| Post removed |
No problems with the app whatsoever. I use Nordost Brahma on my Zenith Mk3 with good results. On USB Intona Reference plus Isolator have proven to be the gold standard. Use the shortest possible cables. I have a Ginkgo isolation platform under it: very worthwhile. Pay special attention to your ethernet connection: consider Etherregen plus additional filters unless you can go fiber directly into the Etherregen.
Enjoy! |
I have an Elrod Silver PC on a MKII and have tried a few others - they all provided an upgrade from stock, IMO. I agree 100% with antigrunge2 - isolation seemed to yield great benefit as well. I tried Isoacoustic and Stillpoints and actually ended up using Cardas Myrtle Wood blocks as I preferred them the best. The Phoenix was the largest upgrade I have made and highly recommend it. Happy listening! |
Thanks for the input! I completely agree that isolation is pivotal. Cable Comaony recommended Shunyata Venom V14 Power Cord via their lending program. 2) It has a filter - actual noise reduction built in. I've tried digital PC for my front end in the past. I was not impressed. The PC had a filter as well . Rolled off the high frequencies. Refarding Ethernet I find it hard to fathom there is a difference with SQ. It's something I'd have to try. Though definitely skeptical. Regarding break in time. I'll guess running nonstop for a week? How long on average did things take to settle for your units? |
Good to know the app is stable. I heard it was a toss in the past before their own in house coding was provided. I took the Pepsi challenge. Most everyone has stated theire is a notable difference with the Mk 3. I'm not expecting night and day. Though hoping for more of everything. Perhaps I'll just save up for a very good used top loader via Aes or Spdif. My best, J |
I've had good luck with the "Sense" app and Innuos seems to be working on more features, better SQ and stability with each update. I was using Roon which is super nice IMO. I have an active license until March of next year but will not renue as I am quite happy with Sense. Currently Sense is not integrated with music services as tightly as Roon and does not have the features of Roon but the team at Innuos are getting closer with every update. WRT power cords it is still a work in progress, tried a few different USBs and settled on AQ Diamond. |
I looked up Sense on iOS. I did not come across it. I use an audio quest carbon as a back up. I heard the diamond is quite good. I guess sense is a subscription service How long did it take for your innuos to reach optimum sound quality? Capacitors breaking in and such. Do you leave it on 24/7? The unit is n.i.b. Looking for a ball park figure... Thank you, J
|
Sense is free, I am an Android user but did a quick search and saw that there is a client downlaod for ipad. I've had my Zenith for over a year and a half so I don't remember the exact breakin but it was better than the Bluesound Vault I was using right out of the box and I seem to remember an improvement after 25-30 hours? I do leave the unit on 24/7 unless I know I am not going to be listening for a few days. |
I think you'll like the Zenith Mk3. For me, it was a vast improvment over the Zen Mini. I found that Stillpoint Ultra Mini's worked better than Iso Acoustic Orea's under the Zenith. Far and away the largest improvement I heard came from adding an Uptone Audio EtherRegen with Supra Cat8 ethernet cables between the wall jack and the Mk3. I use a USBePerfect USB filter and an Underwood Silver USB cable between the Zenith and DAC. I too leave the Zenith on 24-7 but reboot every two weeks or so. Because of DSP, I use Roon. When I tried it, however, Sense worked very well. Enjoy |
I have a Zenith MK3 and I'm using it with an ENO filter and Silnote Epirus Reference cable. I also tried it with Curios Cable and didn't hear any difference between the two. Audio Envy Mega 3 power cord. I'm also wondering how long it takes the Zenith to break-in? I remembered reading around 200 hours somewhere. Perhaps @antigrunge2 @grannyring can shed some light. Also, do you guys keep it on all the time (I'm talking about the front power switch)? |
I just found out from the sales team whom is selling the unit states about two weeks 24/7 for full break in. I’ll just put a playlist on repeat. What I find hard to fathom.. it’s 2021 and jitter has not been eliminated yet? I’ll be running the Zen into a Yggdrasil. Both units have an isolated/dedicated USB port. From what I understand digital music was never meant to be played via usb. The intended standard was Spdif. Supposedly in order for the Yggdrasil - for best sound quality. Aes / Usb / Spdif .. that order leaves me beffudled by the engineers at Schitt. As a counterpoint. If both units have an isolated / specialized usb input, Then why have recloclers? The phoenix makes a bit of sense with the LPS. Though I feel for the price it should have offered 3 outputs. Aes, Spdif, and Usb. I2S as a special bonus. Ha! Oh wait I2S will come with the phoenix 2.........
