Jump to content
IGNORED

Innuos ZENith "STATEMENT"


Recommended Posts

Munich has come and gone.  Has anyone picked up anything more on likely price and availability of the Zenith Statement?

Zenith SE > USPCB (5v off) > tX-USBultra 9V (SR4) > Sablon Reserva Elite USB > M Scaler > WAVE Stream bnc > DAVE > Prion4/Lazuli Reference > Utopia/LCD-4/HE1000se

Link to comment
  • 1 month later...

Just saw photo of tne Innuos setup at the North West Audio Show.  I have the same Atacama shelf stack and have options to increase the spacer height, so could accomodate the Statement’s two boxes stacked.  Just wondering how much of a noise penalty there would be in doing that.  Would welcome Innuos comments.  Thanks.

Zenith SE > USPCB (5v off) > tX-USBultra 9V (SR4) > Sablon Reserva Elite USB > M Scaler > WAVE Stream bnc > DAVE > Prion4/Lazuli Reference > Utopia/LCD-4/HE1000se

Link to comment
  • 2 months later...

Innuos still hoping to start shipping in September.  Dealers still waiting for prices to be confirmed.

Zenith SE > USPCB (5v off) > tX-USBultra 9V (SR4) > Sablon Reserva Elite USB > M Scaler > WAVE Stream bnc > DAVE > Prion4/Lazuli Reference > Utopia/LCD-4/HE1000se

Link to comment
  • 3 weeks later...

I’m hoping to hear an a/b comparison of the Zenith Statement and Zenith SE at next week’s Festival of Sound show in London.

Zenith SE > USPCB (5v off) > tX-USBultra 9V (SR4) > Sablon Reserva Elite USB > M Scaler > WAVE Stream bnc > DAVE > Prion4/Lazuli Reference > Utopia/LCD-4/HE1000se

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...
7 minutes ago, rickca said:

Can you tell us any specifics about the SE firmware update functionality @str-1?

He mentioned two or three things.  But I was still thinking about other things I was more interested in and the only thing I can remember clearly was that you will now be able to rip individual tracks from CDs.

Zenith SE > USPCB (5v off) > tX-USBultra 9V (SR4) > Sablon Reserva Elite USB > M Scaler > WAVE Stream bnc > DAVE > Prion4/Lazuli Reference > Utopia/LCD-4/HE1000se

Link to comment
54 minutes ago, BigAlMc said:

Don't suppose Nuno  mentioned whether the firmware update included the enhancement to narrow the substantial SQ difference between Roon and the LMS player by allowing Roon to play from cache memory too, was included?

I can’t be sure but can ask tomorrow.

 

50 minutes ago, vpnogueira said:

Thanks for the update!  I have a Zenith SE feeding my Totaldac Server using the Ethernet output of the SE, so I am most interested in a comparison of the ethernet output of the SE vs. ethernet output of the Statement.

I don’t think they were setup to demo ethernet output.

Zenith SE > USPCB (5v off) > tX-USBultra 9V (SR4) > Sablon Reserva Elite USB > M Scaler > WAVE Stream bnc > DAVE > Prion4/Lazuli Reference > Utopia/LCD-4/HE1000se

Link to comment
On 9/29/2018 at 5:20 PM, BigAlMc said:

Don't suppose Nuno  mentioned whether the firmware update included the enhancement to narrow the substantial SQ difference between Roon and the LMS player by allowing Roon to play from cache memory too, was included?

I asked, but no.  They haven’t got that quite right yet.  I also learned that importing facilities are being enhanced, including import history.  Firmware is in final beta testing.

Zenith SE > USPCB (5v off) > tX-USBultra 9V (SR4) > Sablon Reserva Elite USB > M Scaler > WAVE Stream bnc > DAVE > Prion4/Lazuli Reference > Utopia/LCD-4/HE1000se

Link to comment
On 9/29/2018 at 5:13 PM, moby1977 said:

Thanks for this update !

If allowed and not much to ask for,would it be possible to have some pictures of the unit particularly the back panel ?

And several questions sorry for that :

- I understand the units were plugged through USB ? Any chance to listen through the Ethernet output or USB is the best output according to Innuos ?

- Did you listen using Roon or upnp ?

