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Bluesound, the high-performance, hi-res audio-centric multiroom audio system, introduced its Gen 2 model line in New York this week and included something budget-minded audiophiles can rally around: a $299 standalone speaker designed by PSB celebrity speaker designer Paul Barton.

The Pulse Flex (far right in the photo) is one of six products in the new line up, which includes updated replacements for four original Bluesound products (now designated with the numeral 2 in their model names), plus two new powered tabletop speaker systems. Among them:

• Node 2 ($499), a preamp/player module that offers connectivity of network and non-streaming music sources and can turn an existing sound system into a Bluesound zone
• Powernode2 ($799), essentially a Node 2 with a revamped Class D stereo power amplifier that can be used to connect any pair of high quality bookshelf or even tower speakers to the system
• Vault 2 ($1,199), an update for the Vault CD ripper/storage component that includes expanded 2 TB memory
• Pulse 2 ($699), an updated Pulse tabletop speaker that remains the largest of the standalone 2.1-channel Bluesound speakers
• Pulse Mini ($499), a smaller version of the Pulse intended to still offer high quality 2.1-channel reproduction, but with a smaller footprint and cabinet to fit into more spaces around the home
• Pulse Flex ($299), a two-channel mini-monitor that offers a flexible cabinet design with a canted back that rests vertically, horizontally straight on or at an angle up or down, or in corners, and also offers the option of an add-on battery pack for portable use

Video: Greg Stidsen, director of technology and product planning, walks us through the new Bluesound line:

Additionally, the BluOS control app has received a significant Gen2 update that adds a variety of features, including a new widget that can be easily accessed from a smartphone’s home screen to activate favorite presets without first booting the app.

Product highlights include a new ultrafast 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 CPU chip for the Node 2, Powernode 2, and Vault 2, and improved connectivity for these three that includes both coax and optical digital outputs for feeding an outboard DAC or other device. All the products now have both optical and analog inputs and aptX Bluetooth to allow easy capture of streams from smartphones and tablets, as well as a convenient headphone output. There are 192 kHz/32-bit DACs in all but the Pulse Mini and Pulse Flex. The speakers all have five assignable preset buttons on their control panels to instantly access favorite streams or playlists, a smart convenience feature first introduced by Bose in its SoundTouch multiroom system but not seen in competitive systems until now.

A noteworthy new feature, found in all but the Pulse Flex, is an IR sensor that can learn the volume remote codes from your TV or set-top box remote to control volume of a Bluesound speaker connected to the optical or analog output of a TV.

All the speakers were designed by Paul Barton of Bluesound sister company PSB, and Bluesound officials said the Pulse Flex likely borrows from work Barton did for PSB’s Alpha PS1 powered desktop monitors. The Flex shares a similarly sized 3.5-inch woofer but boasts a 1-inch dome tweeter compared with the PS1’s 0.75-inch driver. The Flex’s optional rechargable battery pack will ship with a carry case for the speaker and offers 8 hours of playtime on a full charge, though pricing and availability were not released.

More information is available at bluesound.com.