Darn, I missed your comments in_shore. I glad you did find (like me) the Zenith Phoenix combo worthwhile. What DAC did you pair it with?
Innuos Zenith Mk3 vs Zen Mk3 + Phoenix
In a perfect world I would have the funds for a Zenith M3 and Phoenix, but I don’t.
I’ve read somewhere that the Innuos Zen 3 with Phoenix sounds better than the Zenith by itself. Has anyone here heard this comparison particularly on the same system and can describe your observations?
By going with Zen + Phoenix it’s about 25% more than a solo Zenith, so from a value proposition is the combo appreciably better, and the extra money spent worth it? Or is it wiser to buy the Zenith, If the different is small then perhaps add a Phoenix later if budget permits?
I’ve read somewhere that the Innuos Zen 3 with Phoenix sounds better than the Zenith by itself. Has anyone here heard this comparison particularly on the same system and can describe your observations?
By going with Zen + Phoenix it’s about 25% more than a solo Zenith, so from a value proposition is the combo appreciably better, and the extra money spent worth it? Or is it wiser to buy the Zenith, If the different is small then perhaps add a Phoenix later if budget permits?
Showing 6 responses by ianderson
@jsqt Yes, it is about taking concert pitch A=440, and lowering it to 432. This means the whole song is dropped via a DSP. They say it’s more natural and pleasing to the ear and that concert pitch at some point in the past was 432. I suppose whats good about it is you can turn it on or off via a setting and see if you’d like it. |
Thanks for the feedback guys! This question predicated on the fact my local dealer just took on the line and his initial order started with a Zen and Zen-Mini. The Zen has broken in and sounds very good, knowing the price difference to the Zenith, it great to hear there there is a lot of value in that move and the SQ improvement is well justified. i reached out to experienced dealer (Dave from Audio Doctor) and explained I was in Canada and in spite of the fact he can’t sell up here, he was gracious enough to spend 40 minutes with me explaining the differences. He’s got a ton of experience, has a lot of lines to compare with, and he confirmed what you guys are saying, the SQ is much better with the Zenith and it’s worth the extra cost. A special thanks to Dave for helping when he had no chance of selling me an Innuos product, by provided me an passionate unbiased view of the digital market space. I’ve heard the online show demos with and without the Phoenix and on a decent set of earbuds I can hear the SQ improvement. I just wish I could have afforded the Phoenix at the same time. I’d also prefer to see Innuos build the Phoenix capability into a Zenith deluxe. When you consider the outboard device forces you to add another USB & Power cable it can add significantly to the investment. As a result of all the consistent feedback, I’ll order the Zenith. Thanks everyone! |
Antigrunge, What clock did you go with? Perhaps a Mutec, or a Cybershaft? I’ve been doing some in depth reading and learning about them. Having a reference clock synced up to the DAC, Server/Renderer, and network switch seems to make sense. Is that what you’re doing? My benchmark for 1) the amount I was investing 2) the pieces I was eyeballing didn’t lead my thinking to a reference clock before my purchase, particularly since none of these pieces has a reference clock input. I did end up buying the Phoenix, And even at a halfway house it is a very appreciable difference and worth the investment to me. It was an easy choice because, I qualified for a special discount courtesy of Innuos promotion - I’m very pleased with the SQ. Particularly when I’ve got my dealers Aqua DAC in the rig (I have an Ayre Codex currently) I suspect the Aqua has a decent clock in it. When one adds up the investment price is for a good digital rig, and when I compare the system (with Aqua La Scala) to my VPI table / Dynavector cartridge, the vinyl is less than 1/3 of the price and it’s still measurably better. This digital stuff is a massive rabbit hole that keeps evolving. At least at this point it’s worth listening to, as all my previous digital attempts were hard on my ears. I’m grateful it evolved thus far. It’s good enough for the living room system where my wife and daughter can operate it with ease. I can enjoy it too when I’m feeling lazy, or it’s background music for dinner time etc.. I’ll stick with Master tape and Vinyl in the dedicated room. Did you do anything with a network switch? I’m thinking that aside from the DAC upgrade, my next investment should be a etherregen, or SoTM switch perhaps. Continued feedback is encouraged everyone. Thanks! |
antigrunge, Musicians used to hear A=432 for a very long time. It is said to be more natural. Here is a little bit of background: https://www.mindvibrations.com/432-hz/ If someone can build a box that will play it both ways and people appreciate it and prefer it, so be it. I’m from the camp that anytime one transforms a digital signal, we introduce more distortions. So is the Evo 432 brand product was the best sounding music server even at a=440, then I wouldn’t care. I’m just chasing sound quality. As a guitar player who has gotten used to a=440, my ears have been tuned there for years. For me it a little weird. Besides, I play in different keys most of the time anyways. In the end it doesn’t make either right or wrong, just different and a personal choice and there is nothing wrong with that. |