Wire up the speaker cables, turn it on and wait. Download the BlueOS app to your phone or tablet and you are walked through the setup procedure. Once you have entered your Wi-fi password, the unit downloads an update that takes a while to install. The BluOS app identifies your unit automatically.20 minutes after turning it on, I was listening to Radio Paradise! The hi-res feed from this Internet radio station comes ready installed.Links to access audio streaming services such as Tidal and Amazon Music HD plus Tunein and many more are also there in the Music Service list.I have an Amazon HD subscription so it was easy to enter my login credentials and have all the functionality of the Amazon Music app within BluOS. I expect setting up will be equally straightforward with other providers.I was pleasantly surprised to find that the BluOS app identified my Linux based NAS/Music Server and can play music from it, even though the Blurb from Blusound only mentions Windows and Apple network shares.The box comes with two 3.5mm mini jack inputs that can be either analogue or digital. If you wish to connect more than 2 analogue audio sources, then maybe consider using a passive preamp/switching unit. TOSLINK to 3.5mm adapters are included. Note that the analogue inputs are line level, so if you wish to connect a turntable, you will need a preamplifier.The sound quality is way above that would be expected at this price point. The Powernode is £300 dearer than their DAC and most £300 amplifiers would struggle to compete with this device on sound quality.Of course, many of you would like to play output from the BBC through your system, but since the Beeb abandoned Tunein you are basically stuffed! A workaround is to use the Bluetooth input of the amplifier to stream BBC Sounds from your phone or tablet.If you, like many others now use streaming services to listen to audio, I can highly recommend the Bluesound Powernode 2i.

I've had the Powernode 2i for a month now, so felt ready to write a review. In summary, I was considering returning it and replacing with the Node 2i, due to fears about the quality and strength of the integrated amplifier, which kind of goes against audiophile principles of separate components. I'm still not 100% decided on this. However, I've decided to keep the unit, because the sound quality is excellent through my Monitor Audio Silver speakers, the BlueOS app with Tidal is a pleasure to use, and the vinyl input is acceptable and fairly transparent. A few caveats though:- My hi-fi is in a small living room, about 4 x 4m with soft furnishings etc and the MA Silver speakers are perfectly adequate for this space. The amp may have trouble in a larger room with floorstanders.- The vinyl input is good. However, I'm sure a separate amp would be better here - whether you'd get more from the equivalent £300 amp (as the Powernode is £300 more than the Node), I am not sure (and reviewers have said no). You have to crank up the volume a bit on quiet records, but, for example, Gregory Porter's 'Liquid Spirit' loses none of its vitality.- BluOS and Amazon have not got it together - the interface is not good, and I think it's the Amazon API to blame (I've contacted them with feedback). Tidal is excellent, but more expensive. If things change, then I'm hopping back to Amazon, but for now, Tidal rocks. In terms of sound quality, both providers have lossless + studio (Tidal 'Master', Amazon 'Ultra HD'), some of which is phenomenal (better than vinyl).I hope this review and these caveats are useful. For my current needs, the Powernode is a winner, and Bluesound seem like a company who concentrate first and foremost on sound quality.

This sounds pretty good. I did think about returning it but I don’t know what else I’d get. Audiolab maybe 🤔I’ve enjoyed using KEF LSX for a couple of years and recently paired the bluesound with some KEF LS50. It’s an improvement but it’s not massively better. I guess that’s the problem - diminishing returns to be found over a grand.The app isn’t as good as bluesound think it is. The player is often missing from the WiFi network, or loses connection to the app - even when Spotify is merrily playing away. Occasionally you have to power off the unit to get it sorted. Which is a frustration.Taking of Spotify - I find it just ridiculously loud - and I don’t mean powerful, but just only really using the bottom 25% of the volume slider on the bluesound. I’ve not experience this with other products and spotify. To make this worse, you have to watch movies at almost full volume via HDMI / so then you move back to music a bit later in the day and BOOM!It’s definitely an issue that bluesound need to work on. I’d like to have had separate gain sensitivity controls per input.Overall it’s not as “amazing” as the reviews say, but it probably is the best product for the money that does this sort of stuff. Particularly if you’re looking for HDMI.

A one box streamer offering excellent sound and a very easy to use app. It also works with "Tidal Connect" which is very useful

nice transparent sound with my LINN speakers;sometimes it cut out on the TV, but just walk through instructions to reset and works fine.software is evolving, but overall easy set up and excellent functionality for streaming music.quality D amp too; i'm not an audiophile, but this strikes me as next level product.great value - great quality!

