[kubla36]

Zenith > macmini/audirvana > laptop/tidal

The local Innuos dealer graciously allowed me to demo an Innuos Zenith MK3 at home (been saving for a streamer a while). I wanted to compare when he plugged a laptop in his DAC versus the Zenith myself at home (his setup is pretty different from mine). Was there a difference? Well, I won't listen to a MacBook Pro running Tidal -- ever again. The MacMini/Audirvana did better. Setup: p15->streamer->yggy->c2600->mc452->xr100.

There are reviews out there that describe things much as I heard them. One "also", for me was a timing/tempo issue cleaned up with the Zenith. I could hear these occasional maybe-warbles on notes through the MacMini. But don’t take that to mean the Zenith was sterile, I found there to be more emotion with the additional clarity it brought, and it actual acted to take the edge off some things (like sax). I like things a bit full bodied.

A nod to Audirvana-- the last major upgrade was a big improvement in sound quality on the MacMini (I’ve been a user for a couple of years). So if you can't swing a dedicated streamer just now, consider it. Though that upgrade did introduce more instances of the timing thing I heard. Yes I was using a shunyata alpha usb cable (although I cheated with the laptop because it was too hard to re-run the cable in my setup, and I figured play it like those who say there is no difference).

"Captain Pike has an illusion, and you have reality. May you find your way as pleasant."