Modifications to an Innuos ZENith mk3?

[VegArchie]

Can anyone here offer any advice or direction on the possibility of making small modifications to an Innuos ZENith mk3 with the goal of improved sound quality?

 

For example:

 

Does anyone have any experience trying to install Euphony or AudioLinux onto a ZENith?

 

What about replacing the internal power supplies with better external ones by hijacking the interior cables to do so?

 

Swapping out interior components such as the storage drive RAM or USB card, etc?

 

Adding EMI insulation internally?

 

Or any other crazy hack?

 

[VegArchie]

So I went ahead and did some testing myself....

 

I attempted to install Euphony on my ZENith. I swapped out the internal SSD for an identical model (so that I don't screw anything up - and can always revert back to stock), and used the USB installer for Euphony. It installed, but would not run correctly. I suspect it is due to the low powered Pentium N4200 CPU. However, Euphony tech support said it should still work and to recreate the USB stick. I did that twice and had no luck.

 

So I then tried AudioLinux Classic, as V3 would not work on the CPU per the developer. That worked (after a lot of tinkering). I ran Roon Server and Bridge on the unit in ramroot, and streamed some music from another desktop I use for work that had a some shared folders with music (as my main Roon library is on the ZENith stock SSD that was disconnected). I went back an forth between stock config and this AL config. Took a while in between listening sessions to make all the hardware changes and wait for boot up. However, hearing the differences was easy.

 

My findings are the same as @austinpop in his "Science Experiment: Audiolinux Extreme on Zenith SE" post from Nov 2018. The sound quality when running AL in ramroot far exceeded the stock ZENith (which I ran with Roon Experimental mode that allows some RAM file playback through Squeezebox).

 

To be honest, I am totally shocked. My intentions here were to determine that this was a waste of time, and putting more time or money into a streamer/server was pointless, as any money I spend on my stereo should be in other departments. I was wrong. The clarity that AL in ramroot brought was undeniable, and certainly one of those, have-to-have-it, can't-go-back moments. 

 

I plan on doing some more testing and comparison as I ran out of steam last night. But I think my future is sealed. I will be using AudioLinux in some fashion.

 

I haven't determined what would be best from the following options; any help is appreciated:

 

1) Run Roon Server+Bridge with AudioLinux in ramroot mode, booting off of a fast 3.1 USB stick, with an internal SSD installed in the ZENith filled with my music. I would need to move the Roon Database off of the USB and in to the mounted SSD, as the Roon DB is too big for ramroot. The max ram size is 8GB for the DDR3 ram that works in the ZENith motherboard. This is the all in one solution using my existing ZENith hardware, benefiting from what ever internal modifications they have made including the "essentially" Sean Jacobs DC3 power supply. 

 

2) Run Roon Server on a new, separate PC running AudioLinux V3. Have the music on an SSD in this new PC (not sure what type of PC would work best here need some help or to do some research). Use the ZENith with AudioLinux Classic as above but only as an endpoint (and without the music or internal SSD). 

 

3) Run two NEW PCs each running AudioLinux V3, one as a Roon server, one as a Roon endpoint. Sell the ZENith. This would require lots of research on what to buy, to insure that the sound quality would exceed the ZENith. Any one have some suggestions?

 

 

All suggestions greatly appreciated. 

[MarcelNL]

You basically walked/fell into the rabbit hole that digital front ends are...everything matters.

I tinkered around with anything from an old laptop, an Intel NUC with LPSU to now a dual Xeon server.

 

welcome to the club!

 

As to server end point or just a server you'll need to figure out what path you're on, if you're doing heavy lifting (DSP, upsampling etc) you may benefit from a server plus endpoint otherwise likely just a server/endpoint.