Стримеры — Bluesound POWERNODE (N330)

The POWERNODE (N330) is a streaming amplifier from Bluesound that combines source, control and amplification in a single compact chassis running the BluOS platform. It replaced an earlier Powernode rated at 50 W per channel, and it has itself since been archived by Bluesound and is no longer offered for sale. Two finishes were made, black and white, both in matte satin paint.

Key specs that matter

Power is specified as 80 W x 2 into 8 ohms using HybridDigital amplification, and IHF dynamic power is 130 W into 8 ohms and 220 W into 4 ohms. The published signal-to-noise figure is 100 dBA and THD+N of 0.008%. The DAC is a 32-bit, 384 kHz design with differential output, while native file playback runs at 16 to 24 bits and up to 192 kHz, with DSD256 accepted and Dolby Digital decoded from multichannel sources. The case is 220 x 70 x 190 mm and weighs 1.78 kg, with a stated draw of 12 W.

Engineering and use context

A quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor at 1.8 GHz per core runs the BluOS software. Hi-res file support covers FLAC, MQA, WAV, AIFF and MPEG-4 SLS, with MP3, AAC, WMA, WMA-L, OGG, ALAC and OPUS also handled. The top panel carries a touch slider for volume with LED indication, five touch preset buttons that can store radio stations or playlists, and touch play, pause and track buttons, and a proximity sensor wakes the controls as a hand approaches. For a television an HDMI eARC port takes the audio feed, and two combined mini Toslink and 3.5 mm inputs accept other sources. Networking uses dual-band Wi-Fi 5 at 2.4 and 5 GHz or Gigabit Ethernet, and two-way Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX HD both receives from a phone and sends to wireless headphones. A 3.5 mm stereo output serves wired headphones, a USB Type A port reads FAT32 drives, network shares are accessed over SMB, and a 3.5 mm IR input sits beside the built-in IR sensor, able to learn an existing handset. The power inlet takes a universal 100 to 240 V AC cord. Amazon Alexa skills add voice control, AirPlay 2 is built in, more than 23 music services are integrated, and drivers exist for Crestron, Control4, RTI, ELAN, URC, Lutron and other control systems.

Pairing

Passive speakers connect through 5-way binding posts, and its dynamic power reserve covers bookshelf and compact floorstanding models of ordinary efficiency in a 20 m2 room. A subwoofer can be added through the RCA output or paired over the network with the Bluesound PULSE SUB+, which avoids running a cable across the room. A pair of PULSE FLEX 2i speakers can be added wirelessly as rear channels for a Dolby surround setup built around a TV.

Alternatives

The Bluesound POWERNODE EDGE (N230) is the lower powered BluOS streaming amplifier, rated at 40 W per channel in a 44.5 mm tall case.