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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?
ianderson
in_shore's avatar
in_shore
596 posts
 
Ianderson I did not compare the Zen 3 to the Zenith 3 though I did wrestle thinking over the price difference between the two ,.., Is there a appreciable difference in performance between the stand alone Zenith over the Zen 3 ? for that extra $1,500.00 ? that 1500 bucks would go along way purchasing the Phoenix.
However I would imagine pairing the Phoenix with the Zen the Zenith is left in the dust .
The Phoenix is the game changer .

It hurt my brain making that purchase decision on the spot and I ultimately went with the Zenith 3 and Phoenix, I’m very happy with digital playback now .

david12
1,454 posts
 

I have compared the Zen to the Zenith and there is a big difference. Unlike some manufacturers I know, you can clearly hear gradations of improvement, Zen to Zenith to Zenith SE, to Statement. In each case, you can hear the difference, in a few bars of music. I have been trying to get an audition of the Phoenix for some time, no luck with Covid around. The scuttlebutt is that the Phoenix gets the Zenith to near the Statement.

I have a Zenith Mk 2 and think it's one of my best purchases. It sounds great and ripping couldn'tbe easier, which is not true for many competitors.
If I was I was in your position, I would buy a Zenith Mk 3 now and get the Phoenix later, maybe if one comes up used.

ianderson OP
91 posts
 
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!

antigrunge2
1,366 posts
 
The Phoenix reclocker is a half way house. Asynchronous USB puts the DAC‘s clock in charge of clocking the transport/server. Rather than spending money on a reclocker one should spend the money on getting the best DAC clock possible, ideally a 10Mhz master clock. After adding a 10m Ocxo clock to my DAC, the Zenith MK3 made a quantum leap. It is truly an excellent server/player.
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