For the life of me I fail to find the sense app for iOS. May someone provide a link please. How does sense rival the Innuos in house app?
Thanks again, J |
I have owned the model you are buying since 1/21. Paid $2,200 new for mine. How much are they now?
Tips above are good. I use a Shunyata USB connector. $150?
Main issue for you is using a hardwired CAT 6-8 line. Or better is fiber optical. No WiFi.
I bought the Uptone Audio Etheregen $600 and it improved SQ Nicely. Hot little sucker though. I expect it to burn out in a year or 2.
Break in should be 100-200 hours.
What is your DAC/Speakers/etc?
|
only 2,849! Insert sarcasm. That tends to be the median price these days. I think I will be the minority where I will not be streaming on this unit. Strictly rips and lossless files. Current system.... Herron line stage VTSP-3A RO-3 Schitt Yggdrasil - would like to obtain a Briscati M3 Aci Saphire XL stand mount speakers. I had the Special 40’s. I thought they sounded like a warm marshmallow. Too much speaker resonance. Lack of proper bracing and too light in weight. The speakers that I use are over 14 years old. If not more and are over 22 pounds each. A very inert / solid speaker. Quite a modest system. Though proud to have acquired what I utilize so far. The Zen Mark 3 will be replacing a MacBook Pro. |
I jumped from Zenith MK3 to Statement. A reasonable step in between should be the Phoenix, but considering more cables and extra outlets and just lucky money on hand, I followed my dealers advice :) The jump is very large .... not only the price!!! Ran it with Roon until Innuos started with the 2.0 software. Roon definitely wins in connection to other music via text and links, creating an extension of your musical knowledge and enjoyment. Innuos is ok for connections to all sources (internal disk, Qobuz, Tidal, Internet Radio) and has a good generic search machine. But I would have stuck with Roon, if the sound quality of the Innuos software was not so much better ... using internal hardware features, which Roon ignores. Am still afraid, that the Innuos software will get to be a similar disaster like the Melco was. So far, they are somewhat excused due to the éarly stage. But their service responses were not existing for me and I still have problems :( And yes, it the Innuos server will get better over a few weeks burn-in, which is much easier with 24/7 than amps or speakers :) ENJOY !!! I am using Tellurium Q Ultra Silver USB and LessLoss powercable and LessLoss device feet "Bindbreakers" |
| Post removed |
Congrats with the Statement! I think most would be quite content with a Zenith. I would like to preface that I'm completely new to servers/streamers... I do know that when you are importing music. To obtain the artwork, and other data you must connect the Zen to the lan.Ethernet. Rj45. Though what I'm most curious about. Once all is imported, playlist set. Can I use my tablet to interact with the Zen to listen to specific tracks.. withouth being connected to the internet? Like I had mentioned. I very rarely use any streaming services at home. If not connected to the internet. Does the tablet connect via Bluetooth to select music that's already installed. I could care less at the moment if tidal is not connected. I'm hoping to have basic connectivity between tablet and server. Without having a cat 6 being constantly utilized just to select imported / ripped music. J |
Sorry to say this, but to my knowledge, there is no Bluetooth and you can only communicate via Ethernet (and indirect via WLAN). And of course USB data stream. So your tablet can communicate via WLAN and your server has to have some Ethernet connection which has to be connected to the WLAN. There is an offline mode for the server, which seems to only block communication from the server to external sources on the Internet. So you can play without Internet connection, but you should know the IP address in your network and this network has to be active. And the biggest disappointment might be, that you cannot just play music from the Innuos server to your iPad. It is supposed to have one defined player (your DAC) via USB. There is an option to access from sources like iPad, TV or whatever via UPnP .... sorry, am not a specialist for this. Usually, you will connect to your NAS (network attached storage = file service) like this (UPnP) for playing music. Hope somebody else can tell you more. I just use with my DAC ... Good luck. Don’t be disappointed, if it works in a different way, than you expected, but it is definitely an excellent device for what it was intended for by the designer.
