INNUOS Zen Mini MK3

What they say ...

Ralph Werner  |  Fairaudio [Germany]

January 2019

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Conclusion
One thing is clear : the price / performance ratio of the Innuos ZENmini Mk3 is very good indeed. Everything is just right here. Here we have a situation where good processing quality meets up with exemplary intuitive user operability. This applies not only for the InnuOS app, but also for the browser-based music server management interface. But, more importantly, this is also a situation where the aforementioned processing quality and operating ease meets up with exemplary sonic performance. 

With the ZENmini MK3 it is less about the tonal balance -- which incidentally is actually always okay with most competitive digital signal components -- but is more about the ZENmini's sheer resolution and - particularly - the wonderfully plastic, precise and spacious representation of the musical events on the virtual stage.

But even for those of us who do not have an external DAC, we will be happy to discover that we will be well served by the ZENmini's onboard DAC, because what it provides on its analog outputs sounds very appropriate for a device in this price range, although logically not as good as when connecting a high quality stand-alone DAC.

The higher-quality Innuos ZENmini LPSU power supply is definitely worth listening to as an upgrade option, at least in the context of a high-quality and transparent hi-fi system - but also not a must-have. The Innuos ZENmini Mk3 sounds just too good in normal condition for that.

I can answer the question about whether the optional, higher quality Innuos ZENmini LPSU power supply unit - which is subject to a surcharge - really does something for me.... YES it does. The tonal gains offered by the LPSU can be experienced above all as an even better 3D spatial rendering of the soundstage, and a more accurate - even careful - handling of very quiet and delicate signals (decay of instruments, spatial cues, background noise on live recordings etc.). These improvements take you up the next step on the qualitative audiophile ladder.

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Only you can decide whether it is worth +50% of the cost price of the server. If I may offer a very  pragmatic suggestion here : In the context of a transparent, high-resolution system in the five-figure investment range, I would highly recommend testing the power supply option. If however the chain only costs half as much, it can also be a good thing that the $750 [ in the US ] can be used for other purposes.

Finally, if we were to highlight and to emphasize one particular strength of the Innuos ZENmini Mk3, then it is probably the excellent spatial presentation. The soundstage appears spacious and also very cleanly "illuminated" in the Depth axis, but above all the soundstage impresses with the afore-mentioned highly precise localization or sonic events, and the precision and “3D coherence” with which voices and instruments are represented and positioned. There is another positive side effect of this excellent spatial presentation :

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The stage structure is blissfully "uncluttered" and transparent, and as such, instruments and vocals do not trespass on the others "space",  and no "haze" obscures or veils the overview of the musical action. 

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John Grandberg  |  Darko.Audio

November 2019

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Conclusion

" If it wasn’t already obvious, the Innuos Zen Mini MK3 gets high marks when used in the proper context. I really do recommend the upgraded power supply if possible, though it’s nice that users on a budget can stagger the purchase. Whether used as a transport or via its analog outoput, the double-stack offers gratifying sound with a particularly strong sense of spaciousness – I can’t think of anything in this price class which can touch it in that regard. Factor in exceptional CD ripping and the surprisingly excellent Roon experience, and we end up with a rather compelling device which represents “trickle down” technology at its very finest.

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Mark Blackmore  |  AudioBeat

June 2020

Sound

"The sound was so enjoyable that we took turns playing DJ on Tidal and Qobuz, spinning our favorites. After an impromptu sing-along on Dr. Hook’s “Sylvia’s Mother” and “On the Cover of the Rolling Stone,” we moved on to the swamp-country boogie of Jeb Loy Nichols’ Country Hustle on Qobuz. On the Bahamas' Earthtones, also on Qobuz, the different tonality of the microphones for the lead vocalist and backup singers on “Alone” had never been more obvious, but I did notice that the backup singers were not quite as well separated as I’d heard them on vinyl. We even managed to enjoy Jim Reeves from an MP3 file. While I’ve had many enjoyable listening sessions with Vance’s system, this was by far the most fun I’d had listening to digital files at his house"

Conclusion
"Audio satisfaction can transition to audio complacency, which is never a good thing. Sometimes a new piece of gear will arrive to wake you up and give you a good swift kick. I had been content using an inexpensive computer for digital audio, certain in the knowledge that I could download any number of helper programs designed to improve the sound. Some programs bypassed Core Audio, others used special algorithms for improved sound, and still others allowed me to stream audio from Tidal or Qobuz. Each one brought better sound that somehow managed to keep me at arm’s length, to keep me from enjoying my digital music library.

With the addition of the Innuos ZENmini Mk 3 and LPSU, my complacency is gone, and I’m excited about my digital sound again. Their sound is warm and spacious with increased definition. By the time you read this review, I will have retired my old computer system and joined the ranks of happy Innuos owners. The ZENmini Mk 3 and its optional LPSU are a highly engaging pair of music-makers"

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