Streamers
Bluesound NODE ICON
£999.00
Bluesound’s reference streamer, the Node Icon (N530) moves BluOS into hi-fi-separates territory — dual-mono ESS Sabre DACs, balanced XLR outputs, a THX-AAA headphone amplifier, HDMI eARC and a 5-inch colour display, ready for Dirac Live room correction.
Description
Description
Overview
The Node Icon (N530) is Bluesound‘s reference streamer and the model that moves BluOS into proper hi-fi-separates territory. It pairs the familiar BluOS multi-room platform with genuinely serious hardware — a dual-mono DAC, balanced outputs, a top-tier headphone amplifier and room correction — making it the Bluesound to buy when one box must feed a real listening-room system.
Design & build
The Icon is built in an anodised aluminium chassis and fronted by a 5-inch full-colour HD display, giving it a presence closer to a hi-fi component than a lifestyle streamer. It plugs straight into a high-end amplifier and runs Roon Ready out of the box, designed to sit at the heart of a serious system rather than to be tucked out of sight.
Sound & performance
The Icon uses two ESS Sabre ES9039Q2M DAC chips in a dual-mono configuration — one per channel — for lower crosstalk and a quieter noise floor than single-DAC designs. It handles high-resolution playback to 24-bit/192kHz, plus DSD256 and MQA through BluOS, and adds MQA Labs’ QRONO d2a timing correction for a clean, well-resolved presentation.
Key features
Outputs include true balanced XLR pre-outs alongside RCA stereo and a subwoofer output, so the Icon can feed balanced-input power amplifiers correctly. A THX-AAA headphone amplifier drives a serious pair of headphones from two quarter-inch jacks, rated from 150mW at 16 ohms to 56mW at 250 ohms. An HDMI eARC input allows connection to a television.
Technology
The Icon comes ready for Dirac Live room correction, available as an upgrade, to measure and correct the acoustics of the actual room. Streaming covers the full BluOS platform with Roon Ready operation, Apple AirPlay 2 and aptX Adaptive Bluetooth, giving access to the major services and personal libraries through the BluOS app.
Specifications
Type: reference network streamer and DAC. DAC: dual-mono 2 × ESS Sabre ES9039Q2M with QRONO d2a. Outputs: balanced XLR, RCA stereo, subwoofer RCA. Headphone amp: THX-AAA, 2 × quarter-inch jacks. Display: 5-inch full-colour HD. Resolution: to 24-bit/192kHz, DSD256, MQA. Inputs: HDMI eARC. Streaming: BluOS, Roon Ready, AirPlay 2, aptX Adaptive. Room correction: Dirac Live ready. Chassis: anodised aluminium. Dimensions: 220 × 84 × 193 mm.
Who it’s for
The Node Icon suits the listener who wants one box to run a real listening-room system: it feeds a high-end integrated or power amplifier over balanced connections, corrects for the room, and drives serious headphones without a separate amplifier. It is the most capable BluOS endpoint Bluesound builds.
Why buy from Hidden Home Technology
A reference streamer rewards careful matching to amplification, loudspeakers and the room. We can demonstrate the Node Icon, advise on partnering electronics and room correction, and arrange delivery and installation across the South. Speak to our team to arrange a listen or to plan your system.
Specification
Black: Anodized Aluminum
Version:
N530
Included Accessories:
• 120V AC Power Cord
• 230V AC Power Cord
• Ethernet Cable
• Stereo RCA to RCA Cable
Storage Environment:
-10°C to 50°C, 20% to 80% relative humidity
Product Dimensions:
220 x 84 x 193 mm (W x H x D)
8.7 x 3.3 x 7.6 in (W x H x D)*
Weight:
2.23 kg/4.92 lbs
Operating Environment:
0°C to 40°C
*Non-metric measurements are approximate.
Status Indicator:
LED
Previous/Next Track Buttons:
Touch LED
Display:
5" Non-touch display
Play/Pause Button:
Touch LED
Preset Buttons:
Touch LED x 5
Volume Control Buttons:
Touch Slider LED
Proximity Sensor:
Yes
Power Supply:
Universal bi-pin AC cord input (100-240AC)
IR Input:
3.5mm Jack
Audio Output:
Analog RCA Stereo with Fixed option;
Balanced XLR Stereo with Fixed option;
USB Audio 2.0 (Type A)
Ethernet/LAN:
Ethernet RJ45, Gigabit 1000 Mbps
Optical/Analog Input:
Toslink Optical, RCA Analog
Coaxial Output:
RCA
Wi-Fi Built In:
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), dual-band
HDMI Input:
HDMI eARC
Optical Output:
TOSLINK digital optical
Bluetooth Quality:
Bluetooth 5.2 aptX Adaptive
USB IN:
Type A (Fat32 Formatted) - External Storage only; Local Server Mode
Trigger Out:
12 Volt
Bluetooth Connectivity:
Two-Way (transmit & receive)
USB (other):
USB Type C (PC input)
Headphone Output:
6.3mm/1/4" Stereo x2;
BluetoothPower Supply:
Universal bi-pin AC cord input (100-240AC)
IR Input:
3.5mm Jack
Audio Output:
Analog RCA Stereo with Fixed option;
Balanced XLR Stereo with Fixed option;
USB Audio 2.0 (Type A)
Ethernet/LAN:
Ethernet RJ45, Gigabit 1000 Mbps
Optical/Analog Input:
Toslink Optical, RCA Analog
Coaxial Output:
RCA
Wi-Fi Built In:
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), dual-band
HDMI Input:
HDMI eARC
Optical Output:
TOSLINK digital optical
Bluetooth Quality:
Bluetooth 5.2 aptX Adaptive
USB IN:
Type A (Fat32 Formatted) - External Storage only; Local Server Mode
Trigger Out:
12 Volt
Bluetooth Connectivity:
Two-Way (transmit & receive)
USB (other):
USB Type C (PC input)
Headphone Output:
6.3mm/1/4" Stereo x2; Bluetooth
Operating System:
BluOS
Supported Network File Sharing:
Server Message Block (SMB) up to 200,000 files
3rd-Party Integrations:
AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Roon Ready, Dirac Live Ready
App Controller Operating System:
iOS, Android, Windows, macOS
Album Art Supported:
JPG, PNG
Control System Integrations:
Crestron, Control4, RTI, ELAN, URC, Lutron
Processor
ARM® Cortex™ -A53, Quad-Core, 1.8GHz per core
Voice Control Integrations:
Amazon Alexa Skills
Supported Audio File Formats:
MP3, AAC, WMA, WMA-L, OGG, ALAC, OPUS
Native Sampling Rates:
up to 192 kHz
Signal-to-Noise Ratio:
-129dB (XLR)
-121dB (RCA)
Supported High-Quality Audio File Formats:
FLAC, MQA, ALAC, WAV, AIFF, MPEG-4 SLS
Bit Depth:
16-24
Distortion:
THD+N, 0.0004%
DSD Support:
DSD256
Audio Controls & EQ:
BluOS Controller App
Headphone Continuous Output Power (THD<0.1%):
150mW, 16Ω / 235mW, 32Ω / 56mW, 250Ω / 23mW, 600Ω
Supported Multi-Channel Audio Formats:
Dolby Digital®
DAC:
ESS ES9039Q2M x2
Dirac Live Output Support:
Analog: Balanced XLR, RCA Stereo
Digital: Optical, Coaxial
The USB Output does not support Dirac Live