|
I just received from the cable company library system Shunyata Research Digital V14 Venom powercord Synergistic Research 12 AWG Foundation powercord
Since the Zen has not arrived yet, I’ll be testing these on my DAC,, I’ll note some impressions after a couple of dsys.. @chorus - thanks you for the kind words. What Streamer are you considering at the 8k mark? @antigrunge2 the Nordost Brahma locks quite impressive. I saw one used for around 500.00 At this point of time the Shunyata is within the chain. After an hour it reached room temperature. Opened up a little bit.. though it’s beyond dark. Very recessed as I had suspected. Though I’ll give it 24 hours with reference tracks. I’ll try best to keep an open mind...
J |
I am getting a Zenith MK3 next week. This is my second foray with Innuos. I did it again this time intrigued by the new Sense app, and the reported improvements it brings to the SQ vs. Roon. Will see.
I plan to use a Zavfino Prima MK2 power cord for it, and Zavfino Majestic USB cable. Already at hand. My Ethernet switch is Ediscreation Silent Extreme |
@thyname - interesting cables. Thank you for the mention. What was your prior innuos? After 3 hours of respected recordings, and poor recordings as used for reference. The shunyata was pulled... it might be great for a sprout... Though it does not bring any improved dynamics in my apartment. I know all settles within 24 hours though the veiled highs were frustrating I wanted to turn off the system. Switched the Synergistic Research 12 AWG Foundation power cord. Immediate difference. The cables are broken in already. I don't think I would have heard much difference within the next 20 hours...
Back to the main topic at hand. My router is about a good 17 feet from my system. I could build a mesh network. Though I don't like repeaters near my living room nor bedroom for a multitude of reasons. I'll have to neatly run the cat 6E in the kitchen through the wall into my living room. What we do for the pursuit,,,,,, I guess it was more feasible to attain the Zenith then to add the Phoenix? J |
@jred Zavfino cables are truly outstanding cables at a very affordable price. There is very popular thread in here on Zavfino. I have owned many cables over the years, from almost all most popular brands in existence. I know exactly what I say. Of course for my ears only. The first time around with MK3 series at launch, I briefly had the Zen MK3. It had a defect, so I swapped to Zenith MK3 with my dealer. Then several months later, I upgraded to the Statement. The Statement is obviously very good, but IMO the Zenith was plenty good, and the sweet spot in the lineup. I also had the Phoenix USB for a brief period before the Statement upgrade. Good stuff. And the support from Nuno at Innuos is outstanding |
@thyname ... good information. I noticed Esoteric, and T&A as your system. The statement would obviously be a good match. Thread is getting a bit long so I’ll mention again.
