Thanks Tappy. I am wondering if there is general consensus among Nova owners that sound quality is improved when using cables instead of wifi … (and having a proper Switch improving the quality even further).
Both Asus router and Nova are in the same room in my case.
I did try an experiment last night… I set up the Innuos in uPnP configuration (no Roon at all) and ran everything through the Naim app. It took some getting used to, my biggest gripe is that I have saved favorites in both Tidal and Qobuz, plus about 150 albums saved to the Innuos server, but Naim app does not offer a way to look at your entire library at once, you have to either look through Qobuz or look through your server, etc. Very inconvenient after a couple of years working with Roon.
But regarding sound quality, at first it did strike me quickly that there appeared to be a hair better SQ through the Naim app. A bit more presence in the bottom end and somewhat more presence. Then I switched the Innuos back to Roon Core and played the same playlist through Roon and I may have noticed a slight change, but it was definitely not as perceptible “downgrade” in sound as the perceived “upgrade” in sound when I first switched to uPnP .
So for now at least I did go back to Roon, I feel like the interface is so much more advanced than the Naim app or any other uPnP control apps that it is worth it to me that MAYBE there is a slightly imperceptible difference in SQ.
That difference may be more prominent with more de-crapifiers in the signal chain such as the Audiophilleo and etherRegen.
But I also think Innuos is long overdue to reveal their own control app they’ve been working on. It should have been here by now so maybe any day now we will see that released and it could have much improved SQ over Roon.
@JSQT UPnP is not he same, you need the physical USB to SPDIF conversion so then the Innuos output the RAM buffered track(s). So you should not have detected any improvement.
Ah, okay… I had been told by the people at Innuos that the uPnP/Naim app would yield better sound quality than Innuos in Roon Core mode connected via ethernet/RAAT to the Naim, which I didn’t find conclusively to be the case. I have an etherRegen on order and I am going to try the Audiophilleo as well.
Keep us posted 
@JSQT Those Rivals look interesting, in fact the SEs in rosewood on the Volti website are downright stunning, but at around 100dB per Watt I wonder how they’d fare on Naim separates. There have been various complaints on the Naim fora over the years about the Alps volume potentiometer being a bit imprecise in its channel balance at the lower limit of its range and that’s where it would spend most of its time with those speakers. The volume control on the Nova shouldn’t have this potential 
problem.
Any chance you could grace the system pics thread with a shot of your Rivals?
Sure thing, does this work?
You know what though that is interesting about the Alps volume though, as I have looked at what an upgrade to a SN 3 or full 252/250 DR system may look like down the road. With the tweaks being discussed in this thread it may be that the Nova is my most effective dollar for dollar equilibrium-reaching limit on where I go with Naim. I have thought seriously about the 250 as an external amp and possibly bi-amping with the Nova. That could be my top end right there. The Rivals are incredible speakers. I think John Atkinson of Stereophile may have said they were the most efficient speakers he’s ever measured (Klipsch always overshoots their sensitivity ratings). I have heard the Vittoras (the more expensive big brothers) and I have owned Klipsch La Scala IIs and I think the Rivals are a sweet spot where it would be really hard to find ANYTHING that could do what THEY do better than THEM.
What made you buy them, looks like the chance to hear a pair in advance is limited to shows and there’s a no returns policy so it’s quite a risky purchase.
I have heard about the larger Vitorras for years, which are the top line Volti models with folded horn bass cabinets (similar to La Scala design). I was able to listen to both the Vitorras and this exact pair of Rivals at Capitol Audiofest last year in Maryland. The Rivals were exceptional and I was able to make a deal with the owner of Volti on the spot - he delivered them and set them up in my room on his way back home from the audio show and the rest is history.
Here is a video I shot this morning of the Volti’s being powered by the Uniti Nova…
Is there any way to put SSD into the ZenMini ? Only the Zenith seems to provide SSD and I much prefer SSD to any spinning hard disk these days.
I am looking for the best server into Nova ethernet.
I’m pretty sure the supplied WD Red hard drives are the only option for the Zen Mini. Of course there are USB ports on it, and like any UPnP server, you can use whatever networked storage you like with it.
Personally I have no problem with spinning hard drives, and while they usually make very little noise, I would always keep them, like most network gear, a good distance away from the HiFi, so they would be out of earshot as well as keeping any electrical noise away from your analogue electronics.
Thanks for that, I do not want to put this out of earshot and performance wise no hard drive matches modern SSDs. As hard drives and SSD do use the same interfaces and power connectors , I wonder if taking out the hard disc and swapping in the SSD of my choice should be straightforward. Just wonder if it has been tried.
I guess in the end I may end up going down the Zenith SSD route due to the additional noise reducing features but it will be a very expensive server for the Nova and even then the price differential between 2TB and 4TB (£ 500) seems hard to justify based on component pricing. I also doubt the latest Samsung SSD drives are used. 8TB drives are also now available for those who have enough stored music. So probably best to go for 1 TB and replace SSD when needed.
If all you need is a server/Roon Core and not intended to use the Innuos as a player/streamer (not ideal with the Nova), why not grab a Roon Nucleus and install a SSD in there for much less money?
Thank you. I take your point but the way I read the various reviews Innuos has the edge on SQ. Looking at the way Innuos have gone about the hardware design I am bought into that. The nucleus looks cool from the outside but rather simple construction inside.
I will have a further think about this before spending anything. Thanks again.
I don’t know if it’s technically possible to swap the supplied HDD in an Innuos. If the only thing that’s stored on it is your music folder I guess it should work, but if not, it’s going to be a bit more involved, and possibly would invaludate the warranty. Maybe worth asking Innuos.
Apart from audible noise, I’m curious as to what performance criteria you are concerned about that would actually affect the relatively simple demands of audio storage.
@woltmg what you are saying makes sense about sound quality if you were looking at the Innuos from a player/streamer standpoint. As I agree I have read and heard first hand that the quality of audio as a streamer, particularly from USB/Squeezelite implementation is superior to the Nucleus. However since you are streaming from the Nova as an endpoint the Innuos is acting only as a Core/server/storage. I have heard from someone who’s opinion I trust who owns a Statement that there is virtually no difference between the Statement and the Nucleus when acting as a CORE only (his Statement is currently for sale). So again you may be able to get your SSD into the Nucleus for a bit less money than the Innuos.
Not trying to complicate things but this is a perspective that should be considered when using the Nova as a streamer and RAAT endpoint.
I will seriously take into consideration what you say although oddly enough I am not a Roon subscriber yet. As a subscriber I would clearly lean towards the Nucleus and Nova streaming via ETHERNET not USB or COAX. The cost saving is at best moderate versus Zenith, so not a factor.
I have of course been considering Roon mainly because my Qobuz sublime subscription comes with next to no music knowledge context, I don’t think the albums are even listed by date and only rarely is the date of release even stated. Having an SSD ( would allow import of several hundred ripped Flac files from CDs, although I accept most people nowadays never use these anymore when streaming is so easy.
Interestingly, Steve Huff in his review concluded differently: “Unless I can one day swing some serious cash for an Innuos Statement, I will stick with the Nucleus as my server and streamer using ROON.”
I am undecided on Roon but that will change. I may give it a spin on my workstation.
Thanks again for taking the time to answer.
I’ve never understood this concept. Why should a piece of glass with some ball feet matter? I mean isolating from what? Vibrations? Are we saying that vibrations make all those millions of 1 and 0s shake when travelling along the circuits?
I totally agree, I don’t understand it either but it did make a positive difference to the sound.
Nick