On a hot Summer day, what do you want………to be at the beach
With salmon on the grill, what do you want…..a cool glass of Sancerre
To listen to your favorite music……..convenience rules the day
Until recently, with music, you had to choose between convenience and quality. Either one was obtainable; both together……..nigh on impossible.
Enter Bluesound.
Concerned with the lack of audio quality achievable with wireless music distribution, a team of electronics and speaker manufacturers (NAD & PSB) along with software engineers collaborated to design products for the express purpose of making high-quality sound easily available with app-based control.
The basic operating principles had been established by Sonos, a group of software engineers for whom ease of use was the prime directive. Their current position in the market is a testament to their insight. Other companies have stepped in with similar products; Yamaha has MusicCast, Marantz/Denon has Heos and there are others.
Bluesound realized that the basic concept was a good one but it didn’t address the interests of a large number of music lovers who wanted high-quality sound as well. They set out to answer that desire.
They have products similar in concept to other manufacturers; a simple source device, an amplified version and stand-alone units that act like a table radio. They’re all networked, have access to streaming services, internet radio and local music libraries on a computer. Everything is controlled by a free app on a phone, a tablet or a computer.
Bluesound has one stellar piece which is unique to this product category……..the Vault. It’s a CD ripper with two terabytes of storage; enough for well in excess of 2000 CDs. It also serves as a source into an audio system with the same streaming capabilities of every Bluesound piece.
The icing on the cake is Bluesound’s full resolution support of Hi-Res files and its support of MQA; the best sound currently available in digital playback.
When you come to Audio Den to audition loudspeakers or electronics, if you’re not evaluating a turntable, you’ll likely be listening to music sourced through Bluesound, even on our highest end systems: it’s that good.
Music lovers rejoice!