@OP A quality streamer makes a substantial difference, but if you are not that interested in streaming from the internet, then spending a large sum of money on a streamer seems of dubious benefit. One option is to use a PC for storage and delivery to your Tambaqui using Roon. Some will say this is not a good option from a sound quality perspective, but I have had excellent results with a custom PC using a JCAT USB card XE with its own nano PSU. The PC option gives you virtually unlimited choice in regard to storage and with Roon you also have a brilliant streaming platform. I've had zero issues running this configuration for four or five years now. Lastly, though, I don't have direct experience of it, the NAD M50.2 looks like a product that fits your specification at not crazy money.
Questions re. use of an Innuos unit with a Tambaqui
Any nuanced, on-topic, experience-based feedback from forum members regarding any, some or all of the questions I have here would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
I've recently purchased a Tambaqui and am looking into a server/streamer to pair with it. In my research I've been drawn in particular to the Innuos line, in this case either the Zen MK3 or the Zenith MK3, as they will fit in my budget and have been described, between their onboard ripping function, software, simple ’user friendly’ quality, and overall sound as being wonderful units well worth their prices.
Being a newbie to the realm of servers/streamers/standalone DAC setups, I have questions re. my particular audio needs for one. I wish to keep owning the bulk of the recordings that I’ll play, and plan to use a server/streamer predominantly as a means of playing drive content to my dac, plus as a convenient ripper, only expecting to internet stream perhaps 5-10% of the time I'm using the unit (beyond that, though, I've heard really good things about the proprietary music library software featured in these units). Otherwise I'll be purchasing mostly hi-res (and some redbook) downloads (from Qobuz) to store on an internal drive, plus listening to music ripped from my large cd collection.
Given all this, I'm wondering:
**what the relative sound contribution of a server (I'm defining it here, perhaps mistakenly, as an audiophile drive/music storage unit) vs the DAC is in terms of effect upon sound quality- I've heard it described as minimal in terms of a disc transport, though I'm not sure that's the case when using a flash drive to provide the media source, or even in a general sense. Having spent a lot (for me) on the Tambaqui at this point, I’m cautious re. spending on diminishing returns on the server side of things.
**how the Innuos Zen MK3 and Zenith MK3 perform compared with the alternatives in or somewhat above their price range if just really used as servers (and generally NOT as internet streamers).
**how synergistic their sonic attributes are with the Tambaqui.
**given that internet streaming quality is not an important variable in my decision, how much of a relative soniic improvement the Zenith MK3 offers over the Zen MK3 just in terms of music presented from its drive storage?
**whether convenient one-box alternatives offering all of these benefits (server/internal drive/ripper/streamer) more-or-less in this price/quality range (or somewhat above) exist; or otherwise, if the ripping function is excluded.
**finally, in re. to relative sonic strengths/weakness of these innuos units vs their competitors- something like a third of my digital listening consists of large classical orchestral pieces, so a unit’s ability to portray acoustic timbre, complex compositions, and a convincing soundstage for large ensembles is particularly important to me, although again, perhaps this is predominantly just a DAC issue. But if the server is a relatively important element here as well, then I wonder how these Innuos units fare on this front.
Thanks again for any responses!
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I know that Innuos is highly regarded. So I thought I would upgrade to the Innuos Pulse 2 days ago. Usually with any new app it takes awhile to learn how to use it properly, but the Sense app is driving me crazy. I suppose I will go around in circles until I figure it out. SQ is about the same, but I am also having way more dropouts than what would be reasonable. |
This is probably review, but I thought it is something you should consider. I think it is important to note that the sound can be significantly affected by your choice of connectivity and the strengths of the streamer and DAC in clock department. Timing/jitter is a critical factor in digital sound quality and who has the best clock wins. Some of the Innuos units, my Zenith MKIII included, only support USB. This puts the burden of clocking on the DAC, which can be a very good thing if the DAC has a good clock. I am guessing the Tambaqui is pretty good. If you are using SPDIF, then the streamer supplies the clock. And the cable you use in either case is important, choose carefully and include it in your budget. My experience with Innuos has been great. I abandoned my Aurender after only a few months due to the app software and the software in the unit itself. I find Innuos intuitive and straightforward. Sorry to hear about your experience @boxcarman , I hope your experience improves.
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Zione, I know I am in a learning curve on the Innuos Sense app. After communication with the support group at Innuos, things are improving. Sound quality is now as good or better than ever. I had to change some settings and tomorrow we are updating software. It' s partly my impatience when things don't come together promptly. I could have used better setup instructions though. |
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