New Innuos Pulse Streamer Series

[TheR0v3r]

I ended up with the Phoenix USB, Sean Jacobs Mini Arc 6 DC4 and Pulse mini, a little bit more than the Pulsar but the best of all worlds. Punches above the Pulsar with much better power supply and full Phoenix USB much better than Phoenix lite.

Nice

You auditioned those against the Pulsar?

Right now I’m actually most impressed by Sense, the Innuos software platform. I mean everything is great but the sound quality coming from the iFi Zen Stream when streaming from the Pulsar with uPnP was just such a delightful surprise!

Is the best thing with Innuos Pulse actually the software?!

 

[TheR0v3r]

I ended up with the Phoenix USB, Sean Jacobs Mini Arc 6 DC4 and Pulse mini, a little bit more than the Pulsar but the best of all worlds. Punches above the Pulsar with much better power supply and full Phoenix USB much better than Phoenix lite.

That’s an impressive power supply

 

[countercan]

That’s an impressive power supply

Yes, I was able to audition the Pulsar, the Phoenix USB is much better than the Phoenix light and the specs on the Sean Jacobs mini
Arc6 are superior to what he puts in the Pulsar.

 

[TheR0v3r]

Yes, I was able to audition the Pulsar, the Phoenix USB is much better than the Phoenix light and the specs on the Sean Jacobs mini
Arc6 are superior to what he puts in the Pulsar.

Excellent, really appreciate that you’re sharing your experience

 

[TheR0v3r]

Nice

You auditioned those against the Pulsar?

Right now I’m actually most impressed by Sense, the Innuos software platform. I mean everything is great but the sound quality coming from the iFi Zen Stream when streaming from the Pulsar with uPnP was just such a delightful surprise!

Is the best thing with Innuos Pulse actually the software?!

So I’m auditioning the new Pulse series from Innuos. My first impressions are very positive: nice build, easy to get up and running and impressive sound quality.

I’m also curious abut Sense so I’ve decided to try it against Roon running on my computer (iMac). One thing that is very obvious is how sensitive Roon RAAT is to the quality of the network connections vs Sense. Using two switches (one standard Netgear DS108E and one ”audiophile” Nuprime Omnia SW8) and switching between them (moving a cable) Roon RAAT takes a big hit in SQ when moving from the better Omnia to the Netgear. Sense does much better so it’s actually worthwile to use the Squeeze integration in Sense for Roon when circumstances are less than perfect!

 

[REXNFX]

Nice

You auditioned those against the Pulsar?

Right now I’m actually most impressed by Sense, the Innuos software platform. I mean everything is great but the sound quality coming from the iFi Zen Stream when streaming from the Pulsar with uPnP was just such a delightful surprise!

Is the best thing with Innuos Pulse actually the software?!

Hi, can you clarify how you had things connected? Cheers!

 

[TheR0v3r]

Hi, can you clarify how you had things connected? Cheers!

I had the Pulsar in ”Standalone Mode” and using uPnP integration to connect to endpoints (Zen Stream).

 

[TheR0v3r]

I had the Pulsar in ”Standalone Mode” and using uPnP integration to connect to endpoints (Zen Stream).

After auditioning the new streamers from Innuos (plus an Auralic Aries G2.1) I decided that a new streamer wasn’t the right thing for me now. I was actually hearing shortcomings in other parts of my system. So I’ll hold off deciding on a new streamer until I get some other things sorted in my system.

One odd thing after listening to these four streamers. The Innuos Pulsar was technically the most impressive but the Auralic made a lasting impression. Why?

 

[REXNFX]

After auditioning the new streamers from Innuos (plus an Auralic Aries G2.1) I decided that a new streamer wasn’t the right thing for me now. I was actually hearing shortcomings in other parts of my system. So I’ll hold off deciding on a new streamer until I get some other things sorted in my system.

One odd thing after listening to these four streamers. The Innuos Pulsar was technically the most impressive but the Auralic made a lasting impression. Why?

That's the thing with digital, is the sound addictive or not, thats all that matters. Plus you have to make sure you're not blaming the equipment when it is in fact the recording that's at fault.

