Bluesound
The Bluesound Node and NAD CI 980 form a classic pairing in the world of custom-installed, multi-room audio. The Node acts as the smart, high-resolution streaming source, while the CI 980 provides the clean, reliable amplification needed to drive multiple pairs of speakers across different zones. Together, they offer a flexible and high-quality solution for distributing music throughout a home.
The Bluesound Node is a versatile network streamer and preamplifier that sits at the heart of a modern hi-fi or multi-room system. It is renowned for its BluOS operating system, which is widely considered one of the most stable and responsive multi-room control platforms available .
Streaming & Connectivity: The Node provides access to a vast array of streaming services like TIDAL, Qobuz, Spotify, and Amazon Music, as well as internet radio and local music libraries. It supports high-resolution audio and is Roon Ready, AirPlay 2 compatible, and features two-way Bluetooth.
Flexible Preamplifier: It offers both fixed and variable outputs. You can use it as a traditional source with a fixed volume, or as a preamplifier with variable volume control, allowing you to connect it directly to a power amplifier (like the CI 980) and control the volume for that zone via the BluOS app.
The Node includes an HDMI eARC port, making it easy to integrate TV audio into your system. It also has advanced settings in the app, such as a subwoofer crossover and auto-sense input switching, which are particularly useful for custom installations.
The Muscle for Multi-Room. The NAD CI 980 is a purpose-built, 8-channel power amplifier designed for custom installation (CI) and multi-zone audio systems. Its design prioritizes reliability, flexibility, and clean power.
Power & Configuration: It delivers 8 channels of power at 50 watts per channel (into 8 ohms), configured as four stereo zones. It can also be bridged to provide four channels of 120 watts each for more demanding speakers . Each zone can be set to receive either a global (same music everywhere) or local (different music per zone) input, giving you immense flexibility.
Built for rack mounting (2U height), the CI 980 features Phoenix-style speaker connectors that make wiring clean and secure. It has thermostatically controlled cooling fans to ensure reliability even in enclosed spaces, and it can be triggered to turn on automatically via a 12V signal or audio sensing.
Pure Amplification: Unlike some installation amps that include digital signal processing (DSP), the CI 980 is a pure analog amplifier. This is often seen as an advantage for audiophiles, as it avoids unnecessary analog-to-digital conversions, allowing the sound quality of the source (like the Bluesound Node) to shine through.
Pairing a Bluesound Node with an NAD CI 980 creates a powerful and elegant multi-room system. The Node provides the modern streaming interface and high-quality DAC, while the CI 980 delivers the robust, multi-zone power.
You can connect the Bluesound Node to one of the CI 980's inputs. By setting the Node's output to "variable," you can use the BluOS app on an iPad to control the volume and music selection in that specific zone. For other zones, you might use additional Nodes or a multi-zone streamer like the NAD CI 580, a 4-zone BluOS network music player.
The CI 980's auto-sensing turn-on and robust cooling make it ideal for being tucked away in a rack or cabinet, while the Node's stable BluOS platform ensures the user experience remains smooth and responsive .
It's worth noting that NAD and Bluesound are sister brands under the Lenbrook group, and they share the BluOS ecosystem. This means they are designed to work together seamlessly, though the CI 980 is a traditional analog amplifier and does not have BluOS built-in itself.
A custom installation combining the Ostom IC640T in ceiling speakers, the NAD CI 980 multi-channel power amplifier, and the Bluesound Node high-res streamer delivers exceptionally clean, audiophile-grade architectural audio performance. This setup transitions from typical ambient background music into a highly detailed, punchy, and dynamic listening experience.
The results? Warm, low-distortion amplification. The NAD CI 980 provides 50 watts per channel (at 8 ohms) of highly stable, ultra-low distortion power (<0.03% THD). NAD is globally renowned for its conservative power ratings and signature warm, full-bodied sonic profile. It grips the speakers with excellent control, ensuring that even when multiple zones are driven simultaneously, the sound remains dynamic and lacks the sterile harshness typical of lesser multi-zone amps. Rich and wide streaming foundation, serving as the brain, the Bluesound Node feeds the system with up to 24-bit/192kHz lossless audio via the BluOS platform. Sonically, the Node's digital-to-analog stage provides a notably rich, airy, and wide soundstage that maps beautifully to architectural configurations.
Acoustic Clarity and Focused Staging: The Ostom IC640T ceiling speaker features a 6.5-inch coaxial woofer paired with a 1-inch tiltable tweeter. By physically angling the tweeter toward the primary seating area, custom installers bypass traditional ceiling placement flaws like wall-bounced echoes (comb filtering) and phase cancellation. As a result, the mid-to-high frequencies remain exceptionally crisp, vocals sound natural and well-centered, and music preserves its sharp, localized detail.
Balanced, Room-Filling Dispersion, with a wide dispersion pattern and a high 92dB sensitivity, the speakers require very little effort from the NAD amp to fill large, open-plan spaces. The frequency response scales cleanly from 52Hz to 20kHz, offering an impressively smooth transition across the spectrum.
Wilayah AV Solutions in the authorized custom install premium dealer for the products. Contact us to discuss your project.