Amazon Music Connect Function coming to BlueSound??
Answered
Hi there,
I love the BlueSound Node and have been using the BluOS app to connect to my Amazon Music account. Are there any plans to work with Amazon to get them to add a Connect function right to their app similar to Tidal, Spotify etc? The BluOS is ok but I do find it a little clunky and would prefer to connect directly from the Amazon App.
Any updates here?
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Any progress or updates??
Having been a Bluesound owner/supporter thru 3 generations of the Node and Powernode, when it came time to look at the X generation, I gave the WiiMPro a trial and was pleasantly surprised. Match that with the Tidal price increase and a well timed Amazon Unlimited free 4mos trial… I’ve taken the trial and migrated to the Amazonian HiRes universe. BluOS interface with Amazon is awful, however.
WiiM Pro’s Amazon Connect capability with bit perfect digital output (how I use my streamers), a decent UI, customer support, frequent updates - all at 1/5 the cost has me questioning continuing (let alone staying) in the BluOSphere… just saying.
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As you'll see from their earlier response, I think Bluesound have dug their heels in and don't intend to provide lossless bit perfect casting from the Amazon Music app to their devices. I don't understand their reticence and their explanation - they appear to put the onus back on Amazon to develop the API they already use (I haven't seen any indication this will happen), and for some reason are averse to use the MRM stack the WiiM/Linkplay have successfully implemented and which others like Naim who were mentioned earlier in the thread are investigating. It's a pity...
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Hi gents, after over a year of usage and hating the app for integration with Amazon music; I’ve bought the eversolo streamer/dac. Now I know it doesn’t support direct play but at the least it has better mirroring of apps.
Good luck to you all on this Amazon bandwagon.
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I am an audiophile junkie and have been using Bluesound node streamer with Anthem integrated amp and B&W 805 D4s with the full awareness that the DAC is not up there. I really love everything about this device except for the UX when used with Amazon HD Music. UX is terrible and ancient, to put it mildly! I will call the BS on Bluesound complaining about API. But can understand the fear of losing control of the device besides sharing $ with a major player. It is inevitable that another device will natively support Amazon Music app while matching/beating on quality and features, it is tech after all. Seems like a strategic mistake on Bluesound's part. I hope Bluesound and Amazon music can work something out. I was looking to upgrade to the new node but I will sadly have to move on, too bad!
Edit: Ordered a WiiM Pro based on the reviews/feedback.1 -
Wiim is the only other software I am aware supports casting directly from the amp with lossless quality.
Otherwise you are left with using the native app. So it's not like there are all these choices. If that is the single function you are looking for, then the answer is clear. You need to buy a Wiim mini/pro. There really are no other options.
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@Invenio, Ty. Looking for alternates. I compromised on sound quality with Bluesound Node for the convenience and mostly issue-free upgrades and streaming, although I had to power-cycle a few times. But I am unable to get over the inability to directly and naturally use the Amazon Music app. That app feels so stupid every time I use, it is 2023!
Btw, this whole thing sounds silly and reminds me of how Microsoft dragged their feet on supporting office on Apple/Mac. Once they got over the hump, it worked out really well for both.
ps: I have to add, i did not by Bluesound node for the DAC (and don't use it), only for streaming.0 -
I use an external dac as well. The build quality and output options on the node are much better than wiim. I own both.
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I own both as well. Yes, build quality is better on Bluesound, without doubt. At 4-5 times the cost. Not like the WiiM is junk, either. The only difference in outputs that matters to me is sub out. Again at 4-5 times the cost. And from what I understand, WiiM is at work to address that. I use them as digital transports. Actual sound - which is what’s important - is indistinguishable. And WiiM supports Amazon/Alexa Connect direct casting. At one fifth the cost. WiiM software/app comparable to BluOS in user friendliness. A disruptor just as Bluesound was when it appeared. If you’re after a pure digital transport, it’s hard to argue with…
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@nstya
Wiim Mini only has optical out for digital output and neither does the mini or pro have usb output. Again, as an owner of the Wiim mini, it really does feel like junk. It is super light and feels of less quality than my $25 amazon echo. But it works for what I need it to do and it is cheaper than a node.
At the end of the day, these are all less than $1,000 options so fairly inexpensive audio equipment (in the audiophile world). The cheapest component in my system is the wiim mini,... the 2nd cheapest,.. the node. I think both are good bargains for what you get. And both have their pros and cons.
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I never expected the wiim to do what the node or other higher quality streamers do for the very simple reason that it's so cheap. My biggest gripe with it personally has been how buggy their software is. For a time, they were releasing firmware weekly and it would fix some bugs and introduce others. There was a 2 month period or so late last year where they introduced distortion into the output.
I was actually the first person to report it as I advised them that for some reason amazon played via wiim sounded significantly worse than on the node. They pretty much ignored this and a 1-2 weeks later when it was confirmed via audio analysis testing on another forum site, they finally took it seriously. Low and behold there was a bug in the EQ settings (even when it was off). But it took them over a month to fix it. The wiim developers essentially do not do any software testing themselves and just release firmware and rely on the community to report any bugs.
Wiim is a cheap Chinese company that makes a cheap audio product at an unbeatable price. They push out a lot of features quickly and in a rather sloppy fashion. But that has pros and cons. It is what it is, bad and the good.
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Low and behold there was a bug in the EQ settings (even when it was off). But it took them over a month to fix it.
I'd say a month is brilliant.
By contrast I have outstanding bug reports for the Node 2 that are years old.
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Yeah, but that audio bug in the Wiim made the device's main function (playing music) worthless. Not sure what bug reports you have for the node but I presume you can still "play music without distortion." Every piece of software has some bugs. But not all of them equal in severity.
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For years I have complained to both BlueSound and Amazon regarding the BlueOS UI, both blaming the other, for the way my Amazon library is displayed in the BlueOS app. I now blame only BlueSound. My complaint has been that with the BlueOS Android phone app albums are displayed with album title only, without the accompanying artist name. Should you have multiple albums with the same name they would display one after the other and have only a miniscule pinprick of album art thumbnail to tell them apart. God forbid you collect multiple "greatest hits' albums. You have to select and play a song before you get to see who the artist is. This doesn't happen with Sonos, and BlueOS even shows you both album name and artist when displaying recently played selections. Each and every BlueOS update adds zero functionality and fixes none of the annoying problems.
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I have just stumbled across this discussion and thought I would add my solution to problems encountered with the BluOs app. I was initially pleased with the new recent updated version but I then experienced issues when searching for songs on Amazon Music Unlimited with failure to find the music and sometimes with annoying messages telling me to try again which never worked! The app always seems to be sluggish even though I have a reliable strong Wi Fi signal. I then decided to connect my Wiim Mini via optical to my Powernode 2i by way of experiment and the results have been amazing. The Wiim Mini app is constantly being updated and is very fast and responsive with no difficulty in finding music. The best part for me is that for the first time ever I am actually enjoying using Alexa voice search through the link with an Amazon Echo Dot directly to the Wiim Mini. I now have a choice of walking into my listening room and requesting music by voice command without having to specify a room name or by Alexa cast after searching in the Amazon Music app. The Wiim Mini app confirms the playback as lossless or high resolution up to the highest at 192 and it sounds great so I am a happy bunny! An inexpensive solution to a music headache! Hope this helps 😊
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