Bluesound VAULT
Bluesound VAULT pairs a smooth, spacious presentation with the rare convenience of CD ripping, 2TB library storage and hi-res streaming. HiFi Choice highlights its controlled dynamics, believable soundstage and quick, detailed bass, while SoundStage Solo found BluOS notably stable and intuitive. With MQA playback and seamless multiroom expansion, it is an elegant hub for a growing digital-music home.
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Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
86/100
Build Quality
81/100
Features Usability
92/100
Value for Money
85/100
Pros
Smooth, dynamically controlled sound with a believable soundstage and fast, detailed bass.
CD ripping, 2TB internal storage and broad streaming support create an unusually complete music-server solution.
BluOS is stable, easy to use and highly effective for multiroom playback.
Cons
Its soundstage scale, visceral impact and bass depth trail some streaming rivals.
The internal drive can be audible, and selecting the digital input in BluOS is cumbersome.
Chromecast support is absent.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 86/100
The Vault 2i is described as smooth, spacious and dynamically capable, with a coherent presentation that avoids turning dense material into an edgy wall of sound. Its main sonic limitations are comparatively modest scale, ultimate spaciousness and bass depth against stronger streaming rivals.
Overall Sound
88/100
Hi-Fi Choice found a slick, believable and well-organised presentation, praising its dynamics, speed and detailed bass. SoundStage Solo similarly heard a bigger, smoother and harmonically richer sound than a MacBook-based source, with less harshness on brass, though Hi-Fi Choice notes that the largest recordings do not have the fullest visceral impact.
Digital Signal Integrity
84/100
The reviews confirm support for 24-bit/192kHz PCM, MQA playback and MQA Core decoding in software, including use with non-MQA DACs. Reviewers do not provide direct findings on clocking, jitter suppression, isolation or the quality of its coaxial digital output, so its digital-delivery engineering is less fully documented than its audible performance.
FEATURES USABILITY PERFORMANCE 92/100
This is an unusually complete music-server package: CD ripping, internal storage, multiroom capability and broad streaming support are paired with an app reviewers found stable and easy to master. Only the audible internal drive, awkward app selection of the digital input and lack of Chromecast meaningfully temper its convenience.
Streaming Software
92/100
SoundStage Solo calls BluOS rich, easy to start with and increasingly impressive for functionality, stability and usability; the reviewer experienced no crashes or operational hiccups. It also supports a broad ecosystem including Roon endpoint operation, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and voice-control options, although selecting the digital input in BluOS is said to be cumbersome.
Features Connectivity
92/100
The Vault combines a CD ripper and 2TB internal drive with analogue, optical and coaxial digital connections, headphone and subwoofer outputs, Ethernet, USB expansion and Bluetooth transmit/receive with aptX HD. Hi-Fi Choice identifies Chromecast as the notable omission, while the internal drive can be audible at times.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
81/100
Reviewers describe a compact, attractive unit with matte finishes, a rubberised-plastic exterior and neatly integrated top-panel controls. It is presented as practical and well suited to a Bluesound system, but the coverage offers little evidence of especially substantial construction, premium materials or long-term durability.
