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At first glance, the spec sheets look similar – Bluesound’s commitment tohi-res audio, including losslessMQA, is still a major selling point – but the company has upgraded components across the board in an attempt to design the ultimate hi-fi-ready multi-room speaker. The PULSE M delivers lush, rich, room-filling sound at nearly all angles. Its Omni-Hybrid™ driver design includes an upfiring woofer and two tweeters mounted at 45 degree angles from each other. The PULSE M is not only pleasing to the ears but also the eyes – its elliptical shape adds an elegant accent to any home. Wiring it into our reference system, it is clear that this is a different animal altogether to its predecessor. While its richness across the frequencies is retained, the soundstage appears more open, with even more granular detail fed in. As we’ve noted, the Bluesound is at the top end of both size and price for a speaker of this nature. The good news is that in terms of pure room filling ability, it isn’t at any disadvantage to twin chassis rivals. At one third of its output, the Pulse 2i isn’t ‘loud for a one box’ it’s a genuinely visceral sounding thing. My test phase with the Bluesound coincided with the latest release from Paula Temple, Edge of Everything. This is Techno with a capital ‘T’, a cross between club music and two machines having a fight. Normally, something like the Bluesound would not be my go-to device for this sort of thing but it does a fine job. The 2021 Zeppelin propels its way onto this list with streaming options aplenty, exceptional sound quality and Alexa built-in. Apple AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect are both supported, while the easy-to-use B&W Music app allows you to integrate subscriptions to Qobuz, Tidal and more.
Digital amplifier and custom-tuned drivers energize your music with deep, detailed bass and no distortion. In terms of build, though, you’d be hard pushed to spot the difference between the Bluesound Pulse Soundbar+ and its forebear, the Soundbar 2i. There is now a new centre strip on the front face with touch controls for volume and power, though, and either side of this sits a pair of 25mm tweeters, 5cm midrange drivers and 10cm woofers, with a matching passive radiator behind a tight aluminium grille. All the drivers are front-facing and, being larger in diameter than those in most competing models, give the Pulse Soundbar+ its distinctive slim, tapered-but-tall build. Outwardly, the Pulse 2i mirrors its predecessor, but beneath the surface it's a different being altogether. The previous driver configuration of two 7cm drivers and a single 13cm bass unit has been swapped for a pair of 25mm tweeters and two 13cm bass drivers. Most impressive, though, is the detail on offer. The substantial girth and presence of the midrange is dense with insight, laying out the timbre and tone of voices as competently as it renders the crashes and intensity of high-octane action.The PULSE FLEX 2i is a versatile, high-res Bluetooth speaker that delivers true wireless portability and the best in audio performance. Place two in any room, pair them together for stereo sound, or even take one with you to the park. It’s our smallest speaker that lets you enjoy streaming great-sounding music in every corner of your home. Audio Pro’s emergencein the multi-room market is a part of why Bluesound has lost a star overall. There are still reasons why you might be prepared to spend a good deal more to buy Bluesound, though.
The Pulse 2i’s more muscular character makes for a startling first impression. This isn’t a small unit by any stretch, but it belies its physical heft to deliver a weight and scale of sound that easily fills our listening room. It pulls no punches when it comes to its dramatic and impressively detailed low end. Combining portability and multi-purpose functionality, this complete PA system for singers can be used for both practice sessions and live performances. Its easy and instant setup makes it perfect for permanent use in your studio or for concerts in small venues, such as pubs.With an effects loop, you can choose to connect your effect pedals and processors for a more professional and full band setup. The effect dial allows you to select which channel you want these effects to be present on. You’ll make your own mind up about the merits (or otherwise) of the Bluesound Pulse M where aesthetics are concerned, as well as its physical suitability for the purpose you have in mind for your nice new wireless speaker. But you can be assured right here and now that this is a high-achieving, high-performance speaker that sounds its money’s worth in virtually every respect. Unsurprisingly, pretty much every soundbar is marketed as if it's equally well-equipped for music and movies. Of course, that's rarely, if ever, the case, and our expectations were that the Bluesound Pulse Soundbar+ might, thanks to its large, forward-firing drivers, lose some ground to the best in class on movie sound but beat them with music. Meanwhile, the Virtualizer is said to simulate more substantive speaker layouts, giving the listener a wider soundstage and the ‘effect’ of height. It’s a little disconcerting that if the Virtualizer isn’t engaged, then Dolby Atmos content will not be decoded as such. We’d prefer Atmos be supported by default rather than requiring activation in a frustratingly located sub-menu. In fact, we'd really like to see a 'pure' or 'native' option added so that stereo plays in stereo, surround plays in surround, and Atmos plays in Atmos.
