Innuos PhoenixUSB Board

Output Module for STREAM1, STREAM3, ZEN Next-Gen, and ZENith Next-Gen

The PhoenixUSB Board brings the core technology of Innuos's outboard PhoenixUSB reclocker inside your STREAM or ZEN Next-Gen chassis as a factory-fitted output module. If you own a capable external USB DAC and want to get the most from it, this is the board that makes that happen.

The Engineering

The same engineering as the standalone PhoenixUSB unit: a 3ppb OCXO clock running at 24MHz, mounted directly on the board just inches from the USB chip. Every independent voltage rail to the USB chip is regulated by dedicated LT3045 linear regulators — no switching regulators anywhere in the USB chip's power path. The 5V USB power line delivered to your DAC is clean and stable, not whatever noise happened to ride in from a shared supply.

What this means in practice: the USB signal your DAC receives is regenerated against a high-precision clock reference, with no switching noise contaminating the voltage rails. DACs with their own internal clocking still benefit — cleaner input means less work for the DAC's error correction and less noise in the ground plane it's working against.

Board vs. Outboard Unit

The outboard PhoenixUSB uses a larger chassis and more substantial power supplies than any internal board can match, so it has an edge at the margins. But the PhoenixUSB Board delivers the same fundamental technology — same clock spec, same LT3045 regulation philosophy, same no-switching-regulators-at-the-chip-level approach — in a more compact, integrated form. For most systems, especially where shelf space or cable routing matters, the board is the right call.

Press Recognition

The PhoenixUSB Board has been reviewed as part of the STREAM3 and ZEN Next-Gen by Hi-Fi+ and Hifi News, with consistent praise for the improvement in USB output quality over the standard output, particularly in terms of low-level detail and soundstage stability.

Specifications

• Function: USB signal regeneration and reclocking
• Clock: 3ppb OCXO at 24MHz, board-mounted adjacent to USB chip
• Voltage regulation: LT3045 linear regulators on every independent rail
• Switching regulators: None in USB chip power path
• Output: USB 2.0, reclocked
• 5V USB line: Clean, independently regulated supply to connected DAC
• PCM support: Up to 32bit/768kHz
• DSD support: DSD512 Native
• Compatible: STREAM1, STREAM3, ZEN Next-Gen, ZENith Next-Gen
• Installation: Factory-fitted or retrofitted

Weighing the PhoenixUSB Board against the outboard PhoenixUSB reclocker for your setup? The answer is usually straightforward once we know what DAC you're running. Reach out.