Value for Money
85/100
At the reviewed $1,199 price, Hi-Fi Choice notes that cheaper standalone storage players are available. Its appeal is stronger for buyers entering or expanding a BluOS multiroom setup, where the integrated ripping, storage and ecosystem support are described as thoughtfully conceived.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
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Specifications
- Supported File Formats
- MP3, AAC, WMA, OGG, WMA-L, ALAC, OPUSHi-Res formats - FLAC, MQA, WAV, AIFF
- Native Sampling Rates
- 32 - 192 kHz
- DAC
- 32-Bit, 192kHz
- Storage
- 2TB internal ultra-quiet hard-drive with low power consumption
- Bit Depths
- 16, 24
- Free Internet Radio
- Click Here
- Rip Formats
- FLAC, MP3 (320kbps), WAV selectable
- Supported Operating Systems
- Plays music from network shares on the following desktop operating systems: Microsoft Windows XP, 2000, Vista 7-10, Apple Macintosh 7-10
- Frequency Response
- 20-20 kHz +/-0.3dB; 50 kHz -3dB
- CD
- Slot-loading mechanism for ripping standard audio CDs
- Performance
- THD+N - 110dBADistortion - 0.005%
- Music Services
- Click Here
- Voice Control Integrations
- Amazon Alexa Skills
- 3rd-Party
- AirPlay 2Spotify Connect (also support for Spotify Lossless)Tidal ConnectRoon Ready
- Control Systems
- Control4, Crestron, URC, RTI, ELAN, Lutron
- Album Art
- JPG. PNG
- Network
- BluOS
- Bluetooth Quality
- Bluetooth with support for aptX® HD
- Power
- Universal bi-pin AC Cord input (100 - 240AC)
- USB Host
- iOS, Android, Windows, macOS
- Bluetooth Connectivity
- Two-Way (transmit & receive)
- Audio In
- Combo - TOSLINK / 3.5mm
- Audio Out
- Analog RCA Stereo with FIXED optionCoaxial RCATOSLINK digital opticalHeadphone 3.5mm StereoSubwoofer RCA12 Volt trigger out
- Mobile Operating System
- BluOS - Free Android and iOS App Available Online at Google Play and Apple App Store
- Pushbuttons
- Simple top-panel touch controls.
- Control
- IR learning remote capability
- Processor
- Dual-Core ARM® CORTEX™ A9, 1 GHz
- Unit Weight
- 1.84 kg / 4.05 lbs
- Storage Environment
- -10° C to 50° C, 20% to 80% relative humidity
- Gross Dimensions
- 220 x 90 x 192 mm8.7 x 3.54 x 7.55 in
- Power Consumption (Idle)
- 11 Watts
- Finish
- Available in White or Black Matte
- Operating Environment
- 0° C to 40° C
- Accessories
- 2x AC power cords (Europe & North America)Universal AC Power SupplyStereo RCA CableStereo 3.5mm mini-plug to RCA CableEthernet Cable
Manufacturer's Description — Bluesound
Rip it. Download it. Store it. The VAULT 2i lets you rip all your CDs in bit-perfect, high-resolution formats or copy your existing music library to the VAULT 2i’s hard drive. Hook it up to your existing sound system, or pair it with a set of powered speakers and stream your digital music collection in studio-quality.
- Store thousands of tracks on the VAULT 2i’s 2TB internal hard drive.
- Rip your CDs with bit perfect precision.
- USB ports to backup and restore your personal music collection.
- Innovative 1GHz dual-core ARM Cortex processors.
- Easily connect to wired home network for flawless streaming.
- Control music wirelessly with the intuitive BluOS Controller app.
- Control it with the optional Bluesound RC1 Remote Controller
- Stream your music libraries to multiple Bluesound players throughout the home.
- Connect Bluesound to your Amazon Echo with the skill in the Alexa app and use Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant to control Players around the home.
- AirPlay 2 lets you play music or podcasts from wireless stereo components throughout your house — all in sync.
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Bluesound VAULT
- Holt Hill — online and in-store — Andover, Massachusetts, United States (website)
- In Living Stereo — in-store — New York City, New York, United States (website)
- Resolution A/V — in-store — New York City, New York, United States (website)
- The Music Room — online and in-store — Erie, Colorado, United States (website)
- Aalen Hifi — in-store — Schwäbisch Gmünd, Baden-Wurtemberg, Germany (website)
- Absolute Audio - Canada — in-store — Calgary, Alberta, Canada (website)
- Abt Electronics — online and in-store — Glenview, Illinois, United States (website)
- Acoustic Technologies — online and in-store — Montréal, Québec, Canada (website)
- Ahead Stereo — in-store — Los Angeles, California, United States (website)
- ALAIN CHOUKROUN — online and in-store — Paris, Île-de-France, France (website)
and 346 more verified dealers