Excelente equipo Hi-Fi todo en uno. Ahora más que nunca se ha hecho tan, si no es que más importante el streaming en la música, con servicios como Spotify, Amazon music, los servicios de Google (el que sea de turno, con eso de que ahora es YouTube Music) y sobre todo Tidal, que ofrece streaming de archivos de audio en compresión sin pérdida (calidad de CD), archivos PCM de "alta resolución" (realmente alta cuantización) y archivos en el cada vez más relevante MQA (compresión con perdida, pero que al reconstruir el archivo y reproducirlo, dicen que no tiene pérdidas), que intenta ofrecer musica en la mal llamada "alta definición" utilizando archivos más pequeños, con cuantizaciones más elevadas (al menos más elevadas que las de los discos compactos de toda la vida). El aparato depende casi totalmente de estar conectado a internet ya sea por WiFi o por cable, pero Funciona genial, se puede controlar muy fácilmente, sin necesidad de un control remoto (aunque puede aprender los comandos de controles remotos universales) o casi sin necesidad de tocar físicamente el aparato; está muy bien integrado con clientes para casi todos los sistemas operativos, tanto de escrito (excepto Linux), como móviles (aquí si todos), teniendo para todos la misma interface y facilidad de uso.Le puedes conectar básicamente de todo, tiene desde conecciónes analógicas y ópticas (dos de ellas, que son combo, con un adaptador para cable Toslink a 3.5mm que incluye en la caja), hasta HDMI Arc, para que lo utilices como si fuera un receptor de teatro en casa, además tiene un puerto USB tipo A en donde puedes conectar medios de almacenamiento masivos con bibliotecas enteras de música y es compatible con básicamente todos los formatos de audio que conozco tanto con perdida o sin perdida (o son relevantes al menos), eso sí, todos PCM, no estoy seguro si pueda DSD nativo o DSD sobre PCM (de todos modos en DSD hay muy poquita música, sobre todo musica clásica nada más).El amplificador es clase D, todo es electrónico, funciona muy bien, dicen los que saben que puede manejar bocinas más grandes que las que anuncia que puede (yo personalmente lo he utilizado con bocinas más pequeñas tipo bookshelf, sin ningún problema o queja, las maneja muy bien y suena durísimo, tanto como para molestar a mis vecinos) ;)Conclusión: excelente streamer/amplificador integrado, hace casi de todo. Esta Carito, pero vale mucho la pena, sobre todo para quienes vamos iniciando en el pasatiempo de la audiofilia :)

Using this with passive Kef LS50 and Kef 10b in my office with Roon, Tidal / Quboz.First things first, the sound is excellent, especially after I found the perfect placement for my subwoofer. I am an audiophile with mostly headphone gear and a Martin logan home stereo with denafrips terminator, so giving this a if that is a 5 star to me, this is a 4.6 on sound quality (very good).Cons:The BluOS software is a little clunky / unintuitive.Th device gets warmer than I would have expected.

I have Tidal subscription and I was looking for something compact all in one for bedroom to power up my Elac B6.2. Powernode 2i does a great job. It pairs well with B6.2. My main system is Buchardt S400 speakers with Parasound Newclassic 200 integrated amp just to give you some context of my expectation in music reproduction. I find Elac B6.2 to be on a dark and warm side and PowerNode 2i opens them up even at lower volumes. Something that emotiva ta-100 + a-300 could not do that well. I’m strictly talking about the sound when using Tidal. Vocals are slightly on lean side but very clear and delicate sounding. Something very appealing about the sound. Music Becomes punchy at higher volumes which I greatly appreciate. Best part is that you can program tv remote to this unit and change imputs as well as control volume. You can set up auto sensor on for imput of tv this way when you turn on tv the powernode 2i will automatically detect audio signal. It has plenty of imputs. You can set up presets to a remote so with one button you can play Tidal or Amazon music. It has airplay which works. However, in order to enjoy spotify not in airplay you would need premium subscription. Wish that was not the case. Just had this unit for 2 days and I really enjoy it. Hope it will last and will update my review if need arises.Update: RPD mentioned the glitch when headphones are connected sound still comes out of the speakers at low volumes. That does happen in my unit as well. I also started getting some technical issues when i turn on my tv volume goes in and out couple times while blue light is blinking than volume completely goes off and I have to press volume up on a remote for volume to come back. Hopefully that gets addressed with update. I still thing this product sounds great and is a great solution with a big convenience factor. I wish they added EQ function in the app to control more frequency bands than just treble and Base. I’m big on vocals and I like them to be slightly dominant. This unit does some serious DSP

Excelente Servicio de entrega y el producto es un gran invento, todo en una sola caja se actualiza se integra y funciona en 5 minutos. Integración con Tidal y Spotify y con mi librería Flac compartida y como bonus una radio en alta definición.