What’s most striking is the improvement in this streamer’s organisation, timing and dynamic expression. There is greater life to the performance as well; the Node 2i shows not only an increased level of expression but also enthusiasm. Below it, however, the Pulse Flex 2i (above) and Pulse Mini 2i have undergone tweaks rather than a full makeover. Bluesound’s focus here has been on upgrading connectivity, with otherwise comparatively minimal tweaks to performance, to maintain its original character. The best wireless speakers deliver exceptional audio quality in your lounge, kitchen or bedroom, and while playing music remains their primary function, the more advanced among them deliver an array of useful features. We ensure that all connection options be they physical or wireless are put through their paces equally and that any features found in a companion app are thoroughly explored. Any EQ presets are critically analysed and we create our own EQs to evaluate the effectiveness of in-app graphic equalisers.However, it blends these seamlessly with its more modern wireless and Bluetooth streaming features and is delightfully designed, borrowing heavily from the radiograms that were popular with affluent families in post-War Britain.
The Pulse is built around four drivers and is a stereo product insofar as the left and right channels are handled separately. Each channel gets a 25mm tweeter and a 133mm mid bass driver. The amplification is class D and there is a dedicated amp per driver. In the case of the larger drivers, you get 65 watts while the tweeters have 10. There are no radiators or bass ports which should ensure that placement is a relatively simple too. Bluesound is at pains to stress that the arrangement of the drivers and amps is ‘direct’ - that is to say more in keeping with an active speaker with the crossover in front of the amps and the amps direct coupled to the speakers. This promises the best efficiency possible and gives some hope that the impressive claimed frequency response of 45Hz to 20kHz is achieved. Control music wirelessly with the intuitive BluOS Controller app for iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, and Windows & Mac OS X desktops. That’s just one of a number of inputs, with the Mu-so 2nd Gen also housing a 3.5mm analogue input, USB Type-A port and Optical SPDIF. Sonically, it’s a powerhouse across the frequency range and can reach extremely high levels of volume with no noticeable drop-off in quality or clarity. There’s no support for voice assistants but the Mu-so 2nd Gen is a room-filling wonder of a wireless speaker.Unlike its predecessor, the 2nd Gen comes with a handy remote, although you can also control the speaker via the Naim Audio app on your smartphone. With connection flexibility, sensational sound and a compact, cuboid design, the Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation cements its position as one of the best wireless speakers around. This also extends to the soundstage. Now, this is a thorny area because ultimately, as a single chassis product, the Pulse 2i isn’t really capable of generating a stereo image. It does, however, manage to avoid the most obvious perception of the sound coming from a single place. The louder you can run it, the better this effect gets although it does start to harden up a little once you’re really pushing it. It might be best to view the Pulse 2i as a room filling sounding speaker though - it will always lose out to a stereo pair but sat off axis in a lounge it will ensure that every occupant receives a reasonable facsimile of the music being played. The Gen 2 model listed here added increased memory and updated the speaker’s processor but it’s otherwise identical to the original, which sounds great wherever you position it thanks to Sonos’ TruePlay feature, which tunes the EQ automatically according to the resonances of your room. The effects aren’t always dramatic but Trueplay always manages to improve the Sonos One’s already impressive audio output.
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