Innuos PULSE Mini?

@charles1dad 

I know what you mean! Comparatively good CDPs beat good streaming rigs (a generalisation). I have a Hegel Mohican, Metronome LePlayer 1 and am about to get delivery of a PS Audio SACD transport which I will link to my Holo May DAC via I2S. I2S seems to be a major differentiator so I am eager to try it out!

Have heard good things about the Pro-Jest RS2T CDT with its next-gen CD system. Do share your findings if you are able!  And if you do get back on your audio streaming pursuit, do let me know your "discoveries" as you navigate the uncharted seas :-)

Deepak  

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@charles1dad @happystreamer

Here’s another recent review of the Mano ULTRA mkIII Farad Music Streamer:-

https://www.audioenzo.nl/mano-ultra-mkiii-farad-music-streamer/

I have a Innuos Zenith and the Phoenix Network and USB on my main system. For my secondary system, I am strongly tempted to not try other streamers where the connection to the DAC is via I2S, and not as expensive as devices on the Innuos ecosystem.

The Holo Audio Red streamer is another option. It can serve as a DDC or a streamer.

Any updates on your end as to where you are now on your streamer journey? It sure is going to be a long journey ... LOL.

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Hi @dcpillai : in the meantime I had read some nice things about the ifi Zen Stream (powered by an external lineair power supply) connected via usb to the denafrips ares2 DAC. So I decided to give it a try and bought a secondhand external power supply (for EUR 80,-) and secondhand ifi Zen stream (EUR 230). This again was a big step up (20%) as compared to the upgraded Blueosound Node2 with external shanti power supply connected via Atlas Coax to the denafrips2 DAC :-)

So for now, my setup is: English Electric switch ==> ifi Zen stream (via USB) ==> Denafrips Ares 2 ==> Kinki Studio EX M1+ (with Sparkos opamps upgrade) ==>Focal Kanta 2 

Both the English Electric switch and the Ifi Zen Stream have external lineair power supplies which do make a audible difference! Very happy for now and the upgrade virus seems to be dormant at the time ;-)

I haven’t seen too many first hand reports from users of the PulseMini.

Are there any ppl here who have been happy with this entry streamer from Innuos.

I mentioned before that I’d like to upgrade my Ifi Zen Stream with LPS to the PulseMini… but I haven’t pulled the trigger yet.

I’d do this not only for the SQ but also the Innuos ecosystem and Sense app.

Would love to hear more first hand reports from users

@j_andrews 

I have had the pulse mini since January, and the zen lspu since February. Came from using heos off a Marantz sr5015. Two different animals, by far one of the best investments to date. Extremely easy setup, even the most luddite of us had no problems. No complaints about the sense app, not as colorful as a spotify app but it's a good workhorse. As you  may have noticed i started out with the mini, and that was a noticable difference. Then got the lspu, and oh boy we was cookin now! If you can, get them both together, if not the double upgrade will be a pleasant event. Good luck in the trigger pulling. 

I am also using the PulseMini and powering it with a Keces P3 LPS.  It is feeding a Denafrips Iris and out via I2S to a Pontus II.  Great digital front end for the money, especially using the Sense App as has been noted all over the forum.  I was using a Roon Nucleus powered by the P3 and running Roon but the Sense app's sound quality through the PulseMini was a major and obvious improvement.