Innuos STREAM1 Music Streamer & Server

The STREAM1 is Innuos's entry point into the Stream platform — but that word "entry" needs some context. This is not a stripped-down product with compromised engineering. It runs the same 13th-generation Intel quad-core processor and 8GB DDR5 RAM as the STREAM3. Same real-time Linux kernel. Same modular output bay approach. Same Sense 3 software. What it doesn't have is the STREAM3's ARC6-CX power supply or its full-sized chassis. Those are real differences and they matter. But the STREAM1, particularly with the LPS1 upgrade and a well-chosen output module, gets you deeper into Innuos performance than its price suggests. It's also the right answer for a specific kind of system — and knowing when to recommend it is part of our job.

How the Power Works Here

The STREAM1 ships with an external switch-mode power supply — medical-grade filtered, cleaner than a generic SMPS, but still a switch-mode design. For a product at this price, that's a reasonable starting point. What makes it interesting is the CX regulation stage built into the STREAM1's mainboard, which supplies independent low-noise power directly to the output module. So regardless of what comes in from the wall supply, the audio output stage gets clean, regulated power. That's the right architectural priority.

The LPS1 is the meaningful upgrade. It adds a 150VA toroidal transformer, premium Mundorf and Nichicon capacitors, and medical-grade AC filtering — all in a half-width chassis that stacks or sits alongside the STREAM1 as a matched pair. The sonic difference is real and not subtle: a quieter background, tighter bass, and a more open presentation overall. Innuos bundles the two at a discount when purchased together, which is the configuration we'd recommend for most buyers. Think of the STREAM1 alone as the floor; STREAM1 plus LPS1 is the intended product. It's where the ZEN Mk3 used to live in the lineup, and it earns that position.

The LPS1 also has a second regulated DC output for powering an external DAC, a switch, or another accessory — useful if you're running a PhoenixNET or a similar low-current device and want to reduce power supply count on the rack.

The Platform

Same processing core as the STREAM3: 13th-generation Intel quad-core, 8GB of industrial-grade DDR5 RAM, a dedicated TLC NVMe SSD running the OS with power-loss protection. Innuos claims more than 200% faster processing throughput compared to the Mk3 platform, and the real-time Linux kernel at the heart of Sense 3 minimizes audio processing latency at the OS level. It handles Roon Core duties cleanly, including moderate DSP loads. HQPlayer NAA endpoint mode and AssetUPnP are also supported.

The half-width chassis is smaller than any other full Innuos server — 240mm wide, 200mm deep. Dense, well-built, 10mm CNC-machined aluminum fascia. It doesn't feel like a budget product in the hand.

The Output Module

The STREAM1's output module bay is the same system as the STREAM3, with one important limitation: it doesn't support the PhoenixDAC or PhoenixI2S boards. Those require the STREAM3's larger chassis and power supply. What's available for the STREAM1:

• Standard DAC Board: RCA analogue output plus optical and coaxial S/PDIF. PCM up to 24bit/192kHz. The all-in-one option for a simple system without a standalone DAC.
• PerformanceDAC Board: Current-generation AKM DAC chip with TCXO clocks, independent power supplies for digital and analogue stages, PCM to 32bit/768kHz and Native DSD up to DSD512. RCA only, but a genuine step up in resolution over the Standard DAC Board.
• PhoenixUSB Board: Regenerated and reclocked USB output — 3ppb 24MHz OCXO clock, LT3045 linear regulators throughout, no switching regulators near the USB chip. For users feeding a capable external DAC. This is the board that turns the STREAM1 into a serious transport.
• SPDIF Board: AES, coaxial, and optical outputs up to 24bit/192kHz. The choice for DACs that prefer S/PDIF over USB.

All modules are available at purchase or fitted later. The STREAM1 also accepts the same modules as the STREAM3 (where compatible), so there's no dead-end if you want to move up the range eventually.

Connectivity and Storage

Two 2.5GbE Ethernet ports, bridged — one for your network, one passthrough for another device. USB-C handles high-speed drives, DAC connections, and device charging. CD ripping works via any external USB optical drive, using Innuos's established ripping engine with drive-head alignment, FLAC or WAV output, and metadata from Discogs, MusicBrainz, FreeDB, and GD3.

Storage is optional: 2TB or 4TB M.2 NVMe SSD, factory-fitted or self-installed into the accessible expansion bay. Run it with no storage at all if you're streaming-only. Sense 3 manages everything from a unified interface — local library, NAS, streaming services — without requiring separate apps or inputs.

The Stream Remote is an optional add-on for the STREAM1 (it's included standard with the STREAM3). Worth considering if tactile, preset-driven playback control matters to you — it's the same infrared remote with numbered preset buttons assignable through the Sense app.

