Innuos - streaming

This is a half width unit, only 240 mm wide. This is the entry into the Innuos family. It offers excellent performance for its diminutive size. The front panel is 10 mm of CNC machined aluminium. It is upgradeable with the LPS1 linear power supply, in a similar half width chassis – see below. The sound is detailed and textured, with real dynamics, which is further accentuated with the use of the optional linear power supply – details below.

The additional storage will allow for Server functionality and CD ripping from a third-party external USB CD Drive.

There are optional, modular output boards available which are listed in their own section below the Stream series section, showing specifications and the additional pricing.

Innuos Stream 1 

This is designed for the Stream 1 but is backwardly compatible with the, now discontinued, ZenMini and PulseMini. The LPS1 is also in a half width chassis (as is the Stream 1 above).

Innuos LPS1 linear power supply 

This is a much more substantial, full width unit, constructed from 10 mm thick, CNC machined aluminium for excellent electrical shielding and minimal noise. It offers an integrated linear power supply of higher quality than the LPS1, and improves sound quality over the Stream1 in separation and dimensionality of the 3D sound-field. This is a significant upgrade from the Stream 1.

The additional storage will allow for Server functionality and CD ripping from a third-party external USB CD Drive.

The Stream 3 is available in black anodised or silver aluminium.

Innuos Stream 3 

This is a big step up in technology, both in hardware and software over the Stream 3. The power rectification is all GaN (Gallium Nitride) based, to allow for the fastest transient response and dynamics. It has lots of optimisation technology to ensure superlative playback. This is a jump in performance and can be considered an end-game streamer/server to most. It has delicacy and immediacy to its delivery. Transients are delivered with impact and speed. Dimensionality is notably increased.

The Zen Next-Gen is available in black anodised or silver aluminium.

There are optional, modular output boards available which are listed in their own section below the Zen NextGen series units, showing specifications and the additional pricing.

ZEN Next-Gen 

This was developed to be the pinnacle of the Zen Next-Gen series. It pushes the limit of one box performance for the price. This gives an even bigger sound-stage with better separation and depth of image. It has improvements on ZEN Next-Gen with superior designs of power supply, processor and operating system SSD, for a superlative level of performance and definition.

The ZENith Next-Gen is available in black anodised or silver aluminium.

There are optional, modular output boards available which are listed in their own section below the streamers section, showing specifications and the additional pricing.

ZENith Next-Gen 

All units can operate without these output board options using the standard USB output but a DAC will be required. The Stream series offers a range of optional internal DAC boards to allow analogue output directly to an amp with no external DAC required, as well as upgraded digital-output board options. These are:

Please note: boards that are available for both the Stream and Next-Gen series are not interchangeable, as they are specific to the particular series.

This allows an analogue connection to your amplifier, as well as giving optical and coaxial digital outputs, as found traditional hi-fi products to allow for more connection options.

This gives much improved performance over the standard DAC, with a more dimensional and textured delivery, and greater sense of scale. It has a much higher quality DAC and clock, as well as power-supply and connector upgrades. This eclipses many stand-alone DACs in performance, and allows for less boxes to be in your system, without sacrificing quality.

This is the flagship analogue-out optional board, which allows connection over RCA or XLR. This is using very high-quality components in both the DAC, Clock and dedicated power supply unit. This offers sublime performance without the need for an external DAC. Transients have real impact and speed. Music is delivered with texture and micro-details are audible. It is a real performer.

This is the optimised output board to allow for traditional connection to existing DACs you may have. This optimises the performance of the traditional optical and coaxial digital outputs, as well as a high-quality AES/EBU balanced digital output.

This output board gives a separate, massively optimised USB output with a huge jump in performance over the included, standard, USB output. This will regenerate and re-clock the USB output to minimise timing errors (jitter) and maximise the sonic performance. The Phoenix USB unlocks the full potential of the unit, allowing maximum resolution (as optical and coaxial digital have a maximum resolution of only 24 bit / 192 kHz). This offers some of the best sonic performance, but of course this depends on the external USB DAC it requires. With a suitable DAC it paints textured 3d images with emotion.

This option is for the owners of DACs with an I2S input over HDMI. This optimises the performance of this HDMI output. As different DAC have differing pin-layouts (as no I2S standard at present), it has different, switchable, pin-layout options to maximise the chance of compatibility with your I2S compatible DAC.

This unit will maximise the sound quality from any streaming unit which currently connects to your DAC over USB. The PhoenixUSB is placed between the Streamer and DAC and will re-clock (regenerate) the data stream to deliver a cleaner, more accurate signal, with less digital jitter (digital timing inaccuracies) to the DAC. This allows the DAC to decode the signal more easily, using less aggressive error correction filtering and processing. This creates a more coherent and natural presentation, maximising audio quality and the subtle nuances of the music.

The PhoenixUSB uses technology from their flagship streamer device the Statement, which has the same USB Reclocker (clock chip and dual power supplies) built in. The high-quality clock included (again used in the Statement server) with its own linear power supply, minimises this problem.

Our listening tests used with a variety of streaming devices revealed a more expansive sound stage, with greater depth. The illusion of depth is one of the major problems with streaming music replay and to enhance this audiophile aspect is a real bonus. This allows a sense of space of the original recording to be perceived, experiencing the size and acoustic properties more fully. Overall tone and timbre are improved, becoming more natural – less “hifi”. Instrument separation is increased, and the decay to sustained notes is more natural. Speed of transients is increased, along with more impact and depth to the bass, Sibilance is also very well controlled and can help tame harsher sounding recordings.

The PhoenixUSB reclocker will help optimise any DAC and Streamer combination.

Innuos PhoenixUSB - Reclocker