Innuos Zen Mini MK 3 - Feedback Request

Innuos does include a player which is for the attached DAC mode. Alternatively you can use Roon which then has more complex interactions with end points which it controls (this is not uPnP). The Innuos steamer port will still improve sound quality.

If you have an NDX2 you can use the dedicated streamer port in uPnP mode (like a NAS running Minim server). Most of the NDX2 will be used. You can do as SiS does and only use NDX2 as a transport because he likes his Hugo. He also likes to use his NDX2 as a Roon endpoint. There is a thread on this.

I wanted to use my nDAC so I went the USB output route with a high quality USB to spdif converter because the Zen Mini was not as good as the Zen which was not as good as the Zenith. The Darko Audio video sums up the case for moving up the range. I feel a 252/300 System with nDAC/555 justifies the Zenith. The addition of the LPS was beneficial, but decided I wanted better.

You have to demo these yourself so decide what suits you. I canā€™t tell what direction you want to move in because you seem only to have a CDX2 at the moment.

Phil

As simple as having run out of space for CDs. Could build my own NAS and back up but the Innuos looks a better solution.

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Yes, the Mk 3 version does have a DAC and RCA analogue output.

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Again Iā€™d say even the MK2 Zen Mini is a brilliant product . It plays music really well and has a small footprint, The support is excellent and itā€™s easy to use. If the new product with a DAC built in is as good as the previous version then itā€™s a bargain at Ā£900 or so.It also works really well with a Kindle fire as controller which are cheap especially on special offers. Once set up it takes no effort to use - maybe one or two updates a year . Backup is easy - a Usb external drive plugged into the back and set up with the network online controller. I use mine also as the hub to the sonos across the house. Everything I rip can be played into the main system or played on the sonos. I dont need or care what upnp is the Zen mini plays music well and is easy to work

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I didnā€™t try it and I didnā€™t need to. Forgot it had one!

Anybody think thereā€™s anything better than a Zen or Zenith at the price, or, at least worthy of audition in terms of being ball park?

That depends on what you want it to do. For just storing and serving your music, a regular NAS for under Ā£300 would be fine.

No interest in a NAS or faffing about with switches etc. I say that as someone with a good knowledge of (and qualifications in) networking. One box to rip and store and maybe even stream? Like the Innuos in other words else weā€™d be going well OT.

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One way to avoid issues of which Ethernet cable is best is to have no cable after queuing some albums. Iā€™d swear my Innuos sounds sweeter and fuller without the cable.

Once you queue the music itā€™s loaded into memory and played from there.

Phil

Just as it would be if playing from internal store - pointing to the benefit of playing from that source not across a network.
(Incidentally, that is the way Audirvana works in its rendering mode, no music going across network), though it is connected for control purposes.)

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Hi Mike, Audiostore Prestige 2? I am seriously considering one as a Roon server.

BF

At the beginning of the week I started turning the Zenith off at night. It seemed to coincide with the music loosing the nice stuff in the high and low frequencies (maybe elsewhere). Well, I stopped doing that and all is well again! Strange!

We do have a new incinerator being built up the road 4 miles which is now connected to our substation a mile away. In time it will generate quite a bit of power. Suspicious though! It may take a while to narrow down if it returns, but in the meantime itā€™s another box to leave on 24/7!

Itā€™s sounding fantastic playing Lou Reed - New York and Kacey Musgraves - Same Trailer Different Park - the title is also relevant to the message.

Phil

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Hi @Innocent_Bystander, you asked about whether Roon affected SQ. It is quite a hard one to answer. One needs to have been listening without Roon soon before to be more certain of any difference. It is easy to make the change using the Innuos web page, but it is either Roon or iPeng as the controlling App.

I am inclined to say the difference if any is very small. There are technical differences such as the 4GB music cache not being used by Roon. Iā€™m not sure I would want Roon to be analysing a new share with 4 cores while doing comparisons.

Iā€™d say the setup of my system is quite sensitive now, and does seem to be stable with little or no difference since the weekend.

Phil

Thanks, Phil

Servers aside - thatā€™s a great album as is Golden Hour. Superb :heart_eyes:

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Thanks James, Iā€™ve seen Golden Hour posted quite often. Will buy sometime soon, but no cheap copies on Discogs. Iā€™ll listen now on Tidal.

Phil

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Well I have purchased the Zenith MK 2 I have been demoing for quite a while waiting for the Mk 3 to arrive (parts supply issue).

In other threads people have questioned the metadata abilities of ripping boxes with classical and jazz. I can only say the Innuos is brilliant. The only corrections I make are to add tags to classical and occasionally change the cover and the composer. I use assisted ripping so I do these changes before the tracks are ripped. It even sets up box sets correctly!

I use iPeng and can add extra browse modes, in my case for classical and opera, at the Logitech Media Server level. This means I donā€™t need to alter album names. The multiple disc feature is also very useful.

I decided I didnā€™t need 2TB and that in all likelihood my use of the USB interface into nDAC by the Audiophilleo + PurePower would not be improved by the MK 3.

Also I upgraded to unDRed 552/500 and am getting all I ever wanted without any limitations from the Zenith. Massive soundstage and I just listen to the music rather than the system at last.

Phil

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Hi Phil, it was my understanding that the INNUOS ā€œupnpā€ covers the basics but does not allow for additional tags like ā€œperiodā€ ior ā€œcompositionā€ in classical - do you say this is in fact possible?

I donā€™t use uPnP because I wanted to replay via my nDAC. I might have considered other DACs if I hadnā€™t invested in nDAC + 555DR Ps.

The music server is Logitech Media Server while the metadata editing is provided by Innuos.

My understanding is that if you just used it as a uPnP server you would need an App controlling your music player. Alternatively if you ran Roon on Innuos, which does work very well it would take control of all the players on your network. I liked Roon a lot but I did not need it.

I tag using Genres which allows me to construct views of my music such as classical and opera.

Hope that helps.

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Iā€™m not a fan of the second album which largely treads water. However, have you tried the Christmas album? Itā€™s one if the great Christmas albums.

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