Innuos Zenith SE MkII

[thyname]

Thanks @BigAlMc

 

Given the fact I am already using fiber optics adapters to isolate my router from DAC / streamer, I don’t thing getting a fancy router would make any difference 

[limniscate]

2 hours ago, thyname said:

 

Thanks Alan,

 

It does not make sense for me to use the Innuous Zen as a Roon Endpoint, and stream via it and USB to my Ayre. Ayre has a network bridge built in. And I try to avoid USB audio when I can.

 

Basically for me the Zen would be a server (Roon Core), and the only other use is to "clean" the Ethernet signal going to my Ayre, by going first from router to Zen, then from Zen Ethernet out to Ayre. Basically Zen acting as an Ethernet Bridge / or switch. Right?

 

In which case, does it really matter, since I am already using a pair of fiber optics isolators in my ethernet chain (powered by linear PS)?

@austinpop and I tested LAN versus USB with the Ayre QX-5 Twenty, and surprisingly, the system sounded better through USB--at least with a SOtM tX-USB Ultra behind it.

[thyname]

2 minutes ago, limniscate said:

@austinpop and I tested LAN versus USB with the Ayre QX-5 Twenty, and surprisingly, the system sounded better through USB--at least with a SOtM tX-USB Ultra behind it.

 

‘Well hello fellow Ayre owner!

 

You tested it with the Innuos ZENith as streamer?

[limniscate]

@thyname

 

We tested it with the Innuous SE as Roon Core.

[thyname]

12 minutes ago, limniscate said:

@thyname

 

We tested it with the Innuous SE as Roon Core.

 

‘You say “USB”. USB to Ayre from what streamer? Or Innuos was both core and endpoint?

[limniscate]

33 minutes ago, thyname said:

 

‘You say “USB”. USB to Ayre from what streamer? Or Innuos was both core and endpoint?

 

Innuous SE to tX-USB Ultra via USB to the Ayre.  There was no endpoint.

[thyname]

3 minutes ago, limniscate said:

 

Innuous SE to tX-USB Ultra via USB to the Ayre.  There was no endpoint.

 

Ah OK, the Innuos was both the Roon Core and the Endpoint. Interesting 

[BigAlMc]

6 hours ago, thyname said:

Thanks @BigAlMc

 

Given the fact I am already using fiber optics adapters to isolate my router from DAC / streamer, I don’t thing getting a fancy router would make any difference 

 

Hi @thyname,

 

Yes and no. Fibre optics will do a good job at isolating noise but that's all. The audiophile switches I mentioned would also reclock the signal and potentially improve it further.

 

Likewise the tx-usbultra route that @limniscate mentions conditions and reclocks the USB signal. I found in my system that USB outperformed LAN once the tx-usbultra was in place.

 

Cheers,

Alan

[monteverdi]

I am just testing Qobuz streaming to my Devialet (was waiting for it for years). I can use Qobuz web player on my Macbook and that has great UI. Alternatively I was able to stream via my Zenith (ethernet in and USB out) and it works well and sounds beautiful but the user interface via iPeng on my iPad is just terrible.

Are there better ways to control the Zenith? Innuos said they will develop their own control app but I have not seen anything mentioned recently. 

 

[str-1]

New firmware released - http://www.innuos.com/en/go/release-1-4-1

[yellowblue]

Installed without problems and no dropouts until now. Unexpected big jump in SQ with squeezelite activated - soundstage is wider and deeper, better imaging, more natural sounding....

This was a good answer from Nuno regarding all our NUC-AL hype. Will be interesting to see what a NUC with AL can add as a Roon renderer/endpoint. But there is always the possibility to stay with the Zenith SE as a very reliable Roon-server. 

[austinpop]

6 minutes ago, yellowblue said:

Installed without problems and no dropouts until now. Unexpected big jump in SQ with squeezelite activated - soundstage is wider and deeper, better imaging, more natural sounding....

This was a good answer from Nuno regarding all our NUC-AL hype. Will be interesting to see what a NUC with AL can add as a Roon renderer/endpoint. But there is always the possibility to stay with the Zenith SE as a very reliable Roon-server. 

 

Indeed! As I wrote in the novel thread:

 

On 12/3/2018 at 11:31 AM, austinpop said:

 Not everybody likes to dabble and tweak. If you own one of these, don't feel you are missing out a lot with all this NUC euphoria. This is a seriously good piece of kit, and Innuos is an innovative company. Trust me, they are watching this space closely, and will very likely offer some of these improvements in their own way. And you can always dip your toes into the pool, like I initially did, by booting up your box with an AL/SE USB stick - the original config is just a reboot away - or by adding a NUC downstream of the SE.

