John Darko
Bluesound has begun rolling out Dirac Live support to its NODE streaming products. First to get the OTA firmware update is the NODE Icon (N530) and the 2024 NODE (N132).
Those wanting to avail themselves of this new functionality must additionally purchase a room-measurement microphone, a stand to hold the microphone in place and a Dirac Live license, available in three distinct flavours.
From the press release: “Dirac offers three different licenses for Live: (1) Dirac Live Limited, which corrects audio below 500 Hz (US$159); (2) Dirac Live Full, which corrects the full frequency range (US$249); and (3) an upgrade license from Limited to Full (US$99).”
Note that these Dirac Live licenses are device-specific and are available from Dirac.com.
You can buy a third-party microphone like the UMIK-1 or Bluesound’s own Room Calibration Kit.
Back to the press release: “The Bluesound Room Calibration Kit, includes a high-performance omni-directional microphone sensitive to the full audible frequency range (20 Hz to 20 kHz). It connects to any laptop via a USB-A 2.0 connector and features driverless operation for Windows and MacOS, as well as all Bluesound Dirac Live Ready products. Suggested retail price of the Kit is USD 39/GBP 39/EUR 45/CAD 59 and it can be purchased from authorized Bluesound dealers globally, or from Bluesound.com.”
However, what makes this news bigger than most will realise – at least at first glance – is that Bluesound has put Dirac Live’s digital filter processing before the D/A conversion stage in each NODE streamer. In other words, the room-compensated signal can be piped out of the NODE’s digital outputs and into an external DAC.
And with news that Dirac Live support for the NODE X (N131), NODE (N130), POWERNODE (N330), and POWERNODE EDGE (N230) will be rolling out before summer 2025, it might be prudent to snag a NODE X or N130 to leave more budget available for an external DAC.
The NODE NANO will not be getting the Dirac Live update, most likely due to its lower processing power.
Readers are advised that, in my experience, room correction software like Dirac Live will do next-to-nothing for reverb problems in the midrange and above. Reverb is caused by large surfaces like a room’s walls and ceiling reflecting/distorting indirect sound as it snookers around the room. This will almost certainly be the case with the room shown in Bluesound’s promotional photos (above).
Dirac Live’s talents lie in (partially) correcting a small room’s bass problems – and we all listen in small rooms – as well as improving the focus of the stereo image drawn by your loudspeakers.
Further information: Bluesound | Dirac Live
