I'll admit it, I have overlooked the Innuos Stream series, favoring the Zen and Zenith NG, Thinking that these downmarket streamers were not going to satisfy the ears of my customers and myself. I was wrong. Dead wrong. But I can explain! I think what threw me off was the timing of release and the naming of the new Innuos products and trying to pigeonhole the MK3 with the NG. And who could blame me, The Zen MK3 was discontinued and the Zen NG was released. It was natural to assume that the NG was the evolution of the MK3. I think even Innuos meant it this way. But with the significant price increase of the NG, it made little sense.
Looking at the line from the perspective of cost and sound, the Zen and Zenith MK3 are more in-line with the Stream 1 and Stream 3. This makes the Zen and Zenith NG not evolutionary models, but entirely new. Filling in the gaps between the Stream series, the Statement and Nazare. So in my mind the more accurate order of comparison is something like this:
- Stream 1 is equivalent to the Zen MK3
- Stream 3 is equivalent to the Zenith MK3
- The Zen and the Zenith NG are totally new products, borrowing the MK3 product names, causing sticker shock and confusion.
- The Statement NG is indeed the replacement for the Statement
- The Nazare is in a new, upper tier.
Now That That Is Out Of The Way: The Stream 3
The Stream 3 loses the CD Ripping drive of the Zenith, but gains the ability to add different output boards, and even a built-in DAC board. The potential output boards are:
- PhoenixUSB Lite Board, offering a reclocked USB output for connecting to your favorite DAC
- SPDIF Output Board if your favorite DAC sounds better with an RCA, XLR or TOSLINK connection
- I2s Output board for connecting to DACs via I2s
Additionally, one can install an onboard DAC. There are Two choices here,
- The Performance DAC is AKM based with TXCO clocks, supports PCM up to 32/768 and native DSD, and independent power supplies for digital and analog stages. It has RCA outputs only.
- The Phoenix DAC is dual-mono AKM, with OXCO clocks and a much more sophisticated design. It has separate digital and analog Sean Jacobs designed power supplies and supports both RCA and XLR connections.
The Stream 3 power supply sports the new ARC6 linear power supply with 132,000uF of Mundorf capacitance, active rectification and CX power regulation. This I believe is the heart of the dead quiet and natural sonic character of the Innuos streamers.
The Stream 3 also incorporates a 13th Gen Intel Quad-Core processor and 8GB of industrial-grade DDR5 RAM which is 200% faster processing than its predecessor.
All of this is housed in a massive, heavy milled aluminum chassis, supported by three footers that tend to make the Stream 3 feel like it's floating on a well damped set of, well feet.
On the front right corner is a small touch panel that turns the unit on and off when the main power switch on the rear is turned on.
On the back you have 2 network ports. One labeled LAN (for connecting other Innuos streamers) the other Ethernet for connecting to your router or switch. There are also 2 USB ports, one labeled Backup and the other for connecting a DAC if you don't have any of the optional boards. if you do have an optional output board installed, one could use the USB port for connecting a disk, thumb drive or CD-ROM drive. Last there is an HDMI port labeled Service Only.
The Stream 3 With The Phoenix DAC
After the success I had with moving from separates to an integrated amp, I wanted to simplify my streaming and my system by outfitting my Stream 3 with the Phoenix DAC. This would be replacing my Statement, and sometimes Zen NG running with either the Merason DAC 1 MK2 or Garlubidor Divinity DAC. Both would be connected via the Audience FrontRow Reserve USB cable.
Less, But Better
Looking at this from a perspective of "less, but better", consolidating components have the advantage of fewer cables, and power cords, plus shorter distances for the signal to travel. The downsides can be noise from close proximity, power issues if the power supply is shared within the component. I think the issue of noise has more to do with older components where the engineers didn't have the tools or electronic components that we do today. Circuits are now software optimized for low emf emission and can be shielded from noise from rf etc. In the case of the Stream 3, the DAC has it's own onboard regulated and optimized power supply, only needing a small amount of DC for the separate analog and digital circuitry.
Sharing a physical chassis is another way to keep costs down without sacrificing quality. Bottom line, a smartly designed, integrated amp or streamer/DAC can be every bit as quiet, and sound every bit as good as separates with the right designer behind it.
One also saves on cables, power distributors, etc. OR, more likely, it frees up more money for better cables, tubes, tweaks, etc.
The Rest Of The System
To power my Stream 3, I used a Grand Activation HGA 6000 power cord. I used Darwin Cables Enlightenment Extreme interconnects to connect the Stream 3 to my mildly tweaked out Unison Research S6 integrated amplifier. I say mildly tweaked because these are things that do not involve opening up the amp or soldering. I upgraded the stock tubes with Ray Tubes Reserve EL34 tubes and Select 12AX7's. The S6 also had a QSA Red mains fuse installed and was powered with a Grand Activation HGA6000 power cord.
For speaker cables I used the outstanding Grand Activation SC2000 running to my Aurai Z165 monitors. I also had a pair of SVS SB1000 Pro subwoofers connected and crossed at about 50 hz third order. A QSA Gold Wall receptacle sending power to a Bybee Stealth power conditioner rounds out the system.
Initial Impressions
When I first played music through the Stream 3 / Phoenix DAC setup it was a little too forward in the midrange, making horns sound a bit too harsh. This didn't last too long. After about an hour I noticed the balance had settled and brass instruments didn't have the harsh bite they did earlier. There was a remarkable clarity. I'm talking slightly better than my Statement with the Merason remarkable. Vocals were wonderful, and the subtle details like reverb, layered instruments and harmonies were cohesive, yet separate. Very nice.
Bass through the lower midrange had incredible clarity, impact depth and volume. I actually had to turn the gain on my subs down by 3dB. There was a lot more information in this region than I had heard through this system. Dynamic swings had more swing and excitement.
Overall, the energy and liveliness of the presentation had increased. If I were to make a metaphor for the Phoenix DAC vs. the Merason vs the Garlubidor it would be this: The Phoenix DAC has the sound of a Class A amplifier, the Merason a super high quality Class AB amp, and the Garlubidor would be more like a KT88 based tube amplifier. All were satisfying and had their own special nature. There was just a little more "fuzz" around instruments and vocals with the Garlubidor, with the bass being a little lighter weight and not as precise. The Merason was just oh so slightly more natural sounding, as a $9000 DAC should be.
Both the Merason and Garlubidor have hundreds of hours on them. The Phoenix DAC is still in the single digit hours. It will be interesting to see how the Phoenix DAC settles in over the next days and weeks.