@bruce19, you are probably right about the move to Bluesound. I only mention it because of the value and that it is widely integrated with all the popular services and has a well integrated control app. I know Yamaha makes some good stuff and am a fan from way (way) back. I guess I was thinking that if you went in this direction you could focus on the DAC which arguably has a greater affect on SQ (for me it certainly did). Going from the onboard Bluesound DAC to the Benchmark DAC3 I currently use was immediate and obvious. Going from the Bluesound Vault to the Innuos required a bit of auditory memory (mine sucks) and it was not obvious until I played a bunch of well known tracks on the Innuos and then switched and played the same tracks on the Bluesound. It should also be noted that I did the BS/Innuos comparison at the dealer using the same DAC/amp/speakers (but different signal path as BS uses SPDIF and Innuos uses USB). I had some issues getting Innuos integrated at home so was switching back and forth with the BS. Being more familiar with the sound of my system and the room made it much easier for me to distinguish between the two. I still only have 25 or so hours on the Innuos and it sounds noticeably better than BS. I’m not great with colorful audiophile adjectives, but there is more image definition and separation between performers with Innuos. It adds to the palpability and puts you that much closer to the presentation, and at this point that is what I am after. But aside from the improved SQ I have been interested in Roon. My son has it and I am intrigued by the features and amount of background content they make available to the user. I don’t have a suitable server to host the core so being able to run that on the Zenith is a plus and I am seriously hoping that works out because the alternative control app (orange squeeze) I am currently using is a clunker. I also have a library of ripped CDs that I had on my Vault so having the ability to import them to the Innuos was also attractive to me. Already I can say I’ve achieved the incremental SQ improvement I was after so even if I don’t see more changes during break-in I am happy. The one negative is that I miss the Bluesound control app. If I can get Roon to integrate with no negative side effects that will be a huge plus.
In the end I was looking for a Vault upgrade and since the Zenith is almost an exact overlay from a feature perspective it made my decision easy. I think you have more to consider? Good news is you have considerable budget and no shortage of dealers that are willing to let you listen or demo their gear and that is the fun part:) Best of luck on your journey.
In the end I was looking for a Vault upgrade and since the Zenith is almost an exact overlay from a feature perspective it made my decision easy. I think you have more to consider? Good news is you have considerable budget and no shortage of dealers that are willing to let you listen or demo their gear and that is the fun part:) Best of luck on your journey.