Bluesound PULSE M - Its small, and its good
David Farrage: "The unique omni-hybrid driver array was originally placed parallel to the ground, but a 5.25 inch woofer, although powerful, is a large component for a tabletop speaker. By angling the woofer at 25˚ together with the custom deflector, we reduced the footprint about 1” front to back. By virtue of this geometry, the PULSE M obtained its pure elliptical form factor"
The form therefore is derived by the functional positioning of the driver which also benefits the PULSE M’s acoustic soundstage. Angled at 45˚ from one another and perpendicular to the elliptical surface is a pair of tweeters complementing the delivery of the expansive soundstage to all corners of the living space. The elliptical form expresses the omni-directional sound that emits from the PULSE M.
The Pulse M has an internal woofer and two tweeters — these are angled outward at 45 degrees, giving it the ability to reproduce stereo.
“The driver complement is really looking at lifestyle of the end user. Not
everybody has the quality time to sit down and watch a movie or listen to a
beautiful sound. People are dynamically moving around their space.”
Controls
A set of touch controls for playback, volume, and five favorite presets adorn the top panel. These stay dark until they sense your hand approach, which is a fun trick.
Listen to hi-rez over WiFi using the BluOS apps to some top hi-res and lossless services like Tidal or Amazon Music.
Listen to Apple Music, YouTube Music, Pandora, and Soundcloud via AirPlay or Bluetooth.
Connections
Where the Pulse M really stands apart is its impressive support for accessories. On the back panel, right above the power input, you’ll find a gigabit Ethernet jack, a USB-A port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a combo 3.5mm analog/digital optical input.
Plug in a turntable, or connect your TV for a (better?) alternative to a Soundbar.
When you tack on the speaker’s ability to accept dual Bluetooth connections for audio input and output, it absolutely crushes any other multiroom speaker at this price — you won’t find this level of flexibility on any Sonos or Bose product. Better yet, anything that’s connected to these inputs can be shared across any other Bluesound products you may have in your home.
Pairing two Pulse M for Stereo
EASY TO PAIR The PULSE M can also be paired to create a true two-channel listening experience with an ultra-wide soundstage, even at off-axis listening angles.
Pulse M can be applied as rear channel speakers for NAD M10, Powernode or Bluesound Soundbar
TV watchers, movie enthusiasts, and gamers can use PULSE Ms as rear surrounds in a Bluesound home theater group to create a truly immersive experience. The speaker can be grouped with other players in a Bluesound ecosystem to deliver hi-res, multi-room audio to one or many rooms, simultaneously.
Reviews
Why I swapped Sonos for Bluesound by HiFiWiFi
Award; Best Bluetooth Speaker
“Bluesound has impressed us before with its POWERNODE streaming amp and PULSE FLEX speakers. Now it is back with the latest speaker to add to your Bluesound ecosystem; the impressive PULSE M.”
Specifications
- 80 Watts Total System Power
- Omni-Hybrid™ Speaker Design
- 5 Programmable Quick-touch Presets
- Proximity Sensing Touch Controls
- Optical & Analog Audio Combo Input
- Quad-Core 1.8 GHz ARM® Cortex™A53 Processor o BluOS™ Wireless Muti-Room Platform
- Stereo Pair and Home Theater Grouping
- MQA and Hi-Res Music Streaming
- Airplay 2 Integration
- Works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
- Dual-Band Wi-Fi + Gigabit Ethernet
- Two-Way aptX™ HD Bluetooth
- Wired & Wireless Headphone Output
- Wireless Subwoofer Output
- IR Remote Learning Capability
- Simple Wall and Stand Mounting System
- Black or White Finish
- Dimensions - 8" H (204mm), 5 7/8" D (149mm), and 6 3/4"(171mm) W
- Placement flexibility is available with the optional WM230 wall mount accessory and FS230 adjustable floor stands.
