Room Nucleus+ vs what for dCS

Mahler we have tested running an Innous Statement in a different room via Ethernet 

vs

Innous Zenith in another room connected to a Dac via USB and the remote connection. The Statement sounded far better.

This test proved that a superior data stream beats a direct connection via USB

We then ran the same test Ethernet direct from the Innous Zenith to the Krell K300i and compared via Roon that data stream vs the remote Ethenrent stream from the Statement, again the Statement sounded better.

The take away is that a better data stream with less noise sounds better  and creates a must more analog sound out of a digital 

Dave and Troy 
Audio Doctor NJ Innous dealers 

Mayor we have tested exaclty that and even located in a differenrent room other ethernet the signal sounded better than the Innous Zenith feeding the Krell K300i via the Zeniths isolated and filtered output.

I know it sound impossible but the facts are that a better signal even being feed through the network gives you better sound.

The Statement does a better job of cleaing and packeting the data and sending it on its way over the network.

Digital is very sensitive to noise. 

We would recommend that you try the Innous product and you can try a direct USB and Ethernet connection to the DCS you may find the DCS sounds better being driven by USB.

Don't see the advantage of not keeping the server next to the DCS in the rack. 

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ Innous dealers

Another point we would not recommend a Roon Nuclues we passed on the product after it came out due to it basically being an off the shelf Intel Nuc put into a a better case with a more advanced power supply in the case of the Roon +.

Compare this product to the Innous Zen at the same price as the Plus

Custom designed low noise motherboard
Ethernet Noise filter incomming
Ethernet Noise filter output to a streaming Dac
Low noise Intel industrial processor
EMI/RFI sheilding
Very advanced multi rail power supply designed by Dr. Sean Jacobs a noted designer specializing in digital design
Incoming power supply filter 
CD burner built in
Designed as a Roon Core 
Constant firmware upgrades at Innous continues to develop their platform

Even the Aurender product line does not offer these features, we have had them and they are excellent products with the exception of no upsampling or cross conversion through Roon, 

We feel that many people will really get a huge upgrade in terms of being able to upconvert Tidal or Qbouz from even 24 bit 192k native data stream to DSD or higher rates of PCM such as 384k and higher depending on driver and dac.

When you combine all of these factors the Innous product makes a very strong case as being the market leader at the price point

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ Innous dealers

Mayor you are making a ton of assumptions.

DCS’s network bridge is decent but in most cases the built in network card is not as good as feeding the unit externally from USB. We have seen this time and time again, the advantages of the internal card should outweigh any external box but we have seen it.

We have the $37k T+A SDV 3100 one of the worlds most technologically advanced dacs in fact in terms of raw technology this piece is far more advanced than any current DCS Dac including the Vivaldi.

The T+A SD 3100 is the world’s only dac that can accept DSD 1024 as a native input via USB, the input card is a 100% in house designed high speed USB input card, yes many dac’s can process DSD 1024 but they internally upncovert the incoming data which isn’t that difficult the problem, is haivng a fast enough data throughput which requires a 100% custom solution, hence none of the other manufacturers including EMM Labs has invested the time and resources to develop their own input receiver most companies use XMOS.

The SD 3100 has a built in Roon compattible network streamer and we are running it through the filtered ethernet connection as well as USB and USB trumps it everytime also allowing for DSD 128,256 and 512 to be implemented via HQ player or Roon where the network steam can not handle the higher sampling rates just like the Bartok so it can only be assumed that most networks aren’t fast enough to handle these higher sampling rates

The Bartok can only handle data rates upto 24bit 384k and DSD 128k quite frankly this is dissapointing on a 2020 cira piece of expensive digital you should be able to handle any high res data source, however, this does not negage that DCS does build a very good piece of hardware.

If you ever get a chance to hear upsampled DSD to 512 it will open your ears to what digital can sound like it isn’t subtitle to sounds like really good analog.

As per Ethenet being better we have a client with your exact setup DCS Bartok and he has the Statement and his DCS Bartok sounds better being feed via the Statements USB output then from Ethernet

With digital there is no right or wrong you need to play with these things for themselves.

As per the Roon Nuclues we would never sell them they are vastly inferior to the Innous Zen which is the same price as the Roon Nucl Plus.

The Zen uses a custom motherboard,
has a built in powerline filter,
incoming ethernet noise filter,
has a filtered ethernet output to power a  streamer/dac,
has constantly evolving firmware,
a custom dual rail power supply by Dr. Sean Jacobs an expert in digital power supply design, 
use a low noise industrial Intel processor,
it even has a built in CD burner.


vs

Roon Nucleus an Intel Nuc computer in a nice case with a linear power supply of some kind.

Roon is a software company vs Innous which is a hardware engineering company.

You really need to borrow an Innous server and try these things for yourself. We can send you a demo Zenith and or Statment you will quickly see how much better your Bartok can sound.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ Innous dealers

Mayor it is much harder to get to become an innous dealer so you will see far fewer Innous dealers vs Roon which are sold even on line. Also considering that you are in Canada we can’t sell you an Innous product even if we wanted to.

As per DCS or their dealers endorsing the Roon product could it be that perhaps they are afraid to recommend that the DCS’s products are not immune to the signal being feed to them and shattering their image of being the best in digital?  The other issue is that an inexpensive Roon Nucleus makes for an easier DCS purchase you don't need a really top server just use a cheap server and you are good to go.

We have talked with many customer who were not in love with the Nucleus and moved on.  As mentioned above we have elucidated all the reasons we would pick an Innous over the Roon product. 

The reality is that some people like DCS others do not, most of the DCS products are very detailed and tend to be an overly complicated product line with outboard upsamplers required as well as clocks. They do tend to throw a big soundstage with great clarity but also tend to be a bit lean in the midrange compared to the Lumin X1 or Aqua Hifi products or other R2R ladder based Dacs.

The Innous products are hardly under powered and can easily process large libraries.

Why don’t you find a local Innous dealer and test the Zen vs the Nucleus Plus and then try a Zenith and see for yourself. Run both with both a high end usb cable and ethernet and see which you prefer, we find with a really good server that USB on an Innous will beat Ethernet transmission, that is not always the case with all dac’s

The only ones saying that the Zen or Zenith are under powered don’t understand that Innous chose the most powerful processor with the least almont of noise generated by the chip running at the highest speed it can run at.

Sfseay you can easily run the highest sampling frequencies via USB, as well.

As per saying that ethernet is better we have a client with the Bartok and Statement and he prefers the USB by a mile even over the Statements very high quality ethernet output.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ Innous dealers

Mayor arent you in Canada? As per non dealer opinion there aren't that many here that have this kind of experience, we can reach out to our client who has the Statment runs it USB into his Bartok and see if he would like to reply.

If you are in the States we can ship you a demo Zenith to play with or if you are doing business or visiting NY we are a quick jump from the City and you can hear them at our shop.

As per Audio Visions boy that is totally shitty it is amazing they stay in business. 

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ Innous dealers