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Innuos Zenith MK3 teardown


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This is the MK2 SE internal btw.

1. WiiM Pro - Mola Mola Makua - Apollon NCx500+SS2590 - March Audio Sointuva AWG

2. LG 77C1 - Marantz SR7005 - Apollon NC502MP+NC252MP - Monitor Audio PL100+PLC150+C265 - SVS SB-3000

3. PC - RME ADI-2 DAC FS - Neumann KH 80 DSP

4. Phone - Tanchjim Space - Truthear Zero Red

5. PC - Keysion ES2981 - Truthear Zero Red

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1 minute ago, Perfect sense said:

 

Are you sure?

 

/ Marcus

Just look at the article he got the picture from: https://darko.audio/2017/10/richer-sounds-with-the-innuos-zenith-mkii-se/

1. WiiM Pro - Mola Mola Makua - Apollon NCx500+SS2590 - March Audio Sointuva AWG

2. LG 77C1 - Marantz SR7005 - Apollon NC502MP+NC252MP - Monitor Audio PL100+PLC150+C265 - SVS SB-3000

3. PC - RME ADI-2 DAC FS - Neumann KH 80 DSP

4. Phone - Tanchjim Space - Truthear Zero Red

5. PC - Keysion ES2981 - Truthear Zero Red

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Here is a nice break down of the innuos power supply which is defiantly really well made

 

http://www.the-ear.net/how-to/power-supply-design-innuos-statement

 

But it's powering a $150 Supermicro motherboard which is covered with small switching power supplies.

 

https://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/celeron/X10/X10SBA-L.cfm

 

You are connecting the DAC directly to the USB output from the board (although I think the more expensive versions have a special USB card). This doesn't seem that good. The noise from the switchers will go down the USB bus.

 

 

agillis

Small Green Computer

http://www.smallgreencomputer.com/

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32 minutes ago, agillis said:

But it's powering a $150 Supermicro motherboard which is covered with small switching power supplies.

 

https://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/celeron/X10/X10SBA-L.cfm

 

Here we go again.................. :)

The mark 11 zenith /se etc, used the supermicro X10sba-L the new mark 3 versions have a new board. A quote from their site:

" New Custom Motherboard with reduced EMI ''

Sure it has switching regulators, but some of the noisier ones removed.

For example on the higher end models you have the new USB board with OCXO clock, lower down the USB bus is powered by a linear power supply, I don't have all the details but you can easily inquire with Innuos to get the exact spec. and changes.

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Innuos said in the past they tested dozens of motherboards and used the lowest noise ones they found. Said the better off the shelf boards were better than some custom boards.

Main listening (small home office):

Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments.

Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three .

Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup.
Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. 

All absolute statements about audio are false :)

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27 minutes ago, firedog said:

Innuos said in the past they tested dozens of motherboards and used the lowest noise ones they found. Said the better off the shelf boards were better than some custom boards.

image.jpeg.9fc3d086e7bd2813375946b0bf5c5df4.jpeg

 

Here is the new board inside the Statement with OCXO clock board. I think the CPU is also slightly bigger than Mk 2 models.

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3 minutes ago, LTG2010 said:

Here is the new board inside the Statement

Do you know whether this is another SuperMicro board?  Do you know the model number?  I think Innuos said the motherboard in the Statement is custom, but I don't know what they customized.

Pareto Audio AMD 7700 Server --> Berkeley Alpha USB --> Jeff Rowland Aeris --> Jeff Rowland 625 S2 --> Focal Utopia 3 Diablos with 2 x Focal Electra SW 1000 BE subs

 

i7-6700K/Windows 10  --> EVGA Nu Audio Card --> Focal CMS50's 

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26 minutes ago, rickca said:

Do you know whether this is another SuperMicro board?  Do you know the model number?  I think Innuos said the motherboard in the Statement is custom, but I don't know what they customized.

I think its a Supermicro board, I don't know the model no/ the nearest board.....yet :)- if I did it would be in my server

 

Here is a snapshot of the motherboard of the mark 3 without OCXO boards taken from Darko's youtube review/ video:

 

image.png.7708af3c175d9dc90ed73fa82d347a4d.png

 

I can see (it looks like) a power connector going direct to the USB/ ethernet outputs - replacing the switching regulators with linear power, from the SJ supply.

