Bluesound NODE

Description

The middle of the Bluesound range, refined

The current Bluesound Node (N132) sits between the entry-level Node Nano and the flagship Node Icon. It’s the streamer most BluOS-curious customers actually want. Proper hi-fi connectivity. A respectable DAC. The right features (HDMI eARC, Dirac Live, THX-AAA headphone amp, 12V trigger). All in a half-width chassis that’s easy to slot in next to an existing amp.

Where it fits

The Node is the right pick when you want one streamer that handles everything. TV sound, hi-res streaming, headphones, optional room correction. It feeds into an existing integrated amplifier or active monitors. Common pairings: a Naim Nait XS, a Hegel H190, a McIntosh MA252, or a pair of active KEF LS50 Wireless II or PMC Result6 monitors.

ESS Sabre DAC

The Node uses the same ES9039Q2M Sabre DAC chip that runs (in dual-mono) inside the flagship Node Icon. Native playback handles up to 24-bit/192 kHz. DSD256 and MQA pass through BluOS cleanly.

HDMI eARC

Plug the Node into the TV via HDMI eARC. You get a clean, single-cable TV-sound source for whichever amplifier or active speakers the Node feeds. CEC volume control via the TV remote works on most modern TVs.

THX-AAA headphone amplifier

A 6.35mm headphone jack on the front. It’s driven by a THX-AAA-built amp. Properly engineered, low-distortion headphone listening straight from the streamer. No separate headphone amp needed for a daily-use rig.

Dirac Live ready

The Node is Dirac Live Ready out of the box. With the optional calibration kit (or one of ours on a custom install) you measure the actual room. The Node then corrects in the digital domain. It evens out bass humps, suckouts and reflections. A real listening-room benefit that doesn’t appear on most streamers in this category.

BluOS multi-room

Same BluOS platform across every Bluesound product, the multi-room system we rate above Sonos for a serious whole-home setup. The Node is Roon Ready too. Drop it into an existing Roon Server as a high-quality endpoint.

See the Full specifications list below for the complete spec sheet.

Full specifications

• Model: Bluesound Node (N132)
• DAC: ESS ES9039Q2M Sabre
• Native playback: up to 24-bit/192 kHz · DSD256 + MQA supported
• HDMI: eARC with CEC
• Other digital inputs: Toslink optical / 3.5mm combo, coaxial RCA, USB-A (external storage)
• Analog outputs: RCA stereo (fixed level), RCA subwoofer pre-out (or wireless to PULSE SUB+)
• Digital outputs: Coaxial RCA, Toslink optical, USB Audio 2.0
• Headphone: 6.35mm front jack (THX-AAA)
• Room correction: Dirac Live Ready (calibration kit sold separately)
• Roon: Roon Ready
• Streaming services: Tidal Connect, Qobuz, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music HD, AirPlay 2
• Bluetooth: 5.2 with aptX Adaptive (two-way)
• Network: Gigabit Ethernet, dual-band Wi-Fi 5
• Custom-install control: 3.5mm IR input, 12V trigger output
• Dimensions: 220 × 46 × 146 mm (W × H × D)
• Weight: 1.09 kg
• Finish: matte satin paint, black or white

Order from Hidden Home Technology

Authorised Bluesound dealer in Bath. Free UK delivery. Custom-install advice on tap.

The wider view: Bluesound NODE reviews in brief

We used a Bluesound NODE at a period house in the Cotswolds, where it feeds the speakers hidden in the garden. POWERNODE amplifiers drive the invisible speakers in its drawing room and kitchen. They all run on BluOS, which is the multi-room system we rate above Sonos for a serious whole-home setup.

On its own the NODE is a small streamer that also takes the sound from a television and has a headphone socket on the front. What Hi-Fi? reviewed it in November 2024 and called it “admirably controlled, balanced and easygoing”. In July 2026 eCoustics found it clearer and tighter than the model it replaces and called BluOS stable and mature. A BluOS owner of more than ten years posted measurements of the NODE on the Audio Science Review forum in February 2025. They found its performance good enough, short of the best, and the system “very pleasant and easy to use”.

It is worth knowing that What Hi-Fi? gave it four stars out of five and preferred a rival streamer at the same price for drama and drive. HiFi Pig also wanted a little more energy in the sound.

So the NODE suits someone who wants one tidy box feeding an amplifier they already own, or the first room of a system that will grow. Where a room needs its own amplifier the POWERNODE does the same job with one built in. Call us and we will help you plan the rooms.

Sources: What Hi-Fi?, “Bluesound Node (2024) review”, 25 November 2024. eCoustics, “Bluesound NODE Review”, July 2026. Audio Science Review forum, “Bluesound Node N132 Streamer review” by a member, 25 February 2025. HiFi Pig, “Bluesound NODE 2024 Streamer”, 15 February 2025. Our Cotswolds project page.

Read what the critics say about more of our streamers in The Hi-Fi Review Bible.

Press & reviews

What Hi-Fi? review of the Bluesound NODE