Innuos Next-Gen NET (Q4 2026)

The network connection is the first point at which noise enters a streaming system. Everything downstream — the server, the DAC, the analogue stage — inherits whatever the network delivers. Innuos has spent years engineering their streamers and servers to manage what arrives from outside the chassis, but the more fundamental solution is to clean it up before it arrives. The Next-Gen NET is that solution, built to the same engineering standards as the ZEN Next-Gen and ZENith Next-Gen that it feeds.

Innuos introduced the Next-Gen NET at HIGH END Vienna 2026. It is a serious piece of engineering — not a network switch with an audiophile badge, but a product built around a power supply that most integrated amplifiers would be proud to carry, dedicated to doing one job as well as it can be done.

The power supply

This is where the Next-Gen NET makes its clearest statement. At the core is a 300VA toroidal transformer — substantial for any audio component, genuinely unusual in a network switch. ARC6 power rectification, drawn directly from the NazaréNET and the ZENith Next-Gen, converts that transformer's output into four independent regulated rails via CX regulator modules. Each critical component in the switch receives its own dedicated power rail, isolated from the others. The reason for that separation is straightforward: digital switching logic, clock circuits, and network interface hardware all generate different kinds of noise on their power rails, and keeping them separate prevents that noise from cross-contaminating the most sensitive parts of the circuit.

Innuos's CX regulation is the same technology applied in their reference-level products. The goal throughout is ultra-low noise on every supply rail — because the noise floor of the power supply is the floor beneath which the switch cannot perform, regardless of how good the network engineering is.

The WaveNET board and SFP fibre port

The switching hardware itself runs on Innuos's latest-generation WaveNET board with custom firmware developed specifically for audio use. The SFP fibre port is the key interface feature: optical fibre carries data as light rather than electrical signal, which means there is no metallic conductor connecting the upstream network infrastructure to the downstream audio equipment. Ground loops have no path to form. The high-frequency switching noise that consumer routers and modems generate has no conductive path to the streamer. Galvanic isolation of this kind is one of the most effective interventions available in a network audio system, and the SFP port makes it straightforward to implement.

The custom firmware is worth noting separately. Consumer network switches run generic firmware optimised for data throughput and network management. The Next-Gen NET's firmware is written for a different set of priorities — minimising the electromagnetic noise the switch itself generates during operation, and optimising the timing behaviour of the network traffic in a way that is consistent with low-jitter audio streaming. The switch does not know what audio is, but the firmware shapes how it behaves in ways that benefit audio equipment connected to it.

The chassis

Innuos describes the chassis design as keeping sensitive components stable and undisturbed — the same mechanical isolation philosophy applied across the Next-Gen and NazaréNET series. Vibration and resonance affect precision circuitry, particularly clock and regulation circuits. A well-engineered chassis is not a cosmetic decision at this level; it is part of the noise control system.

Where it fits

The Next-Gen NET is designed as the network foundation for the ZEN Next-Gen and ZENith Next-Gen, and is fully compatible with the STATEMENT at the top of the Innuos range. It sits between the upstream router or ISP equipment and the Innuos streamer, with the SFP fibre port providing the galvanic break between the noisy network side and the audio side. An SFP optical module is required for fibre connection — confirm compatible modules with us before ordering.

Against the SteinMusic SS-1 Pro and similar audio-grade switches, the Next-Gen NET is built around Innuos's own power supply and firmware architecture, making it the natural choice for an Innuos-based system. Both approaches address the same underlying problem — noise arriving from the network — through different engineering paths. The Next-Gen NET's power supply specification in particular is exceptional for a network device at any price.

Availability is Q4 2026. We will update this page with full specifications, press coverage, and availability details as they are confirmed.

Press recognition

The Next-Gen NET was announced at HIGH END Vienna 2026 alongside the full Next-Gen system. Formal reviews are forthcoming. Innuos's NazaréNET — the product from which the Next-Gen NET draws its power supply and WaveNET architecture — has received significant critical attention internationally and provides the relevant engineering reference point. We will update this section as coverage of the Next-Gen NET is published.

Specifications

• Type: High-end audio network switch
• Power supply: 300VA toroidal transformer, ARC6 power rectification
• Power rails: 4 independent CX regulator modules, one per critical component
• Network board: Next-generation WaveNET with custom audio-optimised firmware
• SFP port: Yes — optical fibre connection for galvanic isolation from upstream network
• Compatible systems: Innuos ZEN Next-Gen, ZENith Next-Gen, STATEMENT
• Availability: Q4 2026