STREAMERS
BLUESOUND POWERNODE EDGE
£599 / bluesound.com
Some folks think of Bluesound as a Sonos equivalent for those obsessed with superior sound quality. And this, unsurprisingly, often comes with a slightly higher price attached. Well, the Powernode Edge’s job is to twiddle that pricing knob a bit and open up Bluesound’s legendary chops to a slightly wider audience.
The premise is simple: you plug any passive speakers you like into the Powernode Edge and it turns them into smart streaming speakers. Yep, even those boxy old things from the ’80s in the loft. This means the Edge has a built-in amplifier, and it’s far more elegant and lounge-friendly than the average stereo hi-fi amp. It weighs just 1.37kg, is 219mm long, and has just about all the most important features of the long-standing, much-loved and higher-priced original Powernode.