Innuos Zenith NG

Maximized Performance, Thoughtful Design

With the goal of maximizing sonic performance, Innuos forgoes a touchscreen panel and other non-audio beneficial bells and whistles in exchange for optimized & superior performance. They invest in an external user interface with their Sense app. No screens to add noise, or become a point of failure. It's a very long range and practical approach. Create the best sounding hardware you can, make it modular and as future proof as possible, and make updates to features and the user interface via a software update. Your phone, tablet, or laptop hosts the user interface. Electronically well away from sensitive signal components.

Reviews, Awards, Testimonials

• HiFi +  2026 Award
• HiFi + full review  (PDF)
• Stereophile Recommended Component, Fall 2025
• Stereophile Full Review (PDF)
• FairAudio, Germany
• HiFi Knights Poland
• Part Time Audio Buyer's Guide 2025  (3/4 down the page)

A Glowing Customer Testimonial

"I am a longstanding executive working in the creation of music. I have many clients who make and mix the biggest records of our times, and thusly, I love and listen to music routinely.

I have been evolving my system for many years. Recently, I have auditioned a good number of endpoint streamers with a Roon Nucleus and endpoint servers. Many others do a nice job of presenting something that is well framed and with strong character. The Innuos Zenith NG is aptly named. It has the speed, exactitude, and transparency to let the music speak for itself and tell ITS story in an authentic way you may just not have heard. I am not just hearing strong clarity with a vocal and solid position framing as most do. Here, I am hearing exact mic character and processing, tom tunings, character of kick and treatment, piano keys with delicacy in play and natural, organic decay, bass in a way that one knows exactly the type of bass and amp along with feeling its playing in the room, guitars exacting, also real as in the room, and vocals that reveal all in a way that is so natural, providing nuance and character I have not heretofore enjoyed. It provides incredible insight into the recordings and magic for your ears. I know exactly what happened in that room. It is the closest thing to being there I have enjoyed. Many records become effectively in-the-room jams with legendary vocalists and players.

The entire soundscape is broadened and dead accurate. From subsonics to upper high end, the balance and equality of all is there. Every instrument and vocal is present and balanced in the mix; yet, wholly audible in its own space - no little bleed of one thing into another or masking. No exaggeration of sounds. It gives great recordings a sense of live playing, where one is hearing further nuances with the grooves and vocals that just were previously hidden or presented in a simple, more linear form. When something is hanging, the decay is exact and present as long as it would naturally be in its room.

One gets a hint when immediately turned on for the first time. Every day for the first week brought notable betterment. It is a gift that keeps giving. Listening is a truly joyful experience.

I always prefer to see if it moves someone rather than tell them about something new.  People that know my system well have walked into the room and asked, “What have you done? New DAC? It’s soooo much better. Wow!”  I could list many, many songs where this has brought exponential betterment. Perhaps, the better thing to note is that there are no works where it has not. From Rock, Alternative, Rap Classical, Jazz. Pop, Electronic, Experimental, R+B, Club and more. YES!!!!! It helps incredibly with lower res recordings and rewards higher res with “Take a bow. OK another.” style performance.

If you have the system that can benefit from such a gem, don’t hesitate to audition it. " -  Mark B., Los Angeles, CA   

Differences from the Zen NG

The ZENith Next-Gen (NG) takes Innuos' innovations such as the *PreciseAudio mainboard, *NGaN regulator and *AudioCore technology to new heights compared to the ZEN Next-Gen. First, the ARC6 NGaN Power Supply, trickled-down from the power supply of the acclaimed STATEMENT Next-Gen with its Active Rectification, 300VA Audio Grade Transformer, high-performance choke and 130000uF of Mundorf capacitors, provide all the current the system needs with very low impedance so that no transient is missed.

The ZENith NG upgrades the ZEN Next-Gen with a *Core i7 Embedded processor with 8 performance cores, providing further core separation for AudioCore whilst maintaining excellent overall performance for a responsive system at all times.

The ZENith NG also features a *pSLC (pseudo Single-Level Cell) industrial-grade SSD for the OS, powered independently, is added directly to the PreciseAudio board. As pSLC contains simplified controllers, they generate much less EMI compared to standard SSDs. Being the OS SSD that bears most of the system work, this results in a considerably lower operating noise with direct impact on sound quality.

Additional Audio Output Modules. 

In addition to the stock USB output, the Zenith NG offers 3 additional upgrade modules:

• Digital Output Module that offers RCA coax, Balanced AES and TOSlink digital outputs. 
• Phoenix USB Lite - Adds a reclocked USB output that is a significant upgrade from the standard USB output that comes with the stock unit
• Phoenix I2S Lite - Adds and I2S output

The New Sense 3

To explore the most out of the new platform, Innuos has developed Sense 3, the next generation of innuOS. Sense 3 will be based on a custom Real-time OS Kernel for ultra-low latency and includes AudioCore technology to ensure audio-related processes are run without interruptions, resulting in audible improvements in sound.

Sense 3 adds TIDAL Connect, new music library and playlist management tools, support for external USB optical drives with drive-head alignment for accurate ripping, and UI improvements.

Why Innuos?

Aside from the amazing products, what I like about Innuos is they don't rush a product to market, and they follow their own path of innovation. They are also good people who really support their dealers and products well. Their products are super easy to install into your home network and audio system. Once set up, rarely is there ever an issue with streaming your music collection (unless of course the internet, or your home network goes down). 

The Tweek Geek Advantage

When you buy an Innuos Zenith NG streamer from Tweek Geek, you not only get the support of Innuos and their expertise, you get my 14 years experience with music streaming, and the Tweek Geek level of service as well.

Glossary of Innuos Buzzwords