- Any comparison between SE and MK3 model ? 

 

Thanks 

Alex

Went back today and again visited the Innuos room.  

 

I only heard comparisons between the Statement and the SE, but they did have a Gen 3 Zenith in the rack.

 

They were only using Tidal and music stored on the Statement, and only USB output.  USB and power cables used were Chord Sarum T.

 

Bumped into the dealer who sold me and delivered my Zenith SE.  He said he would be happy to loan me the Statement for a few days when he gets it, which probably won’t be for at least a couple of months.  Something to look forward to.

Zenith SE > USPCB (5v off) > tX-USBultra 9V (SR4) > Sablon Reserva Elite USB > M Scaler > WAVE Stream bnc > DAVE > Prion4/Lazuli Reference > Utopia/LCD-4/HE1000se

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
9 hours ago, Johnny Moondog said:

 

Mmm. Perhaps they rescheduled for a future issue. Don't see it listed for Issue #167 - January 2019.

Just received my digital copy (Edition 168) and it’s in that.  

 

Very positive review by Jason Kennedy, who compares with the Zenith SE, which reviewed a year ago.  Statement was found to improve on the SE with more three-dimensional space, lower noise and more resolution .  Jason preferred ethernet out (into an Auralic Aries G2)  with which he heard greater depth of analysis and low level resolution.  He concludes by describing the Statement as one of if not the best digital source you can buy.

Zenith SE > USPCB (5v off) > tX-USBultra 9V (SR4) > Sablon Reserva Elite USB > M Scaler > WAVE Stream bnc > DAVE > Prion4/Lazuli Reference > Utopia/LCD-4/HE1000se

Link to comment
11 hours ago, Johnny Moondog said:

 

Mmm. Perhaps they rescheduled for a future issue. Don't see it listed for Issue #167 - January 2019.

Just looking again at last month’s edition I see that while edition 168 was due out in the UK on 31 Jan, it is not due out in the States until 28 Feb.  I wonder why that is.

Zenith SE > USPCB (5v off) > tX-USBultra 9V (SR4) > Sablon Reserva Elite USB > M Scaler > WAVE Stream bnc > DAVE > Prion4/Lazuli Reference > Utopia/LCD-4/HE1000se

Link to comment
  • 4 weeks later...

It’s still early days and there won’t be many Statement owners out there yet, but I wonder if anyone has personally tried an external USB reclocker with the Statement, or heard of someone else trying this.  I’m curious to learn whether a USB regenerator/reclocker like the SOtM tX-USBultra (with of without Reference Clock control) can improve on the Statement’s internal reclocking.

Zenith SE > USPCB (5v off) > tX-USBultra 9V (SR4) > Sablon Reserva Elite USB > M Scaler > WAVE Stream bnc > DAVE > Prion4/Lazuli Reference > Utopia/LCD-4/HE1000se

Link to comment

My thanks to @Blackmorecand @justubesfor those thoughts.  

 

As I do not have a master clock, and as my tX-USBultra does not have master clock input, it would seem that trading in my Zenith SE, a Chord Hugo TT 2 (not getting much use) and my tX-U for a Statement might be a cheaper way of getting more performance than adding master-clocking to my current setup.

 

Just downloaded issue 169 of HiFi+, which probably means issue 168 with the Statement review is now available in the States.

Zenith SE > USPCB (5v off) > tX-USBultra 9V (SR4) > Sablon Reserva Elite USB > M Scaler > WAVE Stream bnc > DAVE > Prion4/Lazuli Reference > Utopia/LCD-4/HE1000se

Link to comment

Thanks for these further thoughts.

 

The thing is I want better sound quality ideally with fewer boxes/cables and without me having to pay too much more for it.  I want my system to look good (or at least tidy) in the equipment rack placed unobtrusively away in the corner in my lounge - I listen exclusively through headphones these days.  The ideal for me would be just server, M Scaler and DAVE with the appropriate interconnects, power supplies and power cabling.  I don't do much streaming so have little interest in audiophile switches.

 

I was never much of a tinkerer, and am even less so today.  I am prepared to try different interconnects and power cables but do not want to be opening boxes and running additional wiring into them, not least because I have little technical knowledge and probably wouldn't know what I was doing.  This rules out the sclk ex approach for me, even though I have read countless times from those who have done this and obtained great results.

