Hi Simon, I've just had a very enjoyable few hours reading around your website. I love your honestly. The "diminishing returns" article hit home and I would like your advice if you would, please. I have the Innuos Zen 3 with a 4TB drive - I now realise how ridiculous buying this was as most of my CD collection has taken up less than 500GB on the hard drive and a lot of my listening is now on Qobuz. My question is, if I sell my Innuos Zen 3 and bought the Zen Mini mk 3, still going into my Qutest DAC, would there be a lot of difference in sound quality between that and the Zen 3? As for the LPSU that Innuos sell, I would probably be better off buying an iPower adaptor. I'm not being tight but I just want great audio at the cheapest way I can do it. I wonder what the built-in DAC sounds like on the Zen Mini? Oh, by the way, thanks for telling me about the new Innuos app that will be released (hopefully) soon - it "sort of" makes me want to stay with Innuos now. I absolutely loathe iPeng and the sooner I can ditch that, the better. Thanks again, Jim.
Thanks Jim, I don’t know tbh as I don’t comment on what I don’t review or hear and I’ve never heard the zen mini mk3. I think you should get an nuc and upload Roon, or get a computer firm to do it for you or a techie friend if you can’t yourself. Keep the zen but switch it from upnp to Roon. You don’t look back after Roon, I couldn’t imagine using any other app, using so much gear with it - chord Qutest is Roon ready too! DCS Bartok, ps audio direct stream and so on....the nad m10. Roon servers on network are not massively expensive . Stick it on the network and use the zen as the end player end point. See my Roon article I did. Bw simon
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Thanks Simon. I'm not sure I need Roon as I only use the Zen 3 in one room, attached to my DAC and hifi. I'm not interested in music being piped around the house - I assume that is why people mainly use Roon?
Hello from Montreal, I have the innuos streamer and I love it. I presently stream with Spotify and would like to use another service. Can Deezer be used on the innuos, if so how? Any advice, it’s not so clear. Thanks
Not sure tbh, but you can find all the streaming services the innuos is compatible with on their website and check out the new innuos operating system too. You can use tidal or Qobuz.
Nice review I am thinking of getting one as currently I use a laptop USB to DAC with Roon and into integrated to power some LS50. Should this give me a noticeable sonic improvement? Thanks Sean
I’ve got one of these and it’s been nothing but trouble. Support isn’t great, must have been back to the shop with it three for more times now. Should have bought NAIM
I wish Innuos would include a coax output on this unit for increased versatility. I know you can get higher max resolution over USB, but not everyone needs that high res.
I think it would probably change the design Alex and add noise internally as I think they designed it based off a Linux board . You can use a m2tech usb to coax converter which works well.
Agreed Spdif or ethernet connection provides the best SQ. adding another box in the chain imo weakens the intended design. for close to 5000 USD there should have been a Spdif or AES
It's not a music server. It doesn't have the power or the pcb to be one. It's a streamer, and overpriced for what it is. Everyone praises it like it's the second coming of Christ. Are you guys oblivious or were you bought and payed for? Ridiculous. Just look inside and add up the summ the value of it's parts.
It’s expensive because this is a niche market and no I wasn’t paid for but we pay for small changes as audiophiles and the playback off the hard drive is worth it.
Also I’m probably one of the most credible channels on the internet right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ps it is a Roon server so that makes it a server
I know this an old review Simon, I have the Zen mini 2, had for about 3 years and very happy with as a server/ripper.
Hi Simon, I've just had a very enjoyable few hours reading around your website. I love your honestly. The "diminishing returns" article hit home and I would like your advice if you would, please. I have the Innuos Zen 3 with a 4TB drive - I now realise how ridiculous buying this was as most of my CD collection has taken up less than 500GB on the hard drive and a lot of my listening is now on Qobuz. My question is, if I sell my Innuos Zen 3 and bought the Zen Mini mk 3, still going into my Qutest DAC, would there be a lot of difference in sound quality between that and the Zen 3? As for the LPSU that Innuos sell, I would probably be better off buying an iPower adaptor. I'm not being tight but I just want great audio at the cheapest way I can do it. I wonder what the built-in DAC sounds like on the Zen Mini? Oh, by the way, thanks for telling me about the new Innuos app that will be released (hopefully) soon - it "sort of" makes me want to stay with Innuos now. I absolutely loathe iPeng and the sooner I can ditch that, the better. Thanks again, Jim.
Thanks Jim, I don’t know tbh as I don’t comment on what I don’t review or hear and I’ve never heard the zen mini mk3. I think you should get an nuc and upload Roon, or get a computer firm to do it for you or a techie friend if you can’t yourself. Keep the zen but switch it from upnp to Roon. You don’t look back after Roon, I couldn’t imagine using any other app, using so much gear with it - chord Qutest is Roon ready too! DCS Bartok, ps audio direct stream and so on....the nad m10. Roon servers on network are not massively expensive . Stick it on the network and use the zen as the end player end point. See my Roon article I did. Bw simon
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Thanks Simon. I'm not sure I need Roon as I only use the Zen 3 in one room, attached to my DAC and hifi. I'm not interested in music being piped around the house - I assume that is why people mainly use Roon?
@@nespressoman no, they use it for the interface, Roon radio, checking out new music
Hello from Montreal, I have the innuos streamer and I love it. I presently stream with Spotify and would like to use another service. Can Deezer be used on the innuos, if so how? Any advice, it’s not so clear. Thanks
Not sure tbh, but you can find all the streaming services the innuos is compatible with on their website and check out the new innuos operating system too. You can use tidal or Qobuz.
a long term review follow up would be great!
See the streamer shootout video I did.
Nice review I am thinking of getting one as currently I use a laptop USB to DAC with Roon and into integrated to power some LS50. Should this give me a noticeable sonic improvement?
Thanks
Sean
Sean Flynn I think prob so if your amp is good as ls50 are great. I’d check out the new Innuos zen mini mk3
13th Note HiFi Reviews I have a nice Hegel H90 amp, is the mini as good sonically as Zen III
I’ve got one of these and it’s been nothing but trouble. Support isn’t great, must have been back to the shop with it three for more times now. Should have bought NAIM
How come Alan. Email me on my website if you like.
I wish Innuos would include a coax output on this unit for increased versatility. I know you can get higher max resolution over USB, but not everyone needs that high res.
I think it would probably change the design Alex and add noise internally as I think they designed it based off a Linux board . You can use a m2tech usb to coax converter which works well.
Agreed Spdif or ethernet connection provides the best SQ. adding another box in the chain imo weakens the intended design. for close to 5000 USD there should have been a Spdif or AES
It's not a music server. It doesn't have the power or the pcb to be one. It's a streamer, and overpriced for what it is.
Everyone praises it like it's the second coming of Christ. Are you guys oblivious or were you bought and payed for? Ridiculous.
Just look inside and add up the summ the value of it's parts.
It’s expensive because this is a niche market and no I wasn’t paid for but we pay for small changes as audiophiles and the playback off the hard drive is worth it.
Also I’m probably one of the most credible channels on the internet right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ps it is a Roon server so that makes it a server