 

There are many path to nirvana!

 

[yellowblue]

It is an unexpected big jump in SQ because I switched to LMS within the SE before the new firmware was released but never noticed such a big difference as I hear now. Would it be possible that Nuno has found other ways to further improve the SQ?

 

But maybe this is just wishful thinking as I am a bit nervous how to get AL to run on the NUC.

[yellowblue]

BTW I got my first dropouts when jumping forward some minutes within a music piece (which was 12 minutes long). And sometimes the music stops playing when I jump to the next song. But that doesn´t bother me much. 

[baconbrain]

This excerpt from the Release Notes sounds interesting ...

 

“(Experimental) New option in Roon Settings to allow using our internal player with Roon, enabling RAM playback”

[austinpop]

14 minutes ago, yellowblue said:

Would it be possible that Nuno has found other ways to further improve the SQ?

 

Maybe @nvitorino can cast some light!

 

14 minutes ago, yellowblue said:

But maybe this is just wishful thinking as I am a bit nervous how to get AL to run on the NUC.

 

Like I said - SE owners should really not be falling prey to FOMO (fear of missing out)! People who are getting the OMG experience with NUCs didn't start with an SE.  

[austinpop]

14 minutes ago, yellowblue said:

BTW I got my first dropouts when jumping forward some minutes within a music piece (which was 12 minutes long). And sometimes the music stops playing when I jump to the next song. But that doesn´t bother me much. 

 

Bummer. So it's happening here too. I was hoping Innuos had found a version of squeezelite that was stable in this regard. 

 

Although TBH - I think it's Roon that's the culprit. Their LMS support appears to be reluctant, at best.

[baconbrain]

40 minutes ago, yellowblue said:

It is an unexpected big jump in SQ because I switched to LMS within the SE before the new firmware was released but never noticed such a big difference as I hear now. Would it be possible that Nuno has found other ways to further improve the SQ?

 

But maybe this is just wishful thinking as I am a bit nervous how to get AL to run on the NUC.

Apologies for asking a possibly ignorant question,  but you are not currently using Roon with your SE, correct?

[#Yoda#]

8 hours ago, str-1 said:

New firmware released - http://www.innuos.com/en/go/release-1-4-1

The new features seem to work great with the Zenith MK.III as Roon Core.

[baconbrain]

2 minutes ago, #Yoda# said:

The new feature seems to work great with the Zenith MK.III

You are referring to the internal squeezelite player support with Roon enabling RAM playback?

[thyname]

7 minutes ago, #Yoda# said:

The new features seem to work great with the Zenith MK.III as Roon Core.

 

Are you in US? When did you get your MK3?

 

I preordered my ZEN MK3 a couple of weeks ago, and was told by my dealer it won’t arrive before January 

[yellowblue]

1 hour ago, baconbrain said:

Apologies for asking a possibly ignorant question,  but you are not currently using Roon with your SE, correct?

Yes, I am using Roon, but after today only with New option in Roon Settings to allow using our internal player with Roon, enabling RAM playback.

[#Yoda#]

22 minutes ago, baconbrain said:

You are referring to the internal squeezelite player support with Roon enabling RAM playback?

Yes, I enabled the sqeezelite player support two hours ago, it's working faultless since then. My first listening experiences are promising with Auralic Aries and Linn Majik DS as endpoints. 

[#Yoda#]

12 minutes ago, thyname said:

 

Are you in US? When did you get your MK3?

 

I preordered my ZEN MK3 a couple of weeks ago, and was told by my dealer it won’t arrive before January 

No, I'm German resident and I've got my preordered Zenith MK3 two weeks ago. 

[yellowblue]

2 hours ago, austinpop said:

 

Bummer. So it's happening here too. I was hoping Innuos had found a version of squeezelite that was stable in this regard. 

 

Although TBH - I think it's Roon that's the culprit. Their LMS support appears to be reluctant, at best.

I wouldn´t say so. Dropouts came only when jumping forward within a track. And it is not a problem for me to press the play buttom when music not automatically jumps to the next track in Roon Radio.

I have just listened to Meiko, Playing favorites (Chesky records) and it was spoky real. Much better than with the older firmware. You don´t want to jump forward in a track anymore hearing this.