Innuos Owners and Discussions Thread

[AussieMick]

1 hour ago, Silver Audiophile said:

 

My condolences, Mick. I have the exact same model as you and similarly, I love the warm organic sound this streamer gives. The occasional software glitch, but never any mechanical fault.

I'm assuming the glow came from the top right of the unit, located near the ventilation perforations holes? Surely, the mains fuse should have protected the power supply?

 

 

 

That’s what I hoped, but the fuse is undamaged. I tried a spare fuse I’ve got as well. No luck. 

[Analogueage]

Does anyone know the cost in Aus of upgrading (via the Innuos upgrade program) the ZENmini Mk3 to the ZENmini S?

Thanks in advance.

Rob

[Hydrology]

New update 2.6.0 - changes in images below:-

 

 

 

[arpasquill]

On 26/12/2023 at 1:07 AM, Analogueage said:

Does anyone know the cost in Aus of upgrading (via the Innuos upgrade program) the ZENmini Mk3 to the ZENmini S?

Thanks in advance.

Rob

 

Give Selby Accoustics  (Thornbury, VIC) a call and ask. I enquired last year but can't remember exactly I'm afraid.

03 9999 7717

[eostre23]

Thanks for the info.

This looks like quite an extensive update!

[Hydrology]

4 hours ago, arpasquill said:

 

Give Selby Accoustics  (Thornbury, VIC) a call and ask. I enquired last year but can't remember exactly I'm afraid.

03 9999 7717

 

Just so Australian punters are aware, the upgrade program is something that Innuos offer direct, NOT through their distributor/dealer network. This of course works reasonably OK for anyone in continental Europe, but in Australia the sums just wont add up to make it cost effective.

For the Australian dealer network in particular, trade-in would be the only option.

Edited February 1, 2024 by Hydrology

[arpasquill]

16 hours ago, Hydrology said:

Just so Australian punters are aware, the upgrade program is something that Innuos offer direct, NOT through their distributor/dealer network

 

Thanks for that, I seem to remember getting excited about the chance to upgrade but probably won't anymore. I had the same issue with my Lyngdorf amp with getting an upgraded module, it had to go all the way to Denmark for factory installation and they wanted $1700. Nope. Sad face.

[Silver Audiophile]

15 minutes ago, arpasquill said:

 

Thanks for that, I seem to remember getting excited about the chance to upgrade but probably won't anymore. I had the same issue with my Lyngdorf amp with getting an upgraded module, it had to go all the way to Denmark for factory installation and they wanted $1700. Nope. Sad face.

Totally different storey with Magenta Audio and PS Audio. They fully match all PS Audio deals that apply to US buyers. Really comes down to the Aussie importer and their attitude. 

 

 

[AussieMick]

 

This. Wonderful. 

[Hydrology]

3 hours ago, Silver Audiophile said:

 Really comes down to the Aussie importer and their attitude.

 

Well, this "may" be true in some instances, but usually the rules are set by the manufacturer. In the case of this thread and the brand the title refers to, it is Innuos who dictate that "upgrades" be dealt with exclusively by them and not a third party (distributor). So I would argue in this regard, its a case of "manufacturer and their attitude".

[Hydrology]

24 minutes ago, AussieMick said:

 

This. Wonderful. 

Have you tried it? Working well? I have no need for this personally but a very welcome addition nonetheless, especially for Pulse Series!

[AussieMick]

11 minutes ago, Hydrology said:

Have you tried it? Working well? I have no need for this personally but a very welcome addition nonetheless, especially for Pulse Series!

I ran the update this morning over breakfast. I’ll try it out tonight. No idea how it’ll work - I’m wondering if it’ll add it up the library like it would a NAS. 

[eostre23]

As an aside, would people agree that 'streaming' to the device (Zenith) via a Nas device returns better audio quality than via the rear USB connection (cable) to a external hard drive?

[Hydrology]

10 minutes ago, eostre23 said:

As an aside, would people agree that 'streaming' to the device (Zenith) via a Nas device returns better audio quality than via the rear USB connection (cable) to a external hard drive?

While I haven't tried it personally, I would theorize yes.

For me personally though, the convenience of plugging in a drive to the back as a 'set and forget' would be my preference. Plus the fact that I have plenty of spare drives to utilize if required.

[Silver Audiophile]

1 hour ago, Hydrology said:

 

Well, this "may" be true in some instances, but usually the rules are set by the manufacturer. In the case of this thread and the brand the title refers to, it is Innuos who dictate that "upgrades" be dealt with exclusively by them and not a third party (distributor). So I would argue in this regard, its a case of "manufacturer and their attitude".

Do you proof of this, in this case? 

 

 

[Hydrology]

3 minutes ago, Silver Audiophile said:

Do you proof of this, in this case? 

 

 

Proof of what, exactly?

 

[Silver Audiophile]

2 minutes ago, Hydrology said:

Proof of what, exactly?

You wrote :

 

"it is Innuos who dictate that "upgrades" be dealt with exclusively by them and not a third party (distributor). So I would argue in this regard, its a case of "manufacturer and their attitude".

 

 

 

 

[Hydrology]

Just now, Silver Audiophile said:

You wrote :

 

"it is Innuos who dictate that "upgrades" be dealt with exclusively by them and not a third party (distributor). So I would argue in this regard, its a case of "manufacturer and their attitude".

