Pulse Plus ACTIVE40PRO-WH 5 Inches Active Speakers (Pair), 40W RMS, White

Product Information

There’s a flip-side to this arrangement, though - and that’s the slightly vague nature of the (admittedly very large) soundstage it creates. It’s just not the most explicitly defined - different instrumental strands or occurrences in a recording don’t stay in their lane quite as strictly as they should, and there can be some overlap and smearing. It’s not especially pronounced, you understand, and far from fatal - but it’s a factor nevertheless. Group two PULSE FLEX 2i’s with the PULSE SOUNDBAR + or POWERNODE and create a wireless surround sound system with dedicated rear channels.

In fact, there is probably cleaner, more pronounced detail across the frequency range emitting from this new model, the Pulse 2i making use of its newly installed tweeters for a presentation that is in line with Bluesound’s characteristic body and warmth without dialling out any of the treble. Arcam’s rPlaystreamer, in particular, offered improved sound in a compact unit at a substantially lower price. Consequently, the Node 2 dropped from five stars to three. Getting digital audio information on board in the first place is most easily done wirelessly, of course. Dual-band Wi-Fi is available, as well as Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX HD codec compatibility - and in addition there’s Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect. The Pulse M is Roon Ready, and as well as acting as a Bluetooth receiver it can be a transmitter and so can be used with wireless headphones.

What is the Pulse 2i?

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. The same thing applies to streaming standards. The best wireless speakers will support a range of these so you can send audio directly from your phone, tablet or laptop over your home Wi-Fi network to your wireless speaker. The big three standards are Spotify Connect, Google Cast, and Apple AirPlay but others such as DTS Play-Fi and, for audiophiles, Roon Ready support are worth looking out for as well. Three main listening modes can be engaged – music, movie and late-night – and there are two upmixing options that can be toggled on and off. Bluesound says that the Surround Upmixer takes any channel-based audio and synthesises it to a multi-channel Dolby surround configuration intended to make use of a set-up that includes the optional surrounds and sub.

Of that power, 50W is used to drive an upward-firing 133mm mid/bass driver that sits behind an acoustic reflector that’s shaped to disperse the driver’s higher frequencies as far and wide as possible. It’s accompanied by a couple of 19mm tweeters driven by 15W of power each - they’re angled out at 45-degrees from each other in a further effort to create as wide a soundstage as possible. Bluesound calls this layout ‘omni-hybrid’. This would seem to be the first Bluesound speaker that ‘design’ has happened to - until now, the company’s speakers have been staunchly utilitarian lookers. But the Pulse M is built (and to an impeccable standard) from a combination of high-quality plastic and acoustic cloth for its main body, with a glass surface for its top-plate. It’s a welcome advance in Bluesound’s thinking. DSP smart amplifier and Omni-Hybrid™ driver arrangement are meticulously engineered to deliver clear, lush audio at nearly every listening angle

This recess at the rear includes inputs for HDMI eARC, optical, 3.5mm analogue and USB A, as well as an ethernet port and RCA output for an external sub. The Bluesound Pulse Soundbar+ can also connect wirelessly, via a dedicated wi-fi module, to a pair of Pulse Flex 2i speakers for surround sound and/or a Pulse Sub+ for extra bass.

While it's worth experimenting, we feel the Bluesound is most musical when its upmixing is switched off, but even then it's trumped by the Sonos Arc which, while noticeably more processed in its delivery, is punchier, better organised and more engaging overall. Verdict The Pulse M is compatible with every worthwhile digital audio file type (MP3, WAV, FLAC, MQA and so on) as well as quite a few less worthy alternatives. The crucial digital-to-analogue conversion process is handled by a DAC chipset with 24bit/192kHz native resolution.We regularly test new releases and keep this list up to date with the best wireless speakers available. If you need a bit of additional help working out what to look for when choosing a wireless speaker, you’ll find a comprehensive buying guide prior to the list of entries. Best wireless speaker: At a glance Other features include support for music streaming services Spotify Connect, Tidal and Roon, in addition to Google Cast and Apple AirPlay 2. When we named Bluesound’s second generation ourmulti-room Product of the Year in 2015,t­heNode 2was an integral component. Given the lengthy period of time since, however, it was of little surprise that other manufacturers not only caught up, but surpassed the Node 2’s performance. Bluesound has also added some bonus features to its streamer, including that dual-band wi-fi and two-way Bluetooth, as well as a faster processor for an all-round more intuitive user experience.