It could be reductive to call the Bluesound Powernode Edge a smaller, more affordable, cut-down version of the five-star Bluesound Powernode (2021) system, but it’s not far from the truth.
This model offers network streaming smarts, a complement of connectivity and amplification in a very neat and compact box to which you just need to add speakers. It couldn’t be simpler – and it’s the most affordable just-add-speakers all-in-one system that we have yet seen.
Canadian brand Bluesound has a knack for creating modern-looking boxes that fit and blend into any space, yet still offer a wealth of streaming connections and great sound quality. But this is fast becoming a fiercely fought category.
The art of downsizing
Looking at the two Bluesound Powernode units side-by-side, the difference is obvious. The double-decker look of the Powernode (2021) is out, the Powernode Edge is a single-storey unit. It’s tiny. It looks more like a space-age modem than the traditional just-addspeakers all-in-one system we are used to seeing from the likes of Naim, Marantz and Cambridge Audio.
What is still familiar is the ultracompact design and uncluttered aesthetics that Bluesound has preferred throughout its products. The upshot of this is that the Powernode Edge is a unit that can sit anywhere in small rooms.
The unit itself is well built, too. There’s no physical remote included, but there are basic touch controls for playing, pausing, skipping tracks and changing volume on the front panel. They all respond well, and we particularly like the subtle fade in/out effect when pausing or resuming play.
Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av What Hi-Fi UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av What Hi-Fi UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
YG Acoustics Carmel 3
\"These speakers thump out low notes with real venom and a scarcely believable amount of muscle\"
SME Model 20 Mk 2/Series V
EXPENSIVE, YES. BUT YOU KNOW YOU WANT THEM
STARRING PARTNERS
Each of the elements in our selection of AV systems puts in a performance worthy of top billing
MATCH FIT
Our ten recommended hi-fi systems are guaranteed to play together beautifully
CAN MINI LED BEAT OLED IN 2024?
2024 was meant to be a big year for Mini LED TVs, but all the signs suggest OLED's dominance isn't going anywhere
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
Samsung's latest foldable smartphone is a portable AV delight
JBL Live Beam 3
Fancy some buds with a difference? Try these
Triangle Capella
Neat and talented but not quite a rounded package
Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air
Sometimes little goes a long, long way
Hisense U8N (65U8N)
Hisense's latest premium Mini LED TV takes the fight to OLED with mixed results