 

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The MKIIIs use the Intel N4200 stated in their product specifications.

http://www.innuos.com/en/catalog/go/zenith-mk3-1tb-ssd-black

I think the Supermicro board they modify is the X11SAA that use the N4200. Very similar to the ATOM MB.

https://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/X11/X11SAA.cfm

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Review here of the ZEN MKIII here with pictures, use Google translate if you like.

https://hifi-ifas.de/test-innuos-zen-mk-iii-high-end-musikserver-highlight-sylvesterknaller#prettyPhoto

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On 3/14/2019 at 11:48 AM, LTG2010 said:

can see (it looks like) a power connector going direct to the USB/ ethernet outputs - replacing the switching regulators with linear power, from the SJ supply.

 

I thought the same at first too. But I believe this is just a USB cable for a USB to LED controller. Zoom in the picture below. There is function to change the front LED light color.

Innuos.jpg

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11 minutes ago, Blackmorec said:

The USB DAC and Ethernet outputs are on the motherboard, at the back of the unit. 

 

Let me clarify... 

I assumed LTG2010 was referring to the green/yellow/red/black cable on the picture he posted that goes from the USB header on the motherboard towards the power supply.

 

Innous2.thumb.png.4ee6934c7749d435e14183edd74ea154.png

 

If that's the case, I don't think this is a "power connector going direct to the USB/ ethernet outputs". It seems to me like this is a USB cable for the USB LED Controller that can be seen on the picture I posted. 

 

innuos-usb.png.a9d3730213609213c29e52222c1d6cf9.png

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23 minutes ago, vassils said:

 

If that's the case, I don't think this is a "power connector going direct to the USB/ ethernet outputs". It seems to me like this is a USB cable for the USB LED Controller that can be seen on the picture I posted. 

Yes you are correct, after I identified the board I checked the motherboard manual. It's just a usb header. And that's where the connection to the USB ocxo clock is taken for the Statement.

Both X11 / A2 appear to be the same board but with processor variants and some extra features in the X11. 

Unless anybody can spot something else, the 'customization' seems to be the switch of processor on the a2 board and removal of the vga port.

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1 hour ago, LTG2010 said:

Both X11 / A2 appear to be the same board but with processor variants and some extra features in the X11. 

Unless anybody can spot something else, the 'customization' seems to be the switch of processor on the a2 board and removal of the vga port.

 

If Supermicro were THAT good in general, maybe we could learn something from that €20,000 SGM Extreme Server and try this with ECC RAM?

 

https://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/X11/X11SCL-IF.cfm

 

Granted an i3-8300T might be somewhat difficult to get when compared to more common ones, though its 35W TDP should be good for a fanless setup

 

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/129943/intel-core-i3-8300t-processor-8m-cache-3-20-ghz.html

https://www.servethehome.com/intel-core-i3-8300-benchmarks-and-review-the-dark-horse-low-cost-server-processor/

Quote

Unlike most of the Core i5 and Core i7 models, one can get unbuffered ECC DIMM support in the Core i3 series.

 

Other than that, they also have something else with 16 cores / 32W TDP but we're talking about a motherboard for $779

 

https://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/atom/A2SDi-16C-HLN4F.cfm

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/97933/intel-atom-processor-c3955-16m-cache-up-to-2-40-ghz.html

https://www.dihuni.com/shop/do-it-yourself-embedded-iot-and-server-chassis-and-boards/supermicro-a2sdi-16c-hln4f-intel-atom-c3955-soc-16core-256gb-12sata-4gbe-12v-embedded-iot-gateway-display-kiosk-security-appliance-server-motherboard/

 

BTW, I wonder if they're actually paying Supermicro to tweak the BIOS or not?

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7 hours ago, LTG2010 said:

Unless anybody can spot something else, the 'customization' seems to be the switch of processor on the a2 board and removal of the vga port.

 

They have removed a bunch of componentes too - the DP to VGA convertor chip, the actual VGA chip, COM port, etc. It makes sense. Those VGA chips are probably generating a lot of EMI. 

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