Full-size power and modularity for a serious digital front end

The Innuos STREAM3 is a configurable music streamer and server built around a substantial linear power supply and a full-width machined-aluminum chassis. It can serve an external DAC through USB, accept an optional digital-output board, or become a complete source with the PhoenixDAC module. An M.2 NVMe bay can add local library storage without forcing that cost on listeners who stream exclusively.

Its ARC6-CX supply uses a 300VA transformer, active rectification, CX regulation and a 132,000µF Mundorf capacitor bank. Innuos separates power for the computer platform and the chosen output stage, reducing the chance that processing activity contaminates the delicate outgoing signal. The 10mm CNC-machined aluminum enclosure adds shielding and mechanical control while giving the unit the proportions of conventional high-end electronics.

Like STREAM1, STREAM3 uses a 13th-generation Intel quad-core processor, 8GB of industrial DDR5 memory and a dedicated power-loss-protected operating-system SSD. Three USB 3.2 ports, USB-C and two bridged 2.5Gb Ethernet connections support flexible installation. The output-module bay accepts choices including SPDIF, PhoenixUSB, PhoenixI2S and PhoenixDAC, so the final interface can be matched to the receiving component instead of relying on an adapter later.

Innuos Sense brings local files, supported streaming services, internet radio and podcasts into one library interface. Compatible USB paths support PCM through 32-bit/768kHz, DSD256 over DoP and native DSD512; SPDIF is limited to 24-bit/192kHz. A handheld remote is supplied for immediate transport control and Sense presets.

Command Performance AV can compare the available modules against the DAC, storage needs and control preferences in the room. STREAM3’s virtue is not merely that it has options; it is that the digital source can be specified as one coherent component.