Innuos Zenith Mk3 or something else?

Thanks @mahughes for your sharing experience of the Zenith. Appreciate the extensive write up and comparison to the Auralic. Do you think adding a usb Phoenix would make a larger SQ improvement or spending some $’s improving the Ethernet chain (eg linear power supplies for the cable modem, router, audiophile switch/Ethernet cables/Ethernet noise filter etc) ? 
Thanks!

Thanks @phastm3 for your thoughts comparing the zenith and the auralic. When you say “cleaner” sound, how do you mean?

@longinc genuinely hard to comment. It’s one for an audition. I have a weak point in my system as, to get it going, I used a £30 wireless bridge, which is still in place. I kind of assumed the switch would therefore give the biggest uplift compared to the reclocker. On auditioning, the uplift from the reclocker was by far the bigger. Go figure. Saving up for it as I write.

@longinc  I've been very happy with my Innuos Zen Mk3. I decided to get the Zen rather than the Zenith because I saw the Zen as an excellent value and I could put the cost savings toward the cost of the Phoenix USB, which I later did. (By the way, Innuos is running a promotion in October for 15% off the cost of the Phoenix for any current Zen or Zenith owners, or for those who buy the Phoenix along with the Zen or Zenith.)

With regard to the upgrade issues you asked about, I would recommend the Phoenix USB and an Ethernet filter like the ENO from Network Acoustics. Their effects are additive. If I had to choose between the two, I'd give the nod to the Phoenix, but a demo in your own system could help you decide for sure. After I already had the Phoenix and ENO filter in my system, I noticed some improvement from going to an English Electric 8Switch to replace a basic Netgear switch in my Ethernet set-up. I have not upgraded my cable modem or router (or their power supplies) so I can't estimate how much of an improvement those changes might make.

Good luck with your decisions.

I recently purchased a Zenith and am very pleased with it. The Sense app is excellent and easy to work with and the Zenith sound is quite pleasing. I have it paired with the finest dac I've owned, the Merason DAC1. The combinations has an incredibly musical, detailed sound that is intoxicating. I was told ahead of time that the Zenith was a big step up from the Zen so I took my friend's advice and went that direction, happy I did! Thanks to grannyring's comments on the Network Acoustics Eno system it will be next.