 

I also have my doubts over how much additional performance (if any) I would get from the external USB reclocker Innuos plan.  Would it be likely to deliver better performance than my standard tX-U (powered by a Paul Hynes SR4), or an upgraded tX-U with silver dc wiring, Evox caps, master clock input and emi absorbing paper?  I cannot imagine the Innuos unit costing less than £1,500, and it could well cost substantially more.  There is also the cost of a quality power cable and interconnect to consider (£500-£1k?).  Would it have the 1cm thick aluminium casing that would allow it to be stacked?  At the end of the day it still wouldn't be as good as the Statement.

 

If I stay with what I've got but upgrade the tX-U (£600) and add a REF 10 (£3,100), the cost of doing this would still be significant and might not exceed the performance of the Statement, or by very much, and I would have even more boxes and cables than I have now.

 

From all of this, I could conclude that trading in and getting the Statement is the best option for me.  But it is still easily the most expensive option, which for the moment is holding me back.

 

 

 

 

Zenith SE > USPCB (5v off) > tX-USBultra 9V (SR4) > Sablon Reserva Elite USB > M Scaler > WAVE Stream bnc > DAVE > Prion4/Lazuli Reference > Utopia/LCD-4/HE1000se

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...

Sorry for this tardy post offering my thanks to @Blackmorecand @justubesfor those thoughts.    I thought I had posted it days ago, only to find a draft still sitting in the editor when I logged back in today.

 

As I do not have a master clock, and as my tX-USBultra does not have master clock input, it would seem that trading in my Zenith SE, a Chord Hugo TT 2 (not getting much use) and my tX-U for a Statement might be a cheaper way of getting more performance than adding master-clocking to my current setup.

 

i am hopeful of getting a loan of a Statement at some point over the next two weeks, which will allow me to compare with my SE in my own system.

 

Just downloaded issue 169 of HiFi+, which probably means issue 168 with the Statement review is now available in the States.

Zenith SE > USPCB (5v off) > tX-USBultra 9V (SR4) > Sablon Reserva Elite USB > M Scaler > WAVE Stream bnc > DAVE > Prion4/Lazuli Reference > Utopia/LCD-4/HE1000se

Link to comment
  • 4 weeks later...
47 minutes ago, yellowblue said:

@str-1 did you try the SE with new firmware with the "new experimental feature"? I find it so much better that I sold my tx-USB Ultra (powered by LPS 1.2) which didn´t gave me better SQ anymore. 

Maybe even good to know for you that Nino informed me that an "external USB reclocker module including the same USB board as the Statement and the two linear power supplies required to power it in one box" at the end of Q2. It should close the gap to the Statement to some extend. 

I updated my SE with the latest firmware (1.4.1) the day it was released.  But I do not use Roon.

 

Thanks for the update on the external Innuos reclocker.  Nuno mentioned it was coming soon in emailing me about other things.

Zenith SE > USPCB (5v off) > tX-USBultra 9V (SR4) > Sablon Reserva Elite USB > M Scaler > WAVE Stream bnc > DAVE > Prion4/Lazuli Reference > Utopia/LCD-4/HE1000se

Link to comment
  • 2 months later...
On 6/14/2019 at 8:25 PM, Blackmorec said:

I just went came back to this thread looking for a particular post and just thought it worth mentioning that with 200 hours, a Statement is nowhere near run-in. With its array of Mundorf capacitors the unit will produce its very best after ca. 4 months. It’ll sound great from the get go but the level of perfection the Statement is capable of will only fully reveal itself after a substantial period under power. 

Interesting to learn that it takes this long for the caps to reach their peak.  The obvious question then to occur to me is how long do these caps stay performing at their peak before they can be expected to start deteriorating?  I remember from my Naim days many years ago that the caps Naim used in, for example, their power amps needed replacing periodically to keep these units performing at their peak.

Zenith SE > USPCB (5v off) > tX-USBultra 9V (SR4) > Sablon Reserva Elite USB > M Scaler > WAVE Stream bnc > DAVE > Prion4/Lazuli Reference > Utopia/LCD-4/HE1000se

Link to comment
  • 2 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



×
×
  • Create New...