Hi jmphotography,
I would recommend demoi’ng the 432 EVO AEON server which I just upgraded to (from Innuos Zen MK3):
- I initially wanted to upgrade from Zen MK3 to Zenith MK3, or just buy an Innuos Phoenix re-clocker to add to the Zen.....until, by chance, I heard about the EVO AEON (https://432evo.be/index.php/432-evo-aeon-music-server/ )
- I then read some credible audiophile impressions via this thread: https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/new-to-the-forum-high-end-music-server-with-roon-core-and-3-x-dedicated-linear-power-supplies.30813/ and from another audiogon forums thread, where the sole US dealer, the New Jersey (Jersey City) based Audio Doctor, also posted about why he thought it was great, and why he stopped being an Innuos dealer as a result: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/help-choosing-a-roon-core-streamer-server-roon-vs-innuos-vs-wyred4so
- Bottom line- this all aroused my curiosity and I contacted Audio Doctor for a trial.
- My mind was made up on day one - the Aeon was better than the Zen MK3 in every aspect, including the quality of CD rips. It has a higher quality ripper which takes 12 minutes per CD to rip, and when I tested it with my 007 Spy Who Loved Me soundtrack CD, which was recorded poorly, the results were better than with the Zen ripper (not to mention the audio quality). I suddenly heard things on that CD rip that I never heard before. Dynamics were superior.
- Crucially, the Aeon has inbuilt re-clocking technology, which Innuos offers only at the Statement level...as well as a superior dedicated USB output, so that was another steal. The results of that are very evident in the unit's audio quality. It is definitely a step up from the Zen (and according to audiophiles who have owned the Zenith MK3, a step up from Zenith as well if using the USB output- actually they say it is competitive with either the Statement or the Zenith + Phoenix combo). Price before state tax is $7500. This official reviewer for example suggests at the very end the Aeon is better than the Zenith: https://topnewreview.com/432-evo-aeon-review/
What really tipped the scales for me were the following factors:
- The AEON is "upgradeable"- what this means is that if one day you wish to upgrade to the $16,000 AEON Master (which people are saying is almost as good as the Taiko Extreme), then all you would have to do is send your AEON unit to the manufacturer, and pay shipping plus the original cost difference between your AEON and the Master. So overall, the AEON is, in my opinion, a better investment because Innuos does not offer anything like that. If you wanted a Statement today, you would first have to sell you Zenith on the used market for less than the value you got it for.
- More importantly, its CPU is powerful enough (in fact, purpose built) to run Roon Core just like Antipodes and other renowned Roon core streamers (as you know, for Innuos, the units below the Statement have an "iffy" record with being run as Roon cores, including with regard to sound degradation), and also, uniquely, for EVO 432, if you are into Tidal MQA, then an MQA-capable DAC is not necessary because the company has developed proprietary upsampling technology to handle the second MQA unfold (roon does the first MQA unfold)- read here: https://www.facebook.com/432evo/posts/breaking-no-mqa-dac-required-for-432-evo-customers432-evo-customers-can-now-enjo/1837522899612468/
- The AEON is also tuneable (similar in a sense to other components' DSP functionality); it comes with 2TB standard vs Innous 1TB; and comes in a greater range of models to better accommodate clients- there are two models below the AEON at 3k and 4k. More here: https://432evo.be/index.php/432-evo-aeon-music-server/
The rest is history. I am expecting my AEON unit to be delivered very soon (each unit is custom/purpose built). My humble advice is to demo this unit and find out for yourself.
Cheers!