NODE ICON [N530]

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Reference Hi-Res Music Streamer with BluOS, AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth

SKU Node Icon BLK (N530)

Category Bluesound, Bluesound Wireless Stereo Components, Streamers, NODE Family

From iconic to icon. The NODE ICON is a flagship wireless music streamer for the audio obsessed. Every detail of the design has been carefully engineered to the highest standard of performance, from its breakthrough Bluesound Dual-Mono design with two ESS SABRE ES9039Q2M DAC chipsets implemented to perfection, to its sleek aluminium chassis and beautiful 5” full-colour display. The NODE ICON seamlessly connects to any high-performance amplifier, powered speakers or headphones, bringing BluOS hi-res streaming, Apple AirPlay 2, THX AAA technology, aptX Adaptive Bluetooth and DSD support to your existing stereo setup. With HDMI eARC, Dolby Digital and Dirac Live Ready, you can also transform the way you experience music and TV with Dolby downmixing and state-of-the-art room correction technology.

BENCHMARK SOUND QUALITY

With carefully selected componentry, and a masterfully engineered Bluesound Dual-Mono design with two ESS SABRE ES9039Q2M DAC chipsets, the NODE ICON sets a new benchmark for wireless music streamers. It uses the latest fourth generation ESS Hyperstream technology to let you experience sound with superior dynamic range, ultra-low distortion, and the highest possible resolution ever heard. From engineering to performance, the NODE ICON is the best streamer we’ve ever built.

BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED FOR THE AUDIO OBSESSED

The NODE ICON features an all-new industrial design, with an aluminium cabinet construction, seamlessly integrated with the large front glass panel and the gorgeous 5" non-touch display.. Its sleek gloss black finish blends seamlessly into any existing setup, with audiophile-grade connections to support high-quality performance. It also features built-in IR learning and a proximity-sensing touch panel that provides quick control and access for up to five programmable presets, volume and playback controls.

STREAM EVERYTHING

Stream all the music ever recorded, from popular music streaming services to your own digital music libraries, and access everything you listen to, including hi-res FLAC, MQA and DSD 256, in the BluOS app. Apple AirPlay 2 and aptX Adaptive Bluetooth are also built-in to let you enjoy even more music from more apps and services. With HDMI eARC, you can easily connect the NODE ICON to your TV with a single cable and bring hi-res music streaming together with your movie and gaming experiences.

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-CLASS 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 eradicate bass traps, echoes, and other unwanted distortions from your audio. 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.

FEATURES

Bluesound Dual-Mono DAC Design
2x ESS ES9039Q2M SABRE DAC
Balanced XLR Outputs
Stereo RCA Outputs
Optical, Coaxial, USB Outputs
Subwoofer Output
2x 6.3mm Headphone Output
THX AAA Headphone Amplifier
HDMI eARC Input
USB-C Input
Stereo RCA + Optical TOSLINK Input
ESS ES9826 SABRE ADC
5” Non-Touch Colour Display
5 Programmable Quick-Touch Presets
User Interface with Proximity Sensor
BluOS Wireless Multi-Room Platform
Quad-Core 1.8GHZ ARM CORTEX A53 Processor
Dirac Live Ready
MQA and Hi-Res Music Streaming
DSD256 Playback
AirPlay 2 Integration
Spotify Connect + Tidal Connect
Local Server Mode (share files on a connected USB drive with other BluOS players on your network)
Dual-Band WiFi + Gigabit Ethernet
Two-Way aptX Adaptive Bluetooth
IR Remote Learning Capability
12V Trigger Out
Black Anodised Aluminium Finish

NODE ICON
Data Sheet

What is Dirac Live?

Dirac Live is an advanced room correction and sound optimisation technology that dramatically improves your audio experience. By analysing how sound behaves in your space, it automatically adjusts your speakers to eliminate distortion, correct timing issues, and balance the overall sound.

When integrated with an AVR, Dirac Live measures the acoustic characteristics of your space using a calibrated microphone, analysing how sound interacts with the room. It then adjusts the speaker’s output to ensure that the sound is balanced and true-to-source, regardless of the room’s shape, size, or materials. This process includes aligning the timing and phase of the speakers to provide a cohesive, immersive sound field—something that would be impossible to achieve with just speaker placement alone.

Contrary to basic EQ systems that mainly flatten the frequency response, Dirac Live corrects both the frequency and impulse response. This means it not only addresses tonal balance but also ensures that transient sounds (like a clap or a drum hit) are reproduced cleanly without smearing or delay. With its capability to adjust for phase issues between speaker drivers, Dirac Live creates a more accurate and immersive audio experience that feels more natural and more true to the recording . By using Dirac Live, you’re essentially enhancing the performance of your sound system by making the sound more realistic and detailed, even in challenging spaces.

Select Bluesound and NAD products are compatible with Dirac.
Unless otherwise stated, a Dirac software license is required (sold separately).

Want to learn more? Check out this video about room correction:

Ready to go? Check out the official Calibration Guide to see how it's done: