Innuos ZENith NG

ZENith NG

Experience the magic of your music

Digital sources have become a familiar part of modern hi-fi systems thanks to their convenience. Almost any music is now available at the touch of a button. But there is a crucial difference between mere sound and real music. To truly capture the essence of a recording, the digital signal must be as pure and precise as possible so that your DAC can perform to its full potential. A noisy signal would only be amplified further and detract from the listening experience.

A pristine digital signal requires a specialized source where every detail counts: from ultra-low-noise power supplies to customized processor boards to specially developed software that minimizes operating noise.

Innovative technologies

The ZENith NG takes previous Innuos innovations to a new level. With technologies such as the PreciseAudio mainboard, the NGaN controller and the AudioCore technology, it far surpasses its predecessor, the ZEN NG. The ARC6 NGaN power supply, inspired by the renowned Statement NG, offers a stable and powerful power supply with active rectification, a 300VA audio-grade transformer, high-performance chokes and 130000uF Mundorf capacitors, which means no detail is lost.

Equipped with a Core i7 embedded processor with 8 performance cores, the ZENith NG offers a clear separation of the AudioCore functions while providing impressive overall performance that always ensures a responsive system.

Experience music as if it were live

The ZENith NG also has a pSLC (pseudo single-level cell) industrial SSD for the operating system, which is independently powered and is mounted directly on the PreciseAudio board. Thanks to simplified controllers, pSLC generates significantly less electromagnetic interference (EMI) than conventional SSDs. Since the OS SSD takes over most of the system work, this results in significantly lower operating noise and improved sound quality.

This combination gives the ZENith NG a new dimension. It's no longer just about frequencies, tempo or the size of the soundstage. Musical details emerge as if they were being revealed: the breath of a voice, the vibrations on a drum kit, fingers sliding down the guitar neck. All of this is presented with a clarity reminiscent of a live experience.

It's hard to put into words, but when you hear it, you'll understand.

Key Features

Innuos ARC6 NGaN power supply

Combining the stripped down version of the ARC6 active rectifier board with a 300VA audio grade transformer, a high performance choke and over 130000uF Mundorf capacitors with the state-of-the-art Innuos NGaN gallium nitride control stage results in a significant improvement in sound transparency and realism compared to the ZEN NG.

Innuos PreciseAudio mainboard

An all-new, custom-designed server-grade motherboard tuned for low processor latency, power noise and EMI emissions, further enhanced with improved power regulators and solid capacitors.

High performance, low power consumption

New generation Intel Core i7 with 8 physical cores for enhanced Innuos AudioCore performance, providing separate cores just for audio processing. Supported by 16GB of industrial-grade low-noise DDR4 RAM that can cache more databases and files for fast response.

Modular architecture

You can easily configure the ZENith NG as a music server/streamer, as a pure server or as a pure streamer. You can choose between configurations with no storage or with up to 16 TB and optional audio output slots for various modules such as USB, I2S or AES/Coaxial/Optical SPDIF.

pSLC OS SSD

Superior industrial-grade pSLC SSD for the operating system for even lower operating noise, with independent power supply and power failure protection for added resiliency and durability.

Innuos XSM

The high-performance Expandable Storage Management System (XSM) enables a single storage pool with multiple drives. The ZENith NG supports an internal high-performance NVMe PCIe drive up to 8 TB and an additional externally accessible M.2 NVMe slot for up to 8 TB for a total of 16 TB of seamless storage. Intelligent management and data protection through Sense.

Premium housing

Newly developed, 10 mm thick, CNC-machined, bead-blasted and anodized aluminum housing with new vibration-damped toroidal platform and chassis ground connection.

Sense3

Unique benefits for ZEN NG and ZENith NG brought by Sense 3 include a new real-time kernel that further reduces latency for the core operating system, AudioCore for running audio processes in dedicated physical cores, an extensible memory management interface, and a new CD ripping feature via external USB drives with drive head alignment for precise ripping.

Specifications

Audio outputs

• Digital output:
  • USB (up to 32bit/768KHz, up to DSD256 via DoP, up to DSD512 via Native DSD)
  • 1 x Digital Output Module: PhoenixUSB, PhoenixI2S, AES/Coaxial/Optical SPDIF (sold separately)
  • Auxiliary Ethernet port for streamer or NAS

Connectivity

• Ethernet: 2 x LAN RJ45 Bridged Gigabit Ethernet (LAN, Streamer)
• USB: 3 x USB 3.2 Gen2 (backup/import, Aux, DAC)
• Chassis Grounding: 4mm “speaker plug” port

Formats

• Ripping: External, USB-connected CD ripper required
• CD formats: Red Book
• Disc compatibility: CD, CD-R, CD-RW
• CD ripper formats: FLAC (compression level 0), WAV
• Playback audio formats: WAC, AIFF, FLAC, ALAC, AAC, MP3, MQA
• External USB connected CD ripper required

Sampling rates

• Sampling rates: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz, 768kHz, DSD over PCM (DoP) up to DSD256, Native DSD up to DSD512 (on selected DACs)
• Bit depths: 16bit, 24bit, 32bit

User control interfaces

• Web interface: Modern web browsers from iOS, Android, Windows and OS X
• Mobile: Innuos Sense app for iOS/Android/Kindle Fire

Hardware

• Storage:
  • 1 x pSLC SSD for OS
  • [Optional] 1 x PCI-E NVme SSD – 2TB / 4TB / 8TB (factory installed)
  • [Optional] 1 x m.2 NVme SSD (user or factory installed)
• CPU: Intel Core i7: 8 physical cores
• Memory: 16GB industrial-grade DDR4 RAM

Streaming and CD storage

• UPnP/DLNA: AssetUPnP
• Streaming services: Qobuz, Tidal, Deezer, HighResAudio, Internet radio
• Average CD storage time: 5 minutes
• CD metadata: FreeDB, Musicbrainz, Discogs, GD3
• Compatible music systems: Sonos Multi-Room Wireless Music System
• DLNA/UPnP compatible devices
• USB DACs that comply with USB Audio Class 2
• Selected USB DACs that support Native DSD

Requirements

• Network:
  • Internet connection required for metadata retrieval, streaming services and software updates
  • Network access via Ethernet
  • Premium subscription required for streaming services such as Qobuz, Tidal etc.

Power supply

• Power supply: 230V AC / 115V AC (switchable)