Phildick
Established Member
Burning in = getting used to it.
Burning in = getting used to it.
Am not going to comment about the bluesound. I own it and love it. I also have a chromecast audio and in my opinion this is not the same league, but i think all opinions have the same value.
@Milco did you trial Qobuz? I've since cancelled Tidal as I found Qobuz SQ to be consistently superior.
Unless someone is willing to loan me one I’m unlikely to be able to compare. Shelling out £150+ is not something undertaken lightly.Don't knock it till you've tried it Ray. I for one am desperate to hear a vocal which is more firmly locked in position.
Accordingly, I've trebled my power cable budget.
I sometimes wonder if the audio benefits were so clear why don’t the manufacturers get into bed with power lead makers and offer the option of another power lead?RayP - I was sceptical too, if I didn't have spare cables I would never have known. You can buy a cable online and try it yourself for 14 days - if no benefit, then just pay return postage for a full refund under distance selling rules.
So my question is this: am I missing something? When I started listening to the Bluesound, I checked into the audio settings and found that anything other than the 'fixed volume' setting and 'non-variable tone' control settings would make the volume level drop off a cliff. I don't understand what the variable volume setting is all about with its minimum and maximum db settings. With everything nailed down on 'fixed' it seems to sound best.
When enabling the tone controls I hope you did adjust the volume setting on your amplifier to compensate for the inherent 6dB reduction in gain of the Node 2i when doing so? Personally, I cannot hear any difference when switching the tone controls in or out and/or using fixed or variable control modes provided that the downstream amplifier gain is adjusted accordingly in each case.Back to the OP - I use my Node 2i in fixed volume mode out to my integrated amp. Out of curiosity I went into the settings and enabled tone controls and all the music fell flat - I didn't change the volume or tone values - just enabled them. There is no way I could listen to this device other than in fixed volume mode. No wonder people who use it in variable volume mode find it so dull.
When enabling the tone controls I hope you did adjust the volume setting on your amplifier to compensate for the inherent 6dB reduction in gain of the Node 2i when doing so? Personally, I cannot hear any difference when switching the tone controls in or out and/or using fixed or variable control modes provided that the downstream amplifier gain is adjusted accordingly in each case.
OK just had another go and yes, if I set variable volume on the Node and raise the amp volume a bit then the music does sound the same.
Just to chip in on this thread. We went from a cxn to a node 2i last year. Initially the bluesound was so flat and dull but within 2 weeks the sound opened out and improved...it wasnt a case of getting used to it!
Secondly qobuz is an absolute must now...much more consistent than amazon hd...and a bargain at it's new price of £14.99 rather than 25 pm .
Most of all just enjoy your music!
Because, as mseve1 noted, when variable volume control is activated there is a 6dB reduction in gain.Why should you have to do that, though?