Hello
I have an Innuos Zen Mini mk 3 as a server to the naim Uniti Star.
Both are excellent bits of HiFi
My question is:
I can play the music directly from the Zen to the Star via the Innuos Sense app or I can play my music via the Naim app (via the Servers selection)
The Innuos sense app is more user-friendly in my opinion so is there likely to be any difference in sound quality playing music directly from the Zen to the Star as opposed to using the Star (via the Naim App) to stream from the Zen server?
I prefer using the Innuos sense app, on balance
Hope this all makes sense (excuse the pun…)
Thanks
singgs
You have the Zen. You have the Star. Try both ways. Answer your own question and report back.
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I use both the Innuos Sense app and the Naim app, the answer is no difference in sound quality. I find the functionality of the Naim app slightly better than the Innuos Sense app but early days for Innuos.
Using the Innuos app definitely sounds better in my system, but as HH writes, why not just listen for yourself?
Zero difference in sound quality but I’d have put the Sense app well ahead of the Naim app in terms of UI, search, Qobuz integration etc.
i have a mk3 mini too to nd5xs2, so are you connecting to your star via ethernet? if that’s now available then i can try sense instead of roon
As the Naim app has nothing whatsoever to do with the streaming and the signal, I don’t understand why people are so keen on finding an app sound
Controlling an Innuos product using the Sense app means the product will cache the stream in a dedicated RAM buffer. Using the Naim app just pulls it off the SSD.
You can if you enable the LMS control panel option for UPnP bridge. Full native implementation is now planned for the next major Sense version.
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I think the influence/confusion is two fold.
Firstly some apps allow you to play on your mobile device not just your streamer so people begin to think that the app must therefore have an influence on the sound on both.
Secondly, there is a degree of network traffic/potential noise generated at different rates by different apps.
Having started my streaming experience with a very cheap wireless bridge literally cm from the streamer (and with no switch) I could hear the noise of the Sense app opening and performing other functions as quite intense concentrations of white noise. Now that it’s 5m away (still no switch) the noise is no longer audible.
Thanks to everyone for responding, an interesting array of viewpoints as always
My instinct is that there should not be any difference in SQ
Thus far, I prefer the functionality of the innuos sense app over the naim app so I will let you know how my “sound trials” get on
singgs
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I’m using LMS/squeezer app to stream. Once I’ve selected an album, that album plays all the way through, even if I switch off the phone/app. So, presumably, even if I didn’t switch off the phone, the app wouldn’t communicate with the LMS as there is no need for it to do so. One neat thing that it does do, is instantly mute the music if I receive or make a call on the mobile.
Does the innuos keep playing if you power down the phone/app.
Yes. They’re all the same in that respect, a bit like remote controls with added bells and whistles.
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My understanding is the buffer is only for local USB playback via the devices and a DAC themselves not over the network. Did this change?
From what I remember (caveat: this is not gold standard reporting) it happened with the advent of Sense and being able to enable the LMS UPnP Bridge but is not yet full implemented. It will be withe next full release.
hi Hifi-dog,
I use Zenmini mk3 connected to nd5xs2 via ethernet and use Sense and it is fine. Not really any sound difference I can hear whether I use Sense, Naim app or Roon - all good. As MichaelB said, Innuos say the fully-supported ethernet Sense will be coming soon.
Cheers, Ian
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Yes it does, the app is just a controller and you can switch your phone off or move to other controllers at any time without affecting what is playing
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