Innuos Zenith Mk3 Ultra-low Noise USB Audio Output, Really?

Listen to it and see what you think.  Lots of people are thrilled with its sound.  Or just go buy the MB and LPS and build your own and see how that works out for you.  I can buy the same ingredients as Wolfgang Puck — doesn’t mean I can create what he can. 

USB is inherently a compromised interface. That said the Innuos version really is quite accomplished. It does though substantially benefit from galvanic isolation and superior cables.

USB is nothing but unclocked data. Computers do not pay attention to noise only ones and zeros. You guys probably don't remember the old analog cell phones. Needless to say, our modern digital ones were a breath of fresh air. It is all about the clocking and there are any number of great clocks in various formats to do the job. I have not ever had a jitter problem.

Motherboard, Mainboard, it’s 6 of one half a dozen of another to me - Dad joke?

@soix +1

 

How do we suppose these invisible ones and zeros magically pass along conductive materials to arrive perfectly arranged at the other device?
After the computer, which essentially all devices that unpack the music file information in the manner the Zenith does, processes the file into what will become the bit stream. A bit is like a placeholder for the one or zero value, high or low, on or off (if you want to read more, look up JK-flip flop, fascinating stuff).

So the computer makes electrical noise as it processes through these calculations , the amount of electrical noise that is inherited by the chain of events that transfer the information over an analog alternating electrical signal which has a specific pattern to be measured and read in by the end device, is generated by multiple factors.
Electrical noise that is introduced to the alternating electrical signal can effect the transfer of the data read in, the baud rate (the rate of switching change) does have a significant impact on the integrity of the data (encoded information in the series of ones and zeros), music playback by all accounts is low frequency.

Most current DACs do not have onboard computers, which could read in the packet (a specified number of zeros and ones) and determine that the checksum, the number of zeros and ones that are read in at a baud rate are all there, in which case it could request it to be resent, if there was something amiss.
Failing that, the DAC processes what it has, and just keeps on trucking along.
It can be measured with the right equipment, and in the case of audio playback, it can be heard, particularly if more accurate transfer is achieved.

And how does the other device know that it’s supposed to be ready to magically receive the perfect ones and zeros?
There is generally a 5VDC current transferred down one of the four USB conductors, which acts like a trigger for a handshake between the two devices.
Now I am aware that some clever designers have used a relay for the DAC which keeps the actual power inside the DAC isolated from the source. Engineers, such clever people.

But the electrical noise inherent in all things electrical and alternating, can be minimised (there he goes with British spelling again) with engineering measures in the transfer conductors (two of them, and it’s the measurable potential between these conductors that is read from).
Also, apparently Innuos have been making updates to the program, that have significantly lessened the electrical noise, and resulted in superior sounding music playback. I did mention the processes in the computer create electrical noise.
People are evidently impressed, that despite thinking they don’t have a jitter problem, have experienced less jitter problem that they never realised they had!

If all devices were perfect, they would all sound the same: perfect.

Reports are that the two software changes have lifted performance as though they had replaced it with a totally better source. If you have the entry price at your disposal, giving one a listen in your system would not at all be foolish, by all accounts I have read and discussions on the phone. I don't currently have the spare entry money, it's tied up elsewhere - priorities huh?

@martin-andersen This is exactly my issue with many off the shelf servers, motherboard is noisy environment. A top tier server will have usb coming off nice card like Pink Faun or JCAT, or perhaps some proprietary scheme.

 

I modded my server for second ethernet port, this port goes out to FMC, far superior to prior usb off motherboard into dac. Ethernet out was also superior prior to fiber conversion scheme I use now.