Bluesound has created three new wireless streamers to give users more choice, with varying levels of functionality and audio performance to match their budgets. The Node Icon reviewed here is the range's flagship and caters to those who want it all. Also known as the N530, it distinguishes itself in various ways but foremost is the hard-to-miss 5-inch full-colour display. It is bright and vibrant and shows album art and track details – but it is not a touchscreen. Instead, control comes via the top-mounted touch panel, or the BluOS app that works across most platforms.

The N530 sports an anodised aluminium chassis, and is finished in gloss black only. Internally, a low-noise, switched-mode power supply aspirates the quad-core 1.8GHZ ARM Cortex A53 processor; this was first used in the N130 and is powerful enough for speedy, lag-free reactions as well as having enough computational power for Dirac. Two premium ESS Sabre ES9039Q2M DACs are used in a dual mono configuration. With Bluesound's parent company Lenbrook recently acquiring MQA Labs, this streamer uses MQA's QRONO d2a system, which is specially adapted for the ESS DACs used, to correct timing errors. There is a digital white paper on this available on the Bluesound website, which provides more detail.

New for a Node streamer is the inclusion of balanced XLR, as well as unbalanced RCA, outputs for connection to an amplifier. Optical, coaxial and USB digital outputs are provided for connection to an external DAC. There is a subwoofer output, two-way Bluetooth aptX and two 6.3mm headphone jacks, one on each side, using a THX AAA headphone amplifier. Inputs to the Node Icon are HDMI eARC, USB-C, RCA line level and optical digital. Network connections include wired gigabit Ethernet, and dual-band Wi-Fi for added reliability.

A streaming platform is only as good as the app that controls it, and Bluesound has a history of providing incremental improvements to the BluOS Controller App, making it one of the best and most versatile available. It's designed to control multiple BluOS-enabled players, providing a seamless multiroom ecosystem. Roon Ready, it caters for Spotify and Tidal Connect, Airplay 2, MQA, DSD256, local server and some 24 (at my count) streaming platforms, many of which are hi-res. It's simple to use and makes searching for music enjoyable. There is an optional RC1 remote control available, otherwise it can learn other brands of IR remotes.

DIRAC LIVE

This proprietary, complex DSP-based room correction system needs two more parts to work with the N530. First is the optional Bluesound Room Calibration Kit (consisting of a certified puck shaped omni-directional microphone and a CM-1 USB dongle). Second is a licence to use the system – purchased directly from Dirac – along with the free Dirac Live software. There are two levels of licence, Limited (20Hz-500Hz) and Full Bandwidth (20Hz-20kHz), each at a different cost. The software licence is not cheap, so you may be interested in our listening tests, which will reveal its usefulness.

The Bluesound website has a detailed and accurate instruction document in its support section, a must-read before starting. You must install the Dirac Live app on your laptop or device. I used the Full Bandwidth (20Hz-20kHz) licence and calibration for my testing. If you have a subwoofer, connect it to the N530's sub out, and the calibration will include it with stunning results.

The calibration kit uses a driverless interface for the microphone on my Windows laptop, but doesn't come with a tripod for the microphone, and you will get better results by using one. I obtained a small 120mm camera tripod, which worked just fine. Choose a quiet time of the day to start the calibration, as any external noises can distort the calibration results - give yourself plenty of time to run the tests and don't be impatient in understanding the options. It is reasonably straightforward, and if you encounter difficulties, the Bluesound support team is super helpful.

The software takes you through the calibration process in easy steps, including changing the standard EQ filter curve. Then label it, save it, and delete it if you don't like the end result. You can recall the numbered filters via the BluOS app, so you can easily toggle through them live while a track is playing for comparisons, which is handy. If you like the general sound of your speakers without the filter, I suggest trying to create a curve that follows the measured frequency response. This will preserve your speakers' sound signature and keep it more consistent with and without the filters applied. Usefully, you can adjust the range of correction if you only want to fix the lower frequencies, which is where most room issues typically occur. If that's for you, then purchase the cheaper Limited (20Hz-500Hz) licence.

My listening room is reasonably well sorted acoustically, with bass traps in the corners that make it a pleasant mix between live, diffused and damped surfaces. After the Dirac calibration, it improved in ways I did not predict. So, I imagine that listening spaces that are very lively, with lots of hard and reflective surfaces, will benefit considerably from this process, with the sound improving considerably – particularly when controlling the bass region with a subwoofer.