Pass Labs xa-25 Herron line stage VTSP-3A RO-3 Schitt Yggdrasil The Zen mk3.. not Zenith will be replacing my MacBook pro as server/ripper.. Considering the listed components will the Zen be a good match, or perhaps cross over to a Zenith. Without the Phoenix. My budget allows me to go so far. Zenith might be a squeeze of a purchase. J |
I have a Zenith MK2 sitting on Ingress Engineering roller blocks. I'm using it with a 0.6m Wireworld Platinum Starlight 8 USB cable into a Matrix X-SPDIF 2 and a 0.7m i2s cable into my PS Audio DSD DAC. I've been using Roon for a number of years; I think Sense SQ is much better in every respect. I'm disappointed with the Sense to Tidal integration because few of my personal playlist were ported over, and some of the Tidal playlists don't show up correctly. On the other hand, all of my Qobuz playlists were ported over. For critical listening in my basement music room, I use Sense. I run Roon core from a mac-mini for whole house and backyard stereo, and when I want to listed to one of my Tidal playlists in my music room. Sense integration issues aside, I'm quite happy with my Zenith setup. |
I am myself guilty of impatience @jred , but I think you are a little ahead of yourself as you have yet to receive your ZEN. Just take your time, enjoy what you (will) have, then proceed with upgrades down the road if so inclined, curious, and if budget allows. The ZEN will undoubtedly be a very substantial upgrade as a server / streamer compared to a general purpose computer. You are doing everything possible to prepare for it, including getting the cables and peripherals, thinking about wiring, and so forth. Sometimes we just have to learn to be happy, even for just a while, and enjoy what we have, without thinking too much for what can be better, woulda shouldas |
@thyname Agreed. To live in the moment. Though I do not want to be penny wise dollar foolish. Purchasing, Then to resell later to Zenith status could potentially transpire. In attempt I’m trying to future proof the system. Yes. There will always be the next best thing especially in the digital realm. Pass xa-25... I don’t see that moving anytime soon. Unless I can audition a 30.8 for a week straight with no financial consequence. The Herron linestage has held its ground, Yes. I’d love to get the 360. Though its still doing a excellent job. Digital front end as we all know is the equivalent of driving a new car off the lot. To continue. Here is an interesting example of how we all might have wasted time and money. Tried a carbon usb. Thought it was ok. Though lacking. Went for a Twl usb cord. Not the best match. Though better.. Before both USB cords purchased Curious was on my list. Though at that time. One would rarely see a used in the wilds. Finally obtained a used curious and I’m content. Standard audiophile nervosa of questioning a first / second tier product to another. I’d rather just make one purchase and be done with it. I’ve noticed many on this thread started with a mini or a zen, and went up the chain. Yes. You learn alot from plug and play. Though at the same time. Why potentially avoid the inevitable. For myself there has to be a balance of obtaining equipment. Though at the same time balancing that with building a physical library. I usually purchase two albums a week ( cd/vinyl/lossless ) to keep things fresh.
Sometimes I wish my Mom never introduced me to Coltrane when I was 5 years old. I would have been happy with insipid top 40 music. Played lossy on a soundbar.... ha! Yes. We all can be snobs. I’m simply transparent regarding that factor. |
I’ve been reading about the Innuos Phoenix USB component lately. The results seem to be all over the map with some reporting a noticeable improvement while others didn’t notice much of a difference. Obviously a lot depends on the rest of the chain. One person reported that adding the Phoenix to his Zenith MK3 closed the gap considerably between the Zenith and Statement. According to him, Statement was still superior but the Phoenix goes a long way in improving an already excellent streamer/server. On the other hand, one youtube reviewer (13th Note Hifi Reviews) didn't find it impressive. At first, the price seemed rather steep for what it is but after I started to factor in the alternative -- switches (like Etherregen), LPS, reclocker (with its own LPS), power cords, connectors, etc., the Phoenix suddenly does not look so bad. Plus it’s all packaged in a nice tidy single box that will aesthetically match my Zenith MK3. I would appreciate it if someone who has tried the Zenith + Phoenix combo can chime in. Also, I completely understand that the Phoenix is not a transformative, magical product in the sense that it will turn a frog into a prince. It will improve upon an already great baseline. But still I’d love to hear from folks with first hand experience. |
Roon vs Innuos Sense app :- https://community.roonlabs.com/t/having-problems-with-roon-with-innuos-zenith/169710 Roon does not seem to synergise with Innuos. |
