Canadian Bluesound introduces this week its new generation of multiroom speakers, called Bluesound Launches Generation 2i . The new models, all running on the BluOS music management system, have been improved at various points.
Bluesound with BluOS
All Bluesound models work with BluOS, a music management system that connects, organizes and serves all music of its users, whether from an online streaming service or from a library in the home network. Bluesound brings together all sources and can send music to any room in the house.
The Bluesound ecosystem consists of a ‘family of high-quality, wireless, digital multiroom music players with audiophile properties’, as the brand may like to interpret. Bluesound ‘Gen 2i’ builds on the appearance of Generation 2, which is retained after a small change in color accents. The improvements are mostly on the inside, and the addition of the letter ‘i’ stands for the recognizable ‘identity’, but also for ‘innovation’ and ‘improvement’.
Technological improvements in performance and connectivity not only result from our own technical development, but very emphatically also from the wishes of users. Distributors, shopkeepers and consumers contributed to the creation of the new generation, the manufacturer said at the introduction. Perhaps the most important news is that Bluesound Generation 2i will soon be equipped with AirPlay 2. The technology is already on board, and as soon as the ongoing approval process at Apple is completed, AirPlay 2 will be available via the next firmware update.
AirPlay 2
AirPlay 2 is a step forward, because Apple smartphones and tablets can thus be used as an audio source within the Bluesound ecosystem. That goes beyond the sound of iOS apps like Youtube or Netflix play through any Bluesound device in the network. Apple Music subscribers can now also give voice commands to Siri to play a specific album or music genre in a given space. Adding one ‘Gen 2i’ device to an existing Bluesound system is sufficient to provide a complete BluOS system from AirPlay 2.
Generation 2i also has two-way Bluetooth on board that – even at the same time – can receive and send. This enables, among other things, wireless listening with a Bluetooth headset. With the equally new aptX HD Bluetooth, even better-than-CD quality audio can be streamed wirelessly in 24bit resolution. In addition, Generation 2i now has dual-band WiFi, which makes it possible to use the less heavily loaded and faster 5GHz home network, and the all-in-1 Pulse 2i, Pulse Mini 2i and Pulse Flex 2i new speakers, more powerful amplifiers and got the popular audio settings from the Soundbar. The Pulse 2i and Pulse Mini 2i can now be used as independent stereo speakers. The Powernode 2i has an additional combined toslink / 3.5mm optical / analog input and the Soundbar 2i has an HDMI input (with ARC and eARC).
Bluesound Launches Generation 2i – Prices and availability of
Bluesound Generation 2i is from 15 October 2018 available from the authorized Bluesound dealer.
| Bluesound Node 2i (black or white) | $849.00 | Buy from Amazon |   |
| Bluesound Powernode 2i (black or white) | $849.00 | Buy from Amazon | |
| Bluesound Vault 2i (black or white) | $1,249.00 | Buy from Amazon |   |
| Bluesound Pulse Mini 2i (black or white) | $699.00 | ||
| Bluesound Pulse 2i (black or white) | $799.00 | Buy from Amazon |   |
| Bluesound Pulse Flex 2i (black or white) | $799.00 | Buy from Amazon | |
| Bluesound Soundbar 2i (black or white) | $799.00 | Buy from Amazon | |
| Bluesound Sub 2i (black or white) | $799.00 | Buy from Amazon | |