 

[NickMimi]

i have had my Innuos Pulse streamer for a good long while now and I am comfortable w/ its performance and i especially appreciate how good the SENSE software operates and sounds w/ the unit. I still use my ROON subscription combined w/ Quoboz and Tidal because the ROON AI is simply superior in making suggestions for new music BUT Sense feels to me and my ear, that it eaks out just a bit more resolution out of my system. Thus for days when i seek out maximum resolution out of my equipment i will switch over to SENSE but for 80% of my listening i continue to use ROON for its superior ability to end an album and then follow up w/ a mix of music that flows w/ what my genre choice of the evening began with.

I asked my dealer how i could max out the performance of my Pulse unit and he suggested the PhonexNet switch to help maximize my signal chain. Again very comfortable w/ my choice to add the fancy switch, which then forced me to upgrade RJ45 cables, upgrade LPS to my router, upgrade the wall outlets, upgrade the electrical feed to the outlets and purchase good power chords for both the streamer and switch. The total investment was expensive but since i basically rent my music via the streaming services i feel comfortable that the front end provides a solidly clean quality stream now allowing my DAC’s, amps and transducers to operate and output best they are capable of performing.

i am extremely pleased w/ my dealers support along w/ the technical support innuos provides when i have needed it. They continue to improve and fix bugs as they pop up in their software and they tune it finely to work w/ their hardware and i REALLY appreciate that combination of quality electronics, both the software and hardware is maximized to their standards.

 

[Peder 29]

AND,.has anyone compared the difference in soundquality between Pulse and Zen mk3..?

 

[NickMimi]

AND,.has anyone compared the difference in soundquality between Pulse and Zen mk3..?

I own and use both the Zenith Mk3 and the pulse, 2 separate systems. I purchased the Zenith a few years before the pulse came out back in 2019 and in all honesty if there is a sound quality difference i am unable to detect it in any manner that would provide for quality feedback to anyone. I’m utterly satisfied with both especially the Pulse which has multiple outputs and allowed me to get off USB on my main system which was essential for me because i was using a Berkeley Reference series DAC and i simply had a preference to feed it via AES using the Pulse. I feed my Zentith mk3 to a Lampizator Baltic DAC using an FTA Callisto USB cable and that combination is very satisfactory. I enjoy the Pulse unit enough that i am contemplating purchasing a second one to put into my HP rig so that i can use the Sense software across all 3 systems for consistency.

To be fair though and transparent i do feed the Pulse unit from an Innuos Phoenix network switch which has their very fancy and expensive clock so whatever sound quality upgrade i get on the Pulse unit so that i cant tell the difference between it and the Zenith i attribute to that.

 

[TheR0v3r]

I ended up with the Phoenix USB, Sean Jacobs Mini Arc 6 DC4 and Pulse mini, a little bit more than the Pulsar but the best of all worlds. Punches above the Pulsar with much better power supply and full Phoenix USB much better than Phoenix lite.

Auditioned the Phoenix USB and I get what you’re doing. Even using an Antipodes K50 the Phoenix USB made a difference so it would make alot of sense with your approach

 

[NickMimi]

Auditioned the Phoenix USB and I get what you’re doing. Even using an Antipodes K50 the Phoenix USB made a difference so it would make alot of sense with your approach
Just to be clear, im using the Phoenix Net, their networking switch which has the precision clock as part of the switch Along with the Pulse streamer. The combination provides for an extremely accurate and clean digital front end. No USB being used with the pulse, nothing wrong with it, just my preference. I’m using AES out from the streamer w/ a simple wireworld AES cable and wireworld power chords And I added wireworld RJ45’s where needed too. I kept it all cost relevant,
nothing too crazy.

 

[countercan]

I have now been running the Sean Jacobs mini DC4 with mini pulse and Phoenix USB for three months and the wonderful thing about the Sean Jacobs power supplies is that they just seem to get better as time goes on, at first you hear great bass and then over the next few months the highs just open up. If you like a clean neutral sound these power supplies are fantastic. I have just added another DC4 for my Mscaler and what I thought would be a modest improvement is turning out to be quite an eye opener and I am still breaking in the new unit...