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The market for affordable streamers is a very demanding one. In some ways, making a product that sounds good is the ‘easy’ bit, because modern digital generally sounds very good indeed. What matters every bit as much is the extra functionality on offer, the ease with which it can be accessed, and the general sense of how good a unit is to live with over the long term. A great many hi-fi companies have exited this category, unable to keep up with the requirements.
Bluesound is one of the big players, largely because it does a very good job of meeting all the demands customers have of streamers. The basic Node has seen a policy of continuous revision and, as its price has crept up over time, the Node Nano has been introduced below it. The ICON arrives to sit above the standard Node, and has a significant boost in functionality to justify it.
At its core, it is still based on the excellent BluOS operating system. It’s a pleasure to use and it supports pretty much every streaming service going, and additionally it has the ability to run multiple rooms quickly and easily from one app. The ICON gains the ability to handle any material you might have in the DSD format as well, something that BluOS devices haven’t previously been able to do.
What the ICON does is harness this operating system and control app to a device that does more. It’s the first Node to be fitted with a balanced output (and, thanks to using a pair of ESS Sabre ES9039Q2M DACs, it is a true balanced device) and it gains a USB input for quick and easy connection to a computer (alongside the coaxial, optical and HDMI eARC connections shared with the simpler Node). There is also an RCA analogue input, which allows for a device like a turntable to be connected directly to the ICON.
This is useful because it means that as well as being able to run as a line-level streamer, the Bluesound is a fully functional preamp. What’s more, it is also compatible with the Dirac room optimisation system that uses a USB microphone to measure the response of your equipment in-room - the ICON applies corrections to the signal, including adjustments to devices connected to its input. This means that the ICON can act as a system hub, collating your different sources and applying an optimal signal to each of them. This is something that the ICON can do out of the box, but it will cost you $159 for a bass management license or $249 for a full-frequency alternative - and you’ll need a microphone too.
Lest you are worried this is ‘it’, the ICON still has some tricks up its sleeve. It makes use of a headphone amp, built to the THX AAA standard, that outputs to two 6.35mm sockets. This makes it a formidable headphone amplifier - but if you have long since dispensed with cabled headphones, it has the same excellent two-way Bluetooth implementation as the other Nodes. As well as being able to receive a Bluetooth signal from a phone or tablet, it can transmit to wireless headphones over Bluetooth too.
Sound quality
If the idea of applying a bit of room optimisation feels intimidating, the good news is that the Node ICON makes a respectable case for itself when used as a ‘normal’ line-level streamer.
This is a more confident and authoritative device than the smaller Nodes. It makes use of its more sophisticated decoding and its beefed-up output stage to place music in a more convincing space, with a greater sense of three-dimensionality and detail. There are improvements to be had in terms of the bass, as well - there isn’t ‘more’ bass, as this would likely sound overblown, but the definition and control it exerts over its low end is deeply impressive.
There’s also a subtle-but-consistent change to how the ICON handles certain material. In the past, I have found Bluesound products to be extremely forgiving with less-than-brilliant material but not as adept at highlighting the greatness in great recordings. Without losing the ability to handle poorer albums, this feels like a much more ‘hi-fi’ product than its smaller brethren. If you have a library of high-quality material, it’s going to sing on the ICON.
Admirably, this has no effect on the other ‘workhorse’-style things the Bluesound can do at the same time. It is a fine partner for TVs - its eARC input works brilliantly, giving perfect sync and doing a great job of making dialogue clear. Bluetooth and AirPlay work seamlessly, and connecting a CD player to the digital input gives you a level of performance in keeping with the streaming section. That new analogue section is able to capture the character of a connected phono stage and turntable as well.
With all this normal (or at least normal-adjacent) behaviour attended to, the Bluesound shows the worth of the extra functionality. Used as a preamp into a pair of PMC active speakers, it’s genuinely impressive. There’s very little additional character between the decoding of the ICON and the PMCs because all the preamp functionality is handled by the same digital hardware. The volume ramp is consistent and confidence-inspiring, and it works brilliantly via the app. That dedicated headphone amp is also superb. There’s no other self-contained solution under £1,000 that can hold a candle to the ICON.
Living with
As well as beefing up the specification of the ICON, Bluesound has enhanced the aesthetics as well. This is the first Bluesound product to have a full-colour display and to be built on a metal chassis - and the result looks and feels like an altogether more serious piece of hardware than the smaller Nodes. It’s beautifully assembled and finished, and there’s not a lot at the price that can touch it.
The display is not a touchscreen - there is a second, illuminated touch panel above it. This works well and allows for quick access to important functionality, but it’s arguably not quite as intuitive as the combination of display and jog-dial on the C700 v2 from sister brand NAD. Some people looking for a preamp might want a physical volume control, which the ICON lacks.
The sheer ease of use of the BluOS app goes a long way to inspiring confidence. It really is one of the best-engineered control interfaces going, and it makes alternating between the various inputs and facilities a pleasure. As a bonus, the ICON also has certification to work with the Roon control software too - and it’s no less pleasant to use this way. While all the extra functionality of the ICON is impressive, it’s this underpinning of software proficiency that will seal the deal for many people.
Conclusion
The Node ICON takes all the things that Bluesound is good at and adds a level of out-and-out hi-fi capability that puts it in a different league from the smaller Nodes. This is a fearsomely capable digital front end that is still an absolute joy to use and one that will complement a huge number of different systems.
Listening Notes
Gov’t Mule Peace…Like a River
A collection of great musicians playing great tunes on an immaculate recording is a chance for the ICON to show some serious hi-fi chops - and it delivers in absolutely emphatic style.
King Crimson Discipline
The most interesting phase of King Crimson (you can keep your Crimson King, this is better) allows the ICON to show off its superb tonality and ability to create a genuinely convincing three-dimensional soundstage for music to happen on.
The Weather Station Humanhood
The manner in which the ICON delivers the gorgeous vocals of Tamara Lindemann is something that connects at an emotional, as well as a cerebral, level. It’s technically perfect, but it engages your soul as well.
As a combination of inputs, outputs and the software to tie it together, there is very little that can get anywhere near the ICON at the price point. Realistically, this is the best all-round streaming solution currently available under a grand - so if that’s your budget, this is the device you need.
