Interesting, thanks. I have the Zen Mk3 2TB, I think I would be tempted to add the Phoenix at £2249. I emailed Innuos regarding adding the Phoenix to the Zen and they confirmed this combination will perform better than the Zenith, the Zenith/Phoenix combination gets very good press. Innuos did say the Statement would be a good solution 
The Phoenix appears to be out, not sure if it’s just advertising but showing as stock, also on demo at a few dealers.
I think the PhoenixUSB is out, the PhoenixNET not quite yet, depends which you are after.
I didn’t know there was a PhoenixNET, I assume from the name it focuses on upgrading the ethernet side as opposed to USB ?
Also meant to say in my previous response the prices for upgrades are very reasonable when compared to new price points.
Yes, that’s correct, NET is focussed on the ethernet part. It’s coming, but not out yet!
And yes, the upgrades are very reasonable aren’t they, probably wouldn’t have been considering the upgrade otherwise.
So I’ve spent a good part of the day listening to music (a good day, indeed), and I’m becoming very drawn to the Zenith. It’s unlikely to be going back!
One or two people earlier on in this thread suggested an option of ditching the Nova & looking at combinations of amps - Supernait 2or3 and DAC, if I was using the Innuos as a streamer instead of the Nova.
That thought has now got lodged in my head, for good or for bad!
I really want to keep the Nova but is the Zenith (if and when it becomes mine) fully going to realise its sonic potential with the one box’s internal amp and DAC in play over the separates route?
The route I’ve only just forsaken.
I really like the Nova being at the heart of things but I could be tempted away from it’s admittedly one box wonders.
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There are loads of choices. For a good while I had two Novas in different systems and used the Zen as a server for my files and as a Roon core. It worked great, the Nova is a great bit of hifi, I still have one.
I changed out one of the Nova’s for a Chord Dave and Etude so now I am using the Innuos as a streamer/server and roon core, it’s a very flexible bit of kit.
I understand your predicament, I was attracted to the Nova for similar reasons. Whatever you decide the Zenith will be a good addition, if at a later date you decide to go the separate DAC route it will perform well.
As I said there are lots of different ways to arrive at a good solution, some unexpected. Other factors that may influence what direction you take relate to what sources do you envisage, vinyl, CD etc, my Chord solution is digital, stored files and Qobuz streaming.
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Yes, I fully understand the arc of enjoying the Nova to still enjoying the Nova to replacing the Nova, at some stage.
And yes, I envisage the Zenith and or some other Innuos pieces being at the core (ha!) of my system, in one configuration or another.
I’m slowly relinquishing my love affair with physical media (like many but not all) and the Innuos was one big step to shedding, but still enjoying the content of, thousands of CDs. That said, Qobuz alone could quite easily replace served files as things are.
My other big stash, is of vinyl, again many thousands of the things. Most of which I don’t play, yet still they languish around the house, half unloved, half cherished artefacts. I’ve got a decent turntable/phono stage but it’s almost unused this last year or so.
That’s probably sufficient evidence to strengthen my inclination towards a near exclusively digital only listening set up.
I’m a big fan of Chord transports and DACs, having owned a few previous models up to, but not including, the DAVE. So that’s a tempting possible route one day, perhaps.
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It’s hard to let go, my solution involved my son taking all my CD’s and my grandson taking the vinyl, free on the condition they kept the collections intact. I also had a clear out of my hifi at that point, mostly to my son but the deck went to my grandson.
One of the Nova’s great strengths is it’s so easy to live with and really flexible.
Ha! I like your modelling of what looks like my future destiny!
No grandchildren (yet), but three children who could bring this scenario to realisation here.
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What is their reason for the implementation of RAAT being under par compared to their own player. Other manufacturers don’t seem to have issues with this compared to their own streaming implementations, although there is always a select few who will always prefer one thing over another. Be interested to here their take on it.
As others said, the Innuos zenith will be at home both in your system as in more advanced ones.
Not sure how much uplift you would have in going for SN3/ Zenith / Dac.
Perhaps better enjoy your system as such now and one day make a big step with something like 282/250 / Zenith / external dac.
You can also add the Ndac to the Zenith and use the Nova only as an integrated amp. Or Chord Hugo second hand if you prefer Chord presentation. Both are great uplift and not very expensive, specially Ndac.
Enjoy your new server for now 
They (he Nuno) didn’t expand on any reasons why one would prefer Roon or Innuos engines.
And even if he had I’m afraid it would be beyond my minuscule tech knowledge, though I’d have gladly relayed it.
Thanks for the insights into possible gains, slight or otherwise, to be had in future.
Yes, for now it’s time to settle back and enjoy.
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So here’s my latest finding, at least as of last night, this morning.
As previously observed, Qobuz via iPeng sounds considerably better, more often than not, than stored files using iPeng.
However, switching to Roon Experimental, stored files improve incrementally and sound nearer to or equal to Qobuz. (I’m trying to minimise unnecessary variables like different masters and mixes, obviously).
Innuos to AP/PP to Nova, for both methods.
Trying not to go slightly mad(der) by not constantly thinking of switching between Roon Exp and iPeng, but not having much luck.
Yet, at times, Qobuz iPeng has started to sound a tad overblown with certain recordings (yes, that’s the recordings and a host of other variables at play, presumably). Recordings that didn’t have such sonic characteristics before, at least not to my ears.
Is the transparency of the Zenith playing Qobuz via AP coming to the fore, perhaps, revealing the good and the less so of particular recordings?
Onwards and . . .
You do realize iPeng is just a remote? So what you are hearing is the difference between Roon RAAT and the UPNP/DLNA server they have implemented on the Innuos. I think you have answered your question though, that over time it seems that you are preferring RAAT. Often when hearing something new, ‘overblown’ can sound more exciting until it wears one down, which is a good argument for listening to something over time to see what the ‘fatigue’ factor is.
Please, what is a souped up Nova and an SR fuse and leads? 
Synergistic Research plug fuses, mains lead, MIG supports, speaker XFT, I regret selling the SR ethernet.
That is incomprehensible if you are playing the same mastering and same resolution through the same renderer and rest of system - and as far as I am aware contrary to everyone else’s findings where at best the two have been the same, otherwise local source better, consistent with what one might expect. Are you sure you are comparing like with like through all the same components? If so it may bear closer examination of your setup…
Yes I agree with IB . In general people find little differences between local and Qobuz, or find local still a bit better, but not the contrary.
Strange, but this set up is not common too.
Its not UPnP it’s using Squeezebox’s own streaming protocol in Squeezelite a player which utilizes memory playback , which helps the sq of the Innuos playback via USB as its reducing its noise output. Roon Experimental is an attempt to use the same memory playback for RAAT , but RAAT is not designed for memory playback so it’s a tad flakey and unstable and Roon don’t support Squeezelite the software player that emulates native Squeezebox playback.