 

Ring the distributor and ask. Perhaps even contact Innuos direct and ask the same question. And if you require proof (an email exchange or something in writing) unfortunately that is not something I can supply, but perhaps the others can. I however trust the relationship(s) I have in the industry and have no reason to doubt.

In any case, I sell Innuos, as does the Innuos distributor, obviously. I don't believe I would be doing my job correctly if I was encouraging people to NOT spend money with me and just deal direct with Innuos, unless it was the case.

[Silver Audiophile]

10 minutes ago, Hydrology said:

Ring the distributor and ask. Perhaps even contact Innuos direct and ask the same question. And if you require proof (an email exchange or something in writing) unfortunately that is not something I can supply, but perhaps the others can.

Unfortunately, I bought my Innuos new from the Aussie distributor. I don't want to bad mouth anyone here on SNA.

Let's just say, for over three years, I only deal directly with Innuos in Portugal/UK directly. They have been absolutely wonderful with me. From spending at times an hour on the phone (on multiple occasions) and giving direct technical support on my computer to reconfigure my Innuos, to exchanging numerous technical emails and answering all my questions. 

I will follow this up with Innuos HQ. 

 

 

Edited February 2, 2024 by Silver Audiophile

[eostre23]

1 hour ago, Hydrology said:

While I haven't tried it personally, I would theorize yes.

For me personally though, the convenience of plugging in a drive to the back as a 'set and forget' would be my preference. Plus the fact that I have plenty of spare drives to utilize if required.

Thanks.

In my set up I'd say streaming Quboz (Roon) via the Zenith is the best audio quality, followed by Innuos internal SSD, then rear USB connection.

I will stream from a NAS to see where that goes in the playback list.

[Hydrology]

39 minutes ago, Silver Audiophile said:

Unfortunately, I bought my Innuos new from the Aussie distributor. I don't want to bad mouth anyone here on SNA.

Let's just say, for over three years, I only deal directly with Innuos in Portugal/UK directly. They have been absolutely wonderful with me. From spending at times an hour on the phone (on multiple occasions) and giving direct technical support on my computer to reconfigure my Innuos, to exchanging numerous technical emails and answering all my questions. 

I will follow this up with Innuous HQ. 

 

 

 

You wont find me bad-mouthing Innuos - they are one of the best companies I've had the pleasure of dealing with personally in the industry - their customer service is second-to-none. And if you didnt know, I own their product.

But take a step back, and just look at this from a numbers perspective (numbers below are FICTITIOUS for the purposes of understanding) .

Let's pretend for a moment the cost that an end user dealing direct with Innuos to upgrade their ZEN MINI MK3 to the ZEN MINI SSD MK3 was about $1200-$1300 and that included shipping etc.

Now let's pretend that any Innuos retailer is now involved in this upgrade scheme - all of a sudden that price quoted above is potentially gonna go northwards and that's bad news for the end user, no? All of a sudden that $1200-$1300 that was stretching the budget becomes a bridge too far and starts to make everyone involved look like we're/they're having a rort. And I personally would hate Innuos to be viewed that way, its such a wonderful brand and product. And I am for making these products as affordable as they can be, not "more" expensive'

 

Unfortunately the geographical location Australia finds itself at, relative to where the bulk of these brands originate from, puts us at many disadvantages. I deal with two specific brands where the "rules" of upgrades are different for the Oceanic area as they are for Europe - its just simply cost prohibitive to work here for the client, hence a direct return-to-base model in the event of upgrades, and "if" a dealer wants to get involved because of a very good relationship with a client, so be it. But that's their decision.

Your example of PS Audio is different (but I will concede is not unique) - that is a brand who went to a direct business model in their home country a few years ago now and it would need to be parity or close to it to make the brand work in other territories. Prior to that, pricing was all over the place.

 

Do what you feel you got to do with regard to seeking clarification from Innuos - I'm not sure what the point is to be honest, but if its something you need, by all means.

Edited February 2, 2024 by Hydrology

[Hydrology]

17 minutes ago, eostre23 said:

Thanks.

In my set up I'd say streaming Quboz (Roon) via the Zenith is the best audio quality, followed by Innuos internal SSD, then rear USB connection.

I will stream from a NAS to see where that goes in the playback list.

Let us know - will be curious to hear your thoughts.

[Silver Audiophile]

11 minutes ago, Hydrology said:

You wont find me bad-mouthing Innuos - they are one of the best companies I've had the pleasure of dealing with personally in the industry - their customer service is second-to-none. And if you didnt know, I own their product.

I couldn't agree more about Innuos 'UK/Portugal HQ'. 

 

[Hydrology]

25 minutes ago, Silver Audiophile said:

I couldn't agree more about Innuos 'UK/Portugal HQ'. 

 

 

Just like neighbours, you can't choose your distributors.

But Innuos is a brand that is so self-sufficient, local "help" is rarely required.

Edited February 2, 2024 by Hydrology

[AussieMick]

Okay, I have it a shot. Yes, onboard storage and the attached USB drive sound different. The USB drive is a touch less vivid and open. The stage is a tad narrower. I will very much take the tiny trade off for the fabulous access. 
 

Should I find there to be albums I’m listening to more than twice from the drive, I’ll import them.