So far, the Pulse 2i is not RAAT certified but it does not make a difference in terms of integration and sound quality. The Pulse 2i literally just picks up where the Pulse 2 was and moves forward. Yes, it is important for the Pulse 2i to be RAAT certified but I am not worried about the progress. It will happen.
The Pulse 2i has a couple more bugs that are more pressing that need to be worked out. Namely, the Pulse 2i automatically switches back and forth between, “TV, Stereo, and Movie” modes in the Bluesound app. Each mode significantly effects sound quality. When I’m listening to music in “Stereo” mode, the Pulse 2i will randomly switch to “TV” mode and I constantly have to go back into the app and switch it back to “Stereo” mode. It’s crucial that Bluesound fixes this glitch and not knowing about this to begin with colored my initial review. I bet this glitch colored the HiFi review as well. It is frustrating indeed.
I want to write a follow-up, long term listening review of the Pulse 2i now that I know the problem. The good news is that I would give the Pulse 2i even higher praise than I did in my initial review. Bluesound did a superb job at extending the bass and the highs while keeping that sweet midrange. The bass goes much deeper than I had originally reported (probably because the speaker had accidentally switched to “TV” mode and I had not noticed).
Right out of the box, the Pulse 2i is vexing. Most people will not see that the 2i is an improvement on the Pulse 2. It took me awhile to figure out but the Pulse 2i is most definitely a big improvement on the Pulse 2. Things to remember: 1) Get the equalizer set correctly. 2) Dial in the “Stereo” mode. 3) Set the speaker to “Wide”. 4) Let the speaker burn-in for a couple of weeks. 5) Get proper source material. Do these things and the Pulse 2i will shine.
Stay tuned for a more detailed follow up review…