@badbeef My understanding is that the stored music file is transferred to internal memory in the Innuos for playback and then the HDD is turned off.
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@badbeef Both the Zen and the Zenith have 8GB of RAM, with 4GB for in-memory playback.
Beekhuyzen loves the Innuos but prefers the sound of the Auralic G2 over the ZENith mk3. And this is on the Innuos website.
Incorrect on two points:
(1) The Zen Mk3 has ethernet output and usb output. I use the ethernet cable output. It has itās own isolation as well as the galvanic isolation of ethernet cables. It is not a network connection, purely a data cable.
(2) The hard drives are installed by Innuos because they use their own formatting that makes them work more efficiently. It takes several days to do the formatting and checking of the disks, which is why the cost of the additional hard drive space os about 3 times the cost of buying it from Amazon.
@rajugsw Innuos told me that if you want to run Roon to the max then buy a Roon Nucleus+ or build your own. Innuosā customer research is that very few people need that computing power and so they use a very efficient and low power/low noise Intel N4200 chip. Itās more efficient than the i3 chip. A gaming motherboard has a huge number of components that are just not necessary for audio streaming and generate load of electrical noise, such as video, wifi etc. Plus he internal linear power supplies:
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What do you connect the ethernet cable to? And whatās the second thing Iām wrong about?
The ethernet cable goes into the ethernet socket of my pizza box. It has other means of wireless data reception and can receive Spotify, airplay, Air and the remote works by Bluetooth. It just all works, I donāt ask questions and there is no usb involved.
The second thing is that having to buy it with discs installed is not a trade-off. Itās actually a beneficial design feature of the Innuos system.
In that it is an expensive feature that you have to buy whether you play music back from HD or not, it is a tradeoff.
That is not a judgement on the relative merit of their approach.
As it is a server, it has internal storage. Thatās what servers do.
If you donāt store music, you donāt need a server, you need a streamer.
Iāve stored it for 17 years, though I may be going in that (streaming only) direction. I still have the option to attach storage with either device at no additional charge. But I do have to pay for the 1TB SSD in the Innuos ZENith regardless.
What got me interested in this threadās subject was a friend remarking they had been very impressed with the sound of the ZENith. AFAICT, they only make combo streamer/servers, so if I find I want the Innuos sound, I would have to pay for a hard drive, as well as forego the things they forego.
The Innuos devices are first and foremost servers. Thatās what theyāve been doing for 10 years. They are often used as a Roon Core, which is why I bought one. You can load third party software to use uPnP and other third party players and there is something called Squeeze that I know nothing about. If I wanted a streamer I might an Auralic or a dCS Bridge, but the pizza box has a fine streamer.
I donāt think mine has any particular sound, itās just very clean and airy with no sharp edges, works faultlessly, but the main thing is hosting Roon.
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I donāt use Roon. Audirvana is good enough for me. I cannot justify or afford Roonās lifetime or yearly subscription. Iām still not sold on Innuos, even if I could afford one. Iād like to get a Bluesound Node2 or 2i just so I can play AmazonHD bitperfect.
The Node was on sale for $100 until the end of October. I bought one for my daughter for Christmas to pair with a set of powered Edifer Airpulse monitors. AmazonHD is not bitperfect anyway. Chris just ran a fully battery of tests on it with multiple OSās.
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My office system is a Bluesound Powernode 2i. I tend to use it via Innuos/Roon.
Yep, Iāve been happy with Qobuz as well. It plays bitperfect via my DLNA (RJ45/Ethernet Hub connected) Sony UBP-X1000 connected to the DirectStream Sr. DAC using HDMI/I2S adapters.
But for now, Iām still on another month of trial and am contemplating removing AmazonHD (family plan) and putting Qobuz on all my familyās devices.
More grief and Iām the only one in the family that cares about audio quality.
Cheers,
Joe
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Joe, may I ask what software you use to stream Qobuz? Thanks!!
It often seems that there is one sort of primary division - those who use Roon and those who donāt. I did for three years and may again at some point. Much of what happens after that decision is made flows from that, and I think it is hard to make direct comparisons, as theyāre sort of different ecosystems.
āSqueezeā as you put it refers to Squeezelite client or the Logitech Media Server - open source software formerly known as the Slim Devices Squeezebox server. If I understand it correctly, that is what Innuos devices use natively unless you install something like Roon. Iām still using it with the iPeng app on a Transporter in the second system, so it has been my means of streaming for 17 years or so, up until adding Auralic/Lightning a couple of years ago. This is not to suggest anyone else should use it, but rather it is a testament to it that it still exists and has a robust community - and companies like Innuos appear to agree.
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Audirvana and my BluRay player shows up in the device list. I wish AmazonHD would play nice with 3rd party software.
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Supporting Amazon could mean the death of competing systems. That is the number one reason why I will not even consider it.
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Qobuz in the US is actually hosted on Amazon Web Services so opening up their API to additional companies would cause financial damage to a client. I suspect that for now their market share is enough for them.
What I canāt figure out in this whole debate is how do you know if the software is for you before you buy one of the devices? I have used jRiver for years now (yes, I like it a lot). I have recently tried Audirvana and Roon. Before those, I used PSAās own eLyric. I only learn if the software is for me by using it. The problem with Innuos or Aries, I have to buy into the system before trying the software. Iāve read the on-line literature, manuals and watched several videos: doesnāt help that much.
I have a handful of items that I view as must have:
- View albums by import order using the file date, not the import into software platform date.
- Ability to create playlists: sounds easy but Iāve created list based upon publishers like Mosaic, Bear Family and DSF files (any imaginable field). Iāve also created fun playlist like top hits based upon number of plays
- Ability to add songs to any created playlist while playing the song (a swipe on my iPhone in jRemote)
- Ability to view by Genres and of-course create my own Genres (I used Cities as a Genre for example: New Orleans and Memphis). Think this one is pretty easy and universal.
- Tidal and Qobuz integration (the one item on this list that the jRiver team refuses to address)
I could compromise on some of the playlist options; however, not on import order and the ability to add songs to a playlist on the fly. I get that many donāt like the options (options lead to complexity) available in jRiver, but I adore the flexibility and it can be fun.
I donāt want to spend the big money until I know the software works for me. Sound matters but the software is more important.
Finally, I also need to know the company writing the software has a platform to actually listen to their customers and hopefully attempt to fix bugs in a reasonably quick and attentive way. That is an incredibly rare thing!! jRiver and Roon are both good at this.
Roon was pretty close but the yearly big money thing is something. I can see caving on this (itās really not that much money to me given my stereo habit) but I continue to search (jRiver costs me around $20/year and I really donāt have to upgrade yearly, I chose to support the platform). Audirvana didnāt come close. eLyricā¦well, never mind. Sorry for the ramble.
Comments? Thanks!