Bluesound NODE ICON Reference Music Streamer

NODE ICON - Reference Music Streamer

The NODE ICON is a flagship wireless music streamer, designed for the audio obsessed. With its sleek aluminium chassis, and vibrant 5” full-colour display, it sets a new benchmark for wireless music streamers. Seamlessly connect it to any premium amplifier, powered speakers, or headphones, and enjoy BluOS hi-res streaming, Apple AirPlay 2, THX AAA™ technology, and more. HDMI eARC, Dolby Digital, and Dirac Live* ensure an immersive audio experience for music and TV.

Features

Dual-mono DAC design with 2 x ESS Sabre ES9039Q2M DAC

THX AAA™ headphone amplifier technology with 2 x 1/4″ jacks for cable management

High-quality balanced XLR outputs

HDMI eARC, optical, analogue and USB-C inputs

RCA, coax, optical, USB outputs

Apple AirPlay 2 and aptX Adaptive Bluetooth*

Dirac Live Ready*

Beautiful 5” full-colour HD display and backlit touch panel with presets and controls

* Available via future software update.

From Iconic to Icon

The NODE ICON redefines HiFi listening with its expertly crafted Dual-Mono DAC design. Featuring two cutting-edge ESS SABRE ES9039Q2M DACs and transparent circuitry, it delivers sound with unparalleled dynamic range, ultra-low distortion, and exceptional resolution. MQA Labs' groundbreaking QRONO d2a technology further refines DAC performance by correcting timing errors during digital-to-analogue conversion, ensuring the timing response aligns perfectly with the original recording for an authentic listening experience.

Beautifully Designed for the Audio Obsessed

With a bold industrial design for the next generation of HiFi, the NODE ICON features a high-quality aluminium chassis, balanced XLR outputs, and a beautiful 5” full-colour HD display. Its sleek gloss black finish integrates seamlessly into any setup, while audiophile-grade connections ensure superior performance. Supporting DSD playback, it features the latest ES9826 SABRE ADC, delivering

Stream Everything

Stream all the music ever recorded with the NODE ICON, from popular streaming services to your personal digital libraries, all accessible through the BluOS app. With built-in Apple AirPlay 2 and aptX™ Adaptive Bluetooth*, enjoy more music from even more apps and services. HDMI eARC lets you connect seamlessly to your TV, bringing hi-res music streaming into your movie and gaming experiences, all with just a single cable.

Go Beyond the HiFi System

The NODE ICON can wirelessly connect to Bluesound speakers and stereo components to create a multi-room music system connected by BluOS™ throughout your whole home. With dual-band Wi-Fi for dropout free listening, you can play your new favourite track everywhere or listen to different music and genres in different rooms with total control from your phone, tablet, or desktop.

World's Best Headphone Amplifier Technology

Lifelike headphone listening is made possible by THX AAA™ technology, the headphone amplifier that boasts the world's most linear response. Its patented feed-forward error correction results in remarkably low noise and distortion, revealing exceptional soundstage and clarity. Connect your high-performance headphones to the left or right full-sized 1/4" headphone jacks and enjoy audiophile listening without fuss or compromise.

Smart Acoustics

The NODE ICON comes ready to intelligently fight bad room acoustics with Dirac Live*, available as an upgrade directly from Dirac. Use Dirac's app to measure your room acoustics and eliminate standing waves, reverberations, and other unwanted distortions. The result is clear, balanced, and detailed sound for your music and movie soundtracks. A calibration kit with a high-sensitivity microphone is also required and available from Bluesound with additional purchase.

*Available via a future software upgrade.

Specifications

Audio

Supported Audio File Formats MP3, AAC, WMA, WMA-L, OGG, ALAC, OPUS

Supported Hi-Res Audio File Formats FLAC, MQA, WAV, AIFF, MPEG-4 SLS

DSD Support DSD256

Supported Multi-Channel Audio Formats Dolby Digital®

Native Sampling Rates Up to 192 kHz

Bit Depth 16-24

Audio Controls & EQ BluOS Controller App

DAC ESS ES9039Q2M x 2

Signal-to-Noise Ratio TBD

Distortion TBD

Headphone Continuous Output Power (THD <0.1%) 160 mW, 16 Ω / 230 mW, 32 Ω / 53 mW, 250 Ω / 22 mW, 600 Ω

Software & Integrations

Operating System BluOS

App Controller Operating Systems iOS, Android, Windows, macOS

Processor ARM® Cortex™ -A53, Quad-Core, 1.8 GHz Per Core

Supported Network File Sharing Server Message Block (SMB) up to 200,000 Files

Album Art Supported JPG, PNG

Music Services & Internet Radio 23+ Music Services & Internet Radio

3rd-Party Integrations AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Roon Ready, Dirac Live Ready

Control System Integrations Crestron, Control4, RTI, ELAN, URC, Lutron

Voice Control Integrations Amazon Alexa Skills

Connections

Power Supply Universal Bi-Pin AC Cord Input (100-240 AC)

Ethernet/LAN Ethernet RJ45, Gigabit 1000 Mbps

Wi-Fi Built In Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Dual-Band

Bluetooth Quality Bluetooth 5.2 aptX Adaptive

Bluetooth Connectivity Two-Way (Transmit & Receive)

IR Optical Built In IR Sensor Built In - Front Panel with IR Remote Learning

IR Input 3.5 mm Jack

Optical/Analogue Input Toslink Optical, RCA Analogue

HDMI Input HDMI eARC

USB In Type A (FAT32 Formatted) - External Storage Only; Local Server Mode

USB (Other) USB Type C (PC Input)

Audio Output Analog RCA Stereo with Fixed Option; Balanced XLR Stereo with Fixed Option; USB Audio 2.0 (Type A)

Coaxial Output RCA

Optical Output TOSLINK Digital Optical

Trigger Out 12 Volt

Headphone Output 6.3 mm / 1/4" Stereo x 2; Bluetooth

Subwoofer Output RCA x 1; Wireless to PULSE SUB+

User Interface & Controls

Status Indicator LED

Play/Pause Button Touch LED

Volume Control Buttons Touch Slider LED

Previous/Next Track Buttons Touch LED

Preset Buttons Touch LED x 5

Proximity Sensor Yes

Display 5" Non-Touch Display

General

Finish Black: Anodised Aluminium

Storage Environment -10°C to 50°C, 20% to 80% Relative Humidity

Operating Environment 0°C to 40°C

Version N530

Product Dimensions (W x H x D) 220 x 84 x 193 mm / 8.7 x 3.3 x 7.6 in (Non-Metric Measurements are Approximate)

Product Weight 1.09 kg / 2.4 lb

Included Accessories 120 V AC Power Cord, 230 V AC Power Cord, Ethernet Cable, Stereo RCA to RCA Cable