Innuos Zenith Mk3 Ultra-low Noise USB Audio Output, Really?

@martin-andersen This is exactly my issue with many off the shelf servers, motherboard is noisy environment. A top tier server will have usb coming off nice card like Pink Faun or JCAT, or perhaps some proprietary scheme.

I modded my server for second ethernet port, this port goes out to FMC, far superior to prior usb off motherboard into dac. Ethernet out was also superior prior to fiber conversion scheme I use now.

@rixthetrick You're present usb out is likely superior to Zenith usb port. The Innuos Phoenixusb exists because Innuos knows their Zen usb out can be improved upon.

Sounds to me like you have a pretty nice server already, you'd have to reach higher than Zen to beat what you already have. You have top line USB and optimized Windows set up, you need to set your sights higher to ensure you're making upgrade. Sounds like you have some form of atx motherboard server, atx motherboards are basis of some of the highest end off shelf and diy servers.

FMC is fiber media converter, TPLink MC200 is example of one, my Sonore Opticalrendu is optimized FMC.

@martin-andersen This sounds very close to my planned diy music server. I'm mostly waiting to determine how much processing engine I'll need. If I decide on using HQPlayer with high levels of dsp will need much, if not this not much concern.

I don't like Roon dsp. Tried pcm to dsd 256  again last night, smoother than pcm, but that smoothing sounds artificial to me. Even worse that smoothing is in fact loss of resolution, the smoothing is loss of transients, also lose sense of recording venue. If HQPlayer anything like this, won't be for me. Reportedly, it plays at much higher level than Roon dsp, we shall see.

@rixthetrick Audiophilestyle forum is my go to for all things in streaming realm. Guys there have much experience in everything from beginning to sota streaming. I'm using them as resource for upcoming diy server build, one of the builds over there trying to mimic Taiko Extreme.

Yes, two courses on processing front, lowest would theoretically inject less noise into motherboard, but negate ability to use dsp. High level processing more noise,  but dsp capable. I'm not sure which way to go at this point, depends if I care for dsp. I'll soon experience high level HQPlayer processing on a diy high end server build on another guy's system, hopefully, I'll be able to try in my system. This will inform as to which direction I go on my own build. Thus far I don't like Roon dsp,

I don't doubt you can improve on your setup, but how and at what cost? I'd say in general terms we can't diy servers at Taiko Extreme or Wadax level, but we can do better than vast majority of off the shelf servers. The better diy servers I see over on Audiophilestyle, which may cost in vicinity of $5k-$7k should compete with much higher cost off the shelf. Austinpop over at that forum has been mentor to me, started at my level of server, now owns Taiko Extreme. He made incremental moves with diy, finally went all out with Taiko Extreme, too rich for me! '

My plan, depending on processing power is diy in realm of $5k max. Per your statement above, forward moving technology may make any present server at least somewhat obsolete in future, just depends how long in future.