TIME ON TEST: One year REVIEWER: Mark Craven
BLUESOUND LAUNCHED IN 2013 aiming to steal a chunk of the multiroom audio market, then firmly in the grip of Sonos, by catering to high-resolution audio enthusiasts. Its initial product stable comprised the 24-bit/192kHzcapable Node streamer; the Powernode, which added onboard amplification; the Pulse active wireless speaker; and the Vault, a streaming DAC with disc ripping functionality and 2TB storage. All these products, and newer arrivals such as its Pulse Soundbar, run offthe BluOS system, a smartphone/tablet/desktop platform that integrates various streaming services, facilitates playback, and manages multiroom setup.
The Vault is perhaps Bluesound's most esoteric invention, as it serves both the needs of digital music fans and those with collections of silver discs. The Vault 2i, which arrived in 2019, is…