Where It Fits

The STREAM1 makes sense in a few scenarios. It's the right call for a listener building a first serious digital source who wants room to grow — start with the SMPS, add the LPS1 later, add a module when you're ready. It's also appropriate for a secondary system, or for someone who already has a strong external DAC and just needs a clean, well-engineered transport. The PhoenixUSB board in that configuration punches well above the STREAM1's entry price.

Where it doesn't belong: upstream of a very high-end DAC in a primary reference system, where the STREAM3's ARC6-CX power supply makes a contribution the STREAM1 plus LPS1 won't fully match. Innuos is clear about the hierarchy, and so are we. If your DAC costs more than the rest of your system combined, the STREAM3 is probably the right call.

For Mk3 owners thinking about upgrading: the STREAM1 plus LPS1 is positioned as the successor to the ZEN Mk3 and PULSE. If that's where you're coming from, expect a meaningful step forward in processing speed, flexibility, and with an output module fitted, in sound quality too. Worth hearing.

Press Recognition

Fairaudio, Elmar Salmutter — awarded the Attractive Price-Performance Ratio distinction. Salmutter found the STREAM1 sounding natural and uncolored with a transparency complemented by a touch of warmth — and concluded this is not a beginner's product but something that sounds like it was made for serious, ambitious listeners. The full review covered the STREAM1 with LPS1 and PerformanceDAC board. Read the review (German).

Formal English-language press is still catching up with this product — it launched in mid-2025 and reviews are early. We'll update this section as coverage develops. In the meantime, we're happy to share our own experience with it.

Specifications

• Processor: 13th Gen Intel quad-core
• RAM: 8GB DDR5 industrial-grade
• OS Storage: Dedicated TLC NVMe SSD with power-loss protection
• Music Storage: Optional M.2 NVMe SSD — 2TB or 4TB (factory fitted or user installed)
• Power Supply: Medical-grade filtered external SMPS (included); CX regulator on mainboard for independent output module power. Optional LPS1 upgrade: 150VA toroidal transformer, Mundorf and Nichicon capacitors, medical-grade AC filtering, 4mm chassis ground port, secondary 5V DC output for accessories
• USB Audio Outputs: 3 x USB 3.2 plus 1 x USB-C — up to 32bit/768kHz PCM, DSD256 via DoP, DSD512 via Native DSD
• Optional Output Module (Standard DAC Board): RCA analogue, optical, coaxial S/PDIF — up to 24bit/192kHz PCM
• Optional Output Module (PerformanceDAC Board): AKM DAC, TCXO clocks, independent PSU, RCA analogue — up to 32bit/768kHz PCM, Native DSD up to DSD512
• Optional Output Module (PhoenixUSB Board): Reclocked USB 2.0 — 3ppb 24MHz OCXO, LT3045 regulators — up to 32bit/768kHz PCM, DSD512 via Native DSD
• Optional Output Module (SPDIF Board): AES, coaxial, optical — up to 24bit/192kHz PCM
• Note: PhoenixDAC and PhoenixI2S boards are not compatible with STREAM1; STREAM3 required
• Network: 2 x 2.5GbE Ethernet RJ45, bridged
• DC Power Inlet: 19V DC (external SMPS or LPS1)
• Supported Sample Rates: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192, 352.8, 384, 768kHz; DSD64–DSD512 via Native DSD (24bit/192kHz maximum on SPDIF and Standard DAC modules)
• Bit Depths: 16bit, 24bit, 32bit
• Playback Formats: WAV, AIFF, FLAC, ALAC, AAC, MP3, DSF, DFF, MQA
• CD Ripping: Via external USB optical drive; FLAC (Level 0) or WAV; metadata from Discogs, FreeDB, GD3, MusicBrainz
• Streaming: Qobuz, Qobuz Connect, Tidal, Tidal Connect, Deezer, HighResAudio, IDAGIO, Spotify Connect, Internet Radio, Radio Paradise FLAC
• Control: Innuos Sense app (iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, web browser); Stream Remote optional (IR, numbered presets)
• Optional Modes: Roon Core, Roon Endpoint, HQPlayer NAA Endpoint, AssetUPnP Server
• Operating System: Sense 3 with Real-Time Linux Kernel
• Chassis: Half-width; 10mm CNC-machined aluminum fascia
• Finish: Black only
• Dimensions: 240 x 200 x 80mm (W x D x H)
• Weight: 2.4 kg
• Mains: 115V / 230V AC via external SMPS (switchable)
• Includes: SMPS, AC power cable (2.0m), Ethernet cable (2.0m), quick start guide
• Country of Origin: Portugal

If you're weighing the STREAM1 against the STREAM3, or trying to figure out which output module and whether the LPS1 makes sense for your system right now, reach out. There's no single right answer — it depends on what you're connecting it to and where you want to go next.