Innuos as Core and Streamer for digital solution w Roon

If you are looking for the best sound with an Innuos product you wont get there with Roon.  The Innuos Sense App - which is a free server / player like Roon is custom made for their hardware. 

Sense sounds way better than Roon. 

If you are committed to Roon as a Server use the Experimental Mode with Innuos, it is better than Roon.

And, I agree running the Roon Server/Core on a different machine is better- I bought a used Antipodes Core for that because it is engineered to be an audio server.  Now I use the Core as a NAS, it integrated with the Sense app easily.

If you are thinking of using Roons DSP it won't run well on an Innuos product, not enough CPU power, you will need a server.  

I have the INnuos Zenith Mk3.  I run my core on a seperate NUC with ROCK on it.  I've read that the core is better off on it's own machine. 

Realize that you can't use Roon with Aurender.  

Jerry

Bob, do you think there’s a noticeable improvement from Mini to Zen M3

I tried Aurender, but ended up going with the Innuos.

Zen Mini MK3, and Zen 3 are in my systems. Both work perfectly with Roon.

Like most things digital, going up the ladder means improved resolution. But, if you are constrained by finances, the Zen Mini is very capable. You can forgo the external power supply by using a really good power cable like the Audioquest Thunder/Tornado/Hurricane(though it probably costs as much). And using resolving USB cables like the AQ Diamond also upgrade the sound.

I really hate pushing more and more expensive items, but, from my old ears, you really do enhance the sound quality when you add these 'tweaks'.

Bob

Also, I tried the Zen Mini and didn’t find it to much better than the Node. 
I would at least try their Zen MK3 if not Zenith. The SQ difference is quite substantial between Zen Mini and Zen. 

Yes, it will work very nicely as a Roon core provided you dont do a lot of DSP in Roon.
I owned the Zenith MK3 and loved it. 
While it did Roon quite well but IMO their own Sense software is even better sonically. 
you get the best of both worlds really.