What would you like to see on new Innuos products?

[NVitorino]

Hi everyone,

Picking up on a thread asking if we had plans for a new lineup for the lower end, I'd like to ask you what would you like to see in new products from a hardware perspective. Software is more fluid and there's plenty of suggestion on the Feedback Zone to last us for a few years development .

So what would you like to see on a new lineup at a lower price point that the ZEN NG?

 

[weedeewop]

Ease in upgrading the internal SSD/HD capacity without the need to return it to the MotherShip in Portugal.

 

[fireguy]

USB ports are loose. I tried various chords and while 1 felt a little more snug, the rest were loose. I'm not sure if this has an impact on SQ because in the end I settled on my Ansuz Digitalz USB cable like I was using with my Pulse before I switched over to the Pulsar. Yes, the Ansuz cable sounds excellent! But why are the USB ports loose?

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[NVitorino]

Ease in upgrading the internal SSD/HD capacity without the need to return it to the MotherShip in Portugal.

This is what we have done already on the new ZEN/ZENith NG and we should have it standard for future products. We didn't want to do it with 2.5" SSD or 3.5." HDD as we do vibration dampening on them that helps performance so not easy as a fully replaceable item. Additionally, we preferred on the previous unit to keep OS and storage on the same device, rather than 2 devices making electrical noise. With the new generation of OS SSDs we are using and having them powered separately, it's no longer an issue.

 

[NVitorino]

USB ports are loose. I tried various chords and while 1 felt a little more snug, the rest were loose. I'm not sure if this has an impact on SQ because in the end I settled on my Ansuz Digitalz USB cable like I was using with my Pulse before I switched over to the Pulsar. Yes, the Ansuz cable sounds excellent! But why are the USB ports loose?

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I'm not aware on the USB ports being loose, particularly on the PULSE as these come directly from the mainboard. They are standard connectors. Perhaps there were USB cables that were heavy/stretched and opened up the connector a bit?

 

[fireguy]

I'm not aware on the USB ports being loose, particularly on the PULSE as these come directly from the mainboard. They are standard connectors. Perhaps there were USB cables that were heavy/stretched and opened up the connector a bit?

Sorry, I didn't mean to say that your ports are defective in any way and neither are the chords. But I do know that some chords fit snug and others are loose. My Ansuz Digitalz USB cable never fit snug into the USB port on my PULSE nor on my PULSAR, nor even on my McIntosh, so I started experimenting with other chords. Some fit better than others but not by much, while others were pretty loose. But what I did find was that my original Ansuz cable sounded absolutely INCREDIBLE with my PULSAR and McIntosh. Audioquest fit tighter but it sounded TERRIBLE, I mean TERRIBLE in comparison! So all this said, maybe manufacturers are working within the correct parameters of fit compatability. Having gone through this exercise, I guess I didn't realize how great my original Ansuz cables are.

* on a side note, the PULSAR is a FANTASTIC streamer!

 

[Malc.]

Do you really need a new lineup for the lower end ? Maybe a consolidation of the Innuos product range would be better, for me it's getting harder to keep track of. Of course that may just be me.

 

[Stephen Healy]

Do you really need a new lineup for the lower end ? Maybe a consolidation of the Innuos product range would be better, for me it's getting harder to keep track of. Of course that may just be me.

It would not strictly be a whole new line-up to go alongside Mk3 and PULSE, but rather we'd like to know what hardware features people would like to see in the eventuality that we replace/merge/diversify our current offerings at those price points.

 

[Malc.]

It would not strictly be a whole new line-up to go alongside Mk3 and PULSE, but rather we'd like to know what hardware features people would like to see in the eventuality that we replace/merge/diversify our current offerings at those price points.

Sorry I partially misread the question, although I do think in terms of hardware development Innuos have achieved a lot in the last few years. I will have a think about it.

 

[trev007]

Hi Folks. As I've had problems in the past with my WiFi and router, I suppose what I would like to see is some way of connecting to my zen mini mk 3 when my router is faulty. If a small USB device could be attached to the zen which could give me access to playing my music that would be Fantastic

 

[mountainview]

Hi there. IMHO the entry level models serve a different type of user, obviously with lower budgets but probably also different needs. I was wondering if e.g. a new streaming device could have Inputs (Analog/Phono/Digital/USB/HDMI) and maybe even WiFi and Bluetooth. This could potentially make them a kind of “Jack of all Trades”, a central hub. It definitely would give users new options and reduce the requirement for additional equipment. I certainly would be very happy about such features. Less clutter, juggling and apps … A smart device to start with. Then you could always upgrade and become more sophisticated while it still could have a place in the setup.

 

[marco castro]

hi, I have a 1tb zenith mk3, is it not possible to insert a second ssd just to store music? also instead of the cd rip? which I personally have never used

 

[luca.pelliccioli]

Hi Nuno,

Looking to the new NG series it seems that the CD ripping function will not be available anymore. I was wondering if a new product could be designed to offer:
- CD ripping
- CD transport as well

It could be a Phoenix form factor chassis. Many audiophiles still have large CD collections and love playing silver discs. A complete Innuos environment (controlled by Sense App) should be very appreciated and a separate unit it could be a free choice (modular philosophy), made only by customers interested in CD playback.
I imagine also a modular output, like AES/EBU or even MSB Pro ISL.
It could also provide SSD memory to act as an incremental space available to host music ripped/saved (large libraries).

 

[mikehughescq]

Devices can currently be switched off on the box or via the app but switching on is only via the box. Would be good to have an offline version of Sense with the ability to turn on from within the software. Not a hardware suggestion I know.

 

[london_r]

It might be an old fashioned concept, however a physical remote control would be nice to see.
Indeed, there is some precedence to this with another brand of streamer with their RC1 remote control.

 

[moxxey]

I would like to see a sort of apple genius function.

 

[Harry59]

It would be nice to switch on the device from within the app. Therefore a stand-by mode would probably be a must.

 

[TomasB]

Hi Nuno,

Is it already obvious to you that an entry-level unit must be able to stream music from a Zen/Zenith library? If not, please think again.

It should have AirPlay2 and BT5 receivers. Personally, I don’t think I will have a use case for UPnP or DLNA, but other folks do.

It needs single ended analog outputs, and S/PDIF (at least optical) would be very welcome.

 

[sbilotta]

"Disc Subtitle" in multi-disc albums, so you don't simply rely on the disc number to choose what to play.

 

[london_r]

Devices can currently be switched off on the box or via the app but switching on is only via the box. Would be good to have an offline version of Sense with the ability to turn on from within the software. Not a hardware suggestion I know.

Whilst not quite what you were looking for there is the ability to use the WakeOnLan feature as a workaround. Have used this in the past and worked quite well.