The Bluesound installation process is designed to be simple and stress-free. Unbox the unit, plug in the power, audio and Ethernet connection. Start the free BluOS app on your device, select the Node Icon, rename it if you wish. Save, and it will automatically update the firmware, which takes about five minutes, and then it reboots again and is ready to play music. I connected it to a Soul Note A-2 integrated amplifier for my listening tests and modified JBL HDI-3800 loudspeakers.

THE LISTENING

Having previously reviewed and owned both Bluesound Node 2i and N130 streamers, I was keen to see how this new flagship would perform. I was not disappointed, as it offers a more confident and articulate sound than I have previously heard, with greater detail and nuance. This is a highly competent performer that's noticeably further up the food chain in sound quality – as you would expect at the price.

Listening to Desert Drifter by Alific shows how well the N530 plays, with an extended treble that makes trumpets sound crisp within the spacious, airy soundstage. Tonally, no single area is highlighted or recessed, with everything being smooth from top to bottom. This helps to give vocals and instruments a natural timbre, and opens the door to enjoying a wide variety of musical genres. Indeed, midband and bass performance is outstanding at this price point. The piano in Catcher by Hara Noda is satisfyingly natural, for example, with a cohesive sense of timing that lets the listener enjoy the interplay between the piano, bass and drums. Transients come across with a satisfying snap, and there's a pleasing amount of weight in the lower octaves when called for.

Spatially, the Bluesound performs very well, with all instruments in any given mix coming across as solidly fixed in a large recorded acoustic. Monday by Matt Corby starts with a finger click, and is then joined by vocal harmonies which sit well behind in the soundstage. The recording's layering is clearly evident and realistically conveyed, and there's a satisfyingly immersive feel to the track.

The Node Icon gets out of the way of music in a businesslike fashion, then. Street Spirit (Fade Out) by Radiohead sounds satisfyingly clean and resolved, something that cannot be said for every streamer I have heard. Listening to the Andante moderato of Mahler's Symphony No.2 performed by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra is not a chore, thanks to the Bluesound's great resolving power. This streamer simply does not feel cluttered or stressed. By the way, to my ears and in my system, the XLR output from the Node Icon clearly sounds better than the RCA phono sockets. It gives a stronger sense of drive, more air and space around instruments and a closer connection to the performance – which is just as you'd expect.

As a potential upgrade path, I used the USB out into a Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE DAC, which costs multiples of the Bluesound's selling price. This does improve the sound, but it's less of a difference than you might think. Overall refinement, smoothness and space get better, and dynamics too – although the N530's rhythmic prowess isn't really improved. Comparing the sound of the older Node 2i to the new Node Icon is interesting, as it shows just how far the latter has progressed – it proves superior in every parameter.

When the Dirac Live calibration is complete and the filters have been applied, the replay output level drops by 10dB because the system requires this amount of headroom to change the frequency response without clipping. There are two distinct aspects to the sound after the calibration. Firstly, the frequency response is altered – in my case flattened and rolled off. This is easily changed, and Bluesound offers a target curve file as a starting point, which you can tweak to whatever response curve you prefer. Secondly, there is also a change to the impulse responses, timing accuracy and lack of overhang, as the notes reverberate and decay within the listening room. Initially, one can hear that some of the 'richness' of the harmonics sounds thinner with the filter applied. But on closer listening, it's clear that there's a new-found accuracy and that the richness was actually detrimental.

For example, when playing Tokka by Agnes Obel, the trio of quick piano notes played with the right hand sounds blurred and indistinct – until you switch Dirac in, whereupon the timing and focus is sharpened up. Each note sounds more distinctive, and there's better spatial information that improves stage depth, as well as more accurately portraying any reverb or effects in the recording. One can hear further into the recording without room distraction, which in turn results in better detail retrieval. It also makes voices sound smoother, purer and more emotive. If you're the kind of listener who relishes detail, then you will love what Dirac Live does. Even better, if you use the optical or coaxial digital outs to an external DAC or HT processor, the Dirac correction is retained, allowing tasty system improvements.

THE VERDICT

Bluesound's Node devices have always done the basics well, offering real value for money and fine sound. The new Node Icon N530 brings greater maturity, capability and fidelity, making it an upgrade in every way. The hardware is a worthy step up, its colour display brings it into line with its competitors, and its connectivity goes a long way towards building a 2.1 multichannel home theatre.

For some users, the Dirac room correction system option will be a game changer that drastically improves the overall enjoyment of their system. This new streamer resides in a competitive market sector yet distinguishes itself with a clever mix of features, sound quality and overall usability.

For more information visit Bluesound