Bluesound Node X

[Anodyne88]

Is there any audio quality or convenience advantage from having a bluesound node x connected to my newest control4 matrix? Or does the control4 do everything the bluesound node x does?

[LollerAgent]

55 minutes ago, Anodyne88 said:

Is there any audio quality or convenience advantage from having a bluesound node x connected to my newest control4 matrix? Or does the control4 do everything the bluesound node x does?

I do think that the Bluesound has better sound quality (via my Triad matrix) compared to native C4 audio via an EA5v2 -- but it's not as convenient for me, since my main source is typically Spotify and you cannot have a Spotify endpoint for each room when you use Bluesound (unless you have multiple nodes).  It's pretty solid for other music services though.

[Time2Jet]

Spotify strikes again.  God I hate Spotify in every way.  But I think only integrators and audiophiles hate it.  My wife and kids are Spotify all day people.  I think the audio is horrid, the entire Spotify Connect thing is absurd (Sonos/Heos) and… I just hate it.  Oh, and the app is nice.  So that’s my issue.  Imagine if it was a native full integration.  Even with the horrid audio (who cares in 80% of distributed audio scenarios) it would be so killer. 

[ekohn00]

2 hours ago, Anodyne88 said:

Is there any audio quality or convenience advantage from having a bluesound node x connected to my newest control4 matrix? Or does the control4 do everything the bluesound node x does?

What do you listen to most? As some said i guess Spotify has is limited. I think Airplay sounds better and by far anything you stream will sound better. I went to bluesound for roon intigration into my C4 Matrix, but at the same time, everything sounds far better.

[Anodyne88]

I mostly listen to Amazon music and Apple Music. Why do you think it sounds better? Is the dac in the node x better? Thank you for replying!

[Time2Jet]

14 minutes ago, ekohn00 said:

What do you listen to most? As some said i guess Spotify has is limited. I think Airplay sounds better and by far anything you stream will sound better. I went to bluesound for roon intigration into my C4 Matrix, but at the same time, everything sounds far better.

As @LollerAgentmentioned earlier, Bluesound really sounds superior to native and a lot else.  Mirage also sounds fantastic, but I notice some issues regarding volume stabilization from track to track. Funny when I really noticed was when a Beyoncé track played it sounded louder than other artists on a Tidal playlist.  I can’t be just imagining that.  

[ekohn00]

14 hours ago, Anodyne88 said:

I mostly listen to Amazon music and Apple Music. Why do you think it sounds better? Is the dac in the node x better? Thank you for replying!

Node x is supposed to be better. I was considering this for the main system