ZENith NG Server

£14,200 – £19,200

Over the past few years, if you’ve listened to any streamed music in our store, there’s a good chance that our ZENith Mk3 played a role. The new ZENith NG (Next Gen) encompasses everything the previous generation offered and more!

ZENith NG has been improved significantly under the hood, plus it’s become more modular, allowing you to customize the server to perfectly suit your needs.

This is a significant upgrade for anyone with a higher-end music streamer/DAC at home who wishes to elevate their streaming experience.

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ZENith NG Server

The digital source has become a known sight on Hi-Fi systems for its convenience. Almost all music can now be accessible at the touch of a button. But playing sound is one thing and playing music is another. To get the true essence of the recording, your digital signal must be as pristine and well-timed as possible so your DAC can play at its best. Feed it with a noisy signal and that will just be amplified along the chain.

A pristine digital signal requires a dedicated digital source, with meticulous detail starting from the ultra-low noise power supplies, through a custom mainboard and all the way to specific software development minimizing power noise during operation.

The ZENith Next-Gen takes our 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 Next-Gen 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 Next-Gen 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.

This combination brings a new dimension to the ZENith Next-Gen. It’s no longer about the frequencies, pace or even the size of the soundstage. Details in music now emerge as if by revelation. The breathiness of a voice, the vibrations on a drum’s skin, the presence of fingers sliding down a guitar neck. They are presented with a transparency that starts feeling like a live presence.

It’s hard to put into words, but if you listen, you’ll know.

Main Features

Name: ZENith NG Server
SKU: 28832
Price: 14200 GBP
Availability: BackOrder

Innuos ARC6 NGaN PSU
Combining the trickled-down version of the ARC6 Active Rectification board with a 300VA Audio Grade Transformer, high-performance choke and over 130000uF of Mundorf capacitors with the cutting-edge Gallium Nitride Innuos NGaN Regulation stage results in a marked improvement in sound transparency and realism compared to the ZEN Next-Gen.

Innuos Precise Audio Mainboard
An all-new custom server-grade mainboard, ultra-tuned for low processor latency, power noise and EMI emissions; further improved by enhanced power regulators and solid capacitors.

High Performance, Low Power
New generation of Intel Core i7 with 8 physical cores for enhanced Innuos AudioCore performance, providing separate cores dedicated only to audio processes. Supported with 16GB of industrial-grade low-noise DDR4 RAM allowing to cache more databases and files for a speedy response.

Modular Architecture
You can configure the ZENith Next-Gen as a Music Server/Streamer, Server-only or Streamer-only easily. Choose to have no internal drives, or up to a maximum of 16TB SSD storage. Leverage the ZENith Next-Gen as a premium streamer through an optional Digital Audio Output slot for different modules such as PhoenixUSB Lite, PhoenixI2S Lite, or SPDIF.

pSLC OS SSD
Superior industrial-grade pSLC SSD for the OS for even lower operating noise, independently powered and with power-loss protection for extra resiliency and durability.

Innuos XSM
High Performance Expandable Storage Management System (XSM) allows a single pool of storage from multiple drives. The ZENith Next-Gen supports an internal, high performance NVMe PCIe drive up to 8TB with an additional externally accessible M.2 NVMe slot for up to 8TB for a total 16TB of seamless storage. Intelligent management and data protection provided through Sense.

Premium Chassis
Newly-designed 10mm thick CNC-machined bead-blasted and anodized aluminium chassis, containing new vibration-dampened toroidal platform and with Chassis Ground port connection.

Sense 3
Unique benefits for the ZEN Next-Gen and ZENith Next-Gen through Sense 3, including new Real-Time Kernel, lowering latency even further for the core Operating System, AudioCore for audio process to run in dedicated physical cores, Expandable Storage Management interface, and new CD-ripping via external USB drives with drive-head alignment for accurate ripping.

PhoenixUSB Lite Board

Regenerated and Reclocked USB signal to your Class 2 USB DAC, greatly increasing sound quality
High-precision 3ppb 24MHz OCXO clock for greatly improved timing and signal integrity
Ultra-low noise LT3045 linear regulators for each independent voltage, no switching regulators on main USB chip
Provides a pristine 5V line for the USB connection on your DAC

Specifications

Audio Outputs
Digital Output:	USB (Up to 32bit/768KHz, Up to DSD256 via DoP, Up to DSD512 via Native DSD) 1 x Digital Output Module: PhoenixUSB, PhoenixI2S, AES/Coaxial/Optical SPDIF (Sold Separately) Auxiliary Ethernet Port for Streamer or NAS
Connectivity
Ethernet:	2 x LAN RJ45 Bridged Gigabit Ethernet (LAN, Streamer)
USB:	3 x USB 3.2 Gen2 (Backup/Import, Aux, DAC)
Chassis Ground:	4mm ‘Speaker plug’ port

Ripping:	External USB-connected CD ripper required
CD Formats:	Red Book
Disc Compatibility:	CD, CD-R, CD-RW
CD Ripper Formats:	FLAC (compression level 0), WAV
Playback Audio Formats:	WAC, AIFF, FLAC, ALAC, AAC, MP3, MQA External USB-connected CD ripper required
Sample Rates
Sample Rates:	44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz, 768kHz, DSD over PCM (DoP) up to DSD256, Native DSD up to DSD512 (on selected DACs)
Bit Depths:	16bit, 24bit, 32bit
User Control Interfaces
Web Interface:	Modern Web Browsers from iOS, Android, Windows and OS X
Mobile:	Innuos Sense App for iOS/Android/Kindle Fire

Hardware