Award-Winning Bluesound Node N130 2021 Hi-Res Music Streamer

Award-Winning Bluesound Node N130 2021 Hi-Res Music Streamer

Winner of the What Hi-Fi? 2022 Award for Best music streamer £400–£800.

The Bluesound Node (2021), model N130, is the third-generation streaming powerhouse from Bluesound — designed and engineered in Pickering, Ontario by Lenbrook Industries (the Canadian parent of NAD, PSB, and Bluesound), and offered here in excellent working condition with the complete original packaging, manuals, and accessories.

The Node N130 is the model that re-established Bluesound’s authority in the high-performance streaming market — a substantial rework of the much-loved Node 2i with a more powerful quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor, a redesigned audiophile-grade 32-bit/384 kHz DAC stage, native MQA Studio decoding, expanded connectivity, and a beautifully refined capacitive touch-panel on the top of the unit. The result is a streamer that delivers genuinely audiophile sound quality while making access to virtually every music streaming service in the world as simple as opening an app.

Connectivity is exceptional and one of the principal reasons reviewers and owners alike rate the N130 so highly. The unit accepts wired Ethernet, dual-band 5 GHz Wi-Fi, aptX HD Bluetooth (both directions — receive from a phone, or transmit to wireless headphones), Apple AirPlay 2, and a USB-A input for connected drives. Outputs cover analog stereo RCA, 3.5 mm minijack with subwoofer-out option, optical/coaxial digital, USB-A digital out for connecting to an external DAC, and — uniquely in this generation — a full-spec HDMI eARC input that lets the Node take audio directly from a modern television and play it through your hi-fi system, turning the N130 into the brain of a stereo-plus-TV setup.

The internal DAC is built around a high-resolution 32-bit/384 kHz architecture and supports every meaningful streaming format — Tidal (including MQA), Qobuz Hi-Res, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music HD, Deezer, Apple Music (via AirPlay), Roon Ready, and dozens more. The BluOS Controller app for iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows is widely regarded as one of the cleanest, fastest, and most stable streaming control apps on the market — and BluOS continues to receive regular feature and security updates from Lenbrook, ensuring the N130 will remain a current, supported product for years to come.

Sound quality is outstanding for the price class: detailed, textured bass, a clean and articulate midrange, and a high frequency presentation with genuine resolution and air. What Hi-Fi? described the 2021 Node as the streamer that “reasserts Bluesound’s authority in the budget music streamer market,” and it remains a benchmark recommendation for anyone adding modern streaming to a quality stereo system.

This particular unit is presented in excellent condition, fully tested, and includes the complete original packaging — the box, the inner foam, the printed materials, and the supplied accessories (analog audio cable and regional power cord/plug) — which is genuinely uncommon for used units in the secondhand market and supports both buyer confidence and shipping protection.

Specifications

Model: Bluesound Node N130 (Generation 3, “2021”)

Internal DAC: 32-bit / 384 kHz audiophile DAC stage with native MQA Studio decoding

Processor: Quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 (1.8 GHz)

Wireless: Dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 / 5 GHz), aptX HD Bluetooth 5.0 bidirectional, Apple AirPlay 2

Wired network: Gigabit Ethernet

Inputs: HDMI eARC, optical TOSLINK / 3.5 mm minijack combo, USB-A

Outputs: Stereo RCA analog, 3.5 mm minijack (with subwoofer-out option), coaxial digital RCA, optical TOSLINK, USB-A digital output, headphone (3.5 mm)

Streaming services: Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music HD, Deezer, Apple Music (via AirPlay 2), Internet Radio, plus many more

Roon Ready: Yes

File support: MP3, AAC, WMA, OGG, ALAC, FLAC, MQA, WAV, AIFF up to 24-bit / 192 kHz

Top-panel control: Capacitive touch panel with proximity sensor and configurable presets

Voice control: Compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri (via AirPlay)

Power: External low-voltage supply (region-specific cord supplied)

Finish: Matte black

Includes: Original box, inner packaging, printed manual, analog audio cable, regional power cord/plug

Dimensions (W x H x D): 8.7 x 1.8 x 5.8 inches (220 x 46 x 146 mm)
Weight: 2.7 lbs (1.2 kg)

A class-leading, award-winning hi-res streamer with the BluOS ecosystem behind it — a meaningful upgrade for any quality stereo system, easy to live with, and offered here complete in its original packaging at a fraction of replacement cost.

Backed by Radique Audio’s 90-day warranty and our perpetual trade-back policy, you can purchase with confidence.