More processing headroom, more elaborate power isolation

The Innuos ZENith Next-Gen is the higher-level server and streamer in the company’s Next-Gen range. It retains the modular storage and output strategy of ZEN Next-Gen, then increases processing resources and gives the critical sections a substantially more ambitious power supply. The goal is a dedicated digital source that can manage a large library, run Innuos AudioCore processing and feed a chosen DAC through the most suitable interface.

Its embedded Intel Core i7 processor has eight physical cores and works with 16GB of industrial DDR4 memory. A separate pSLC solid-state drive carries the operating system and receives its own power feed, isolating routine system access from music storage. The PreciseAudio mainboard is designed around low-latency audio operation rather than the priorities of a consumer PC.

The ARC6 NGaN power supply uses a 300VA transformer, choke filtering, active rectification and more than 130,000µF of Mundorf capacitance. Separate regulation serves critical loads so processor and storage activity do not share one noisy supply path with the outgoing digital signal. The 14.3kg chassis contributes shielding and mechanical stability.

Music storage may be configured up to 16TB through internal and externally accessible M.2 NVMe drives. Standard USB output is joined by optional SPDIF, PhoenixUSB Lite and PhoenixI2S Lite modules. Compatible paths support PCM through 32-bit/768kHz, DSD256 via DoP and native DSD512. Sense provides one interface for local and network files, supported streaming services, radio and podcasts, with optional Roon and other integrations.

Command Performance AV can determine whether ZENith’s processing and power architecture are justified by the DAC and the rest of the system. We can then specify output, storage and backup together. A flagship-sized library without a backup is still just an elaborate way to tempt fate.