Streamer/Server to replace Innuos Zenith

@jmphotography if you are using your Zenith Mk3 as your Roon core server, this will be pertinent: I am a former user and owner of an Innuos Zenith Mk3 and PhoenixUSB. During the winter 2020 pandemic as a DIY project and experiment and after I watched the John Darko YouTube video on how to build a NUC for your Roon core, I decided to build a miniPC to serve as a Roon Core server and see what happened and how it compares to the Zenith Mk3. I was using my Zenith Mk3 as my Roon core server. Roon remote was crashing all the time. I could not do any DSP in Roon without crashing. SQ when the thing was operating was good. I built an Azulle Inspire i5 mini pc (which is like an Intel NUC) and installed 32GB RAM and a 256 GB M.2 SSD. These are beyond the specs of the Zenith Mk3 and Roon’s specs. As a streamer I used a Sonore UltraRendu. The combination of the miniPC and the Sonore produced better SQ, more stable Roon Remote functionality with no crashing and no problems with DSP. I also used the miniPC with a Lumin U1 Mini. Same thing. The Azulle was fanless. So it made no noise. I Etherneted it into my SOtM switch in my listening room. I have since built and sold a few of these Azulle miniPC to colleagues on usaudiomart and they are beyond happy. I sold the one I made for myself and built an even better miniPC for myself. I built an Intel NUC10 (10th Gen) i7 with 32GB RAM and 256 GB M.2 SSD and placed it in an Akasa Turing fanless case. It is powered by an LPS though likely the LPS is not needed. Again I am using the LUMIN U1 Mini with the SBooster mod and using an SBooster LPS. The SQ is terrific. Roon Remote runs perfect. DSP is great. I sold my Zenith Mk3 and PhoenixUSB which saved me thousands. It is my belief based on my real world comparisons and experience per above that Innuos’s assertion that they use low spec components is a bunch of bull. They do it because it is cheap. This may also be why Roon doesn’t fully support Innuos. Innuos’ gear in my opinion is overhyped and not worth the money. Others here may disagree. But based on my actual experience, this is my conclusion. Do yourself a favor. Built a NUC Roon server. It’s easy. Use a separate streamer and try it out for yourself. If you like it, you just saved yourself thousands of $. If not, return all the components to Amazon. Easy. 

Is the Innuos Sense app supposed to be a Roon alternative? 

Ok. Well that is of no use to me as I am dedicated to Roon and very happy with Roon. 

I want to clarify my prior comments about Innuos:
1. I want to also confirm that in my journey with Innuos that their tech support people were responsive and detail oriented. I have no issues with Innuos support. 2. My motivation was in helping others. I went to AXPONA and spent time in the Innuos room. I spoke with the reps and listened to the Zen, Zenith and Statement with headphones in their setup there. The reps explained to me that they use these (under powered) chips in the Zenith to reduce EMI. It was all about sound quality. But when I bought a Zenith Mk3 I also bought a lifetime Roon subscription. I love Roon and I think in my system and room the SQ is great. I used the Zenith as my Roon Core. BUT with the Zenith Roon remote was crashing frequently. Tracks would skip on their own from one to the next to the next. I could not use Squeezlite. When it did play it sounded great. But that is when it DID play. This was not a trouble free experience. That is why I did my experiment with the miniPC and parts I bought at Amazon to make a NUC-like Roon Core Server. I wanted to see what would happen if I had a faster processor in a fanless case separated from a streamer and how that would sound. Well I found that the SQ with the miniPC Roon server was great. Maybe better than the Zenith. My streamers were an UltraRendu and a Lumin U1 Mini. BUT the reliability, no crashing and ability to DSP without the unit skipping tracks was off the charts great blowing away the Zenith. Not even close. This lead me to believe that the Innuos sales reps fed me a bunch of bull. I was played. Ripped off. They don’t use the underpowered processor because it’s quieter. It may be quieter. I don’t know. But the REAL reason to me is that those parts are CHEAP! Roon won’t even certify the Zenith! So I am shouting from the proverbial rooftops to all Zenith owners to just try this experiment and see for yourself. You may be surprised like I was as to how good the miniPC Roon Core server sounds and how much better it performs with Roon and Roon remote. You do it and don’t like it? Dismantle it and send the parts back to Amazon for a refund. You like it? Congratulations. You can sell your Innuos gear and buy the other truly great component that delivers on it promises.  Which leads me to MY conclusion based on MY experiences, that Innuos is hype and not worth the money. You can accomplish what it should be doing with less expensive gear. Often in our hobby we find that you do get what you pay for when you buy gear. In MY case my experience with Innuos I have found that to NOT be the case. This is not the norm. Again normally we do get what we pay for. I just want my fellow audiophiles to know my experience with Innuos and see if it matches up with their impressions. Alternatively, if they aren’t married to their Innuos gear they should know that there is a less expensive but perhaps better alternative. If you have Innuos gear and you like it and it performs well for you then congratulations. My offer experience has been different and want my colleagues here to know about it hoping that it was helpful. I am not evangelizing. Good luck to all. I have stated my case and am done with this unless someone asks me a question directly. Thanks. 

@antigrunge2 When I had my Zenith Mk3 and when it was able to run as my Roon Core in experimental mode, I wholeheartedly agree! Squeezlite sounded clearly better to me than just Roon. But I could never get iPeng to work. So I never really used it. But then with crashes and hanging it became impossible to run my Zenith Mk3 in experimental mode. So I had to ditch Squeezlite. That was too bad. But that was part of led me to do a pandemic DIY experiment and build a NUC to run ROCK. It has been so good, so much more reliable, better Roon remote and DSP performance and with better SQ for *me and my system* I never looked back. I think another part of what makes my current system better is the separation of the server from the streamer. Roon 1.8 has been very good. I am very pleased. Thanks.