I searched quite a bit for a direct comparison of the Bluesound Node 2 and the Sonos Connect, without really finding what I was looking for. So I finally bit the bullet and bought a Node 2. I set it up in this system http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/richpas-main-system.356545/page-5 (see post #89), also hardwired to the router and using another digital input on the Benchmark DAC.
First, the functional advantages of the Bluesound:
The mobile app for the Bluesound is pretty good, but more complicated and less intuitive than the Sonos apps. After 10 days, I'm still learning my way around it. I've used the Sonos for a number of years, though, so I'm much earlier in the learning curve. The display for the Bluesound app is better, I think.
And the crux of the matter - sound quality. The Bluesound is clearly superior to the Sonos (which has the Wyred 4 Sound mod), with levels matched. The difference is similar to the difference between a good dac and an excellent one - greater clarity, especially in the bass, a more open sound with greater depth. The difference is especially apparent on "busy" mixes, those with a lot of bass, and on voices. Lori immediately noticed this. We liked it enough that we bought a second one for System #2, which arrived today. The difference from the Sonos is clear, but less obvious, in that system. I would not have said prior to the comparison that there was anything wrong with the sound from the Sonos - it's just not as refined-sounding. I've been told that the dac in the Bluesound is quite good, and sometime soon I'll try the analog outputs and report on those.
Finally, all of this is based on just a few days of listening, but I thought I'd get it out there. If anyone else has made this comparison, I'd be curious to hear your impressions.
First, the functional advantages of the Bluesound:
- Handles high-res files (Sonos is limited to 16/44.1) and MQA
- Higher indexing limit (Sonos is limited to 65K tracks)
- Better looking
- Has bluetooth connectivity
- No universal search across services (have to pick a source, and search within)
- No direct support for SiriusXM
- The Windows app, well, sucks
The mobile app for the Bluesound is pretty good, but more complicated and less intuitive than the Sonos apps. After 10 days, I'm still learning my way around it. I've used the Sonos for a number of years, though, so I'm much earlier in the learning curve. The display for the Bluesound app is better, I think.
And the crux of the matter - sound quality. The Bluesound is clearly superior to the Sonos (which has the Wyred 4 Sound mod), with levels matched. The difference is similar to the difference between a good dac and an excellent one - greater clarity, especially in the bass, a more open sound with greater depth. The difference is especially apparent on "busy" mixes, those with a lot of bass, and on voices. Lori immediately noticed this. We liked it enough that we bought a second one for System #2, which arrived today. The difference from the Sonos is clear, but less obvious, in that system. I would not have said prior to the comparison that there was anything wrong with the sound from the Sonos - it's just not as refined-sounding. I've been told that the dac in the Bluesound is quite good, and sometime soon I'll try the analog outputs and report on those.
Finally, all of this is based on just a few days of listening, but I thought I'd get it out there. If anyone else has made this comparison, I'd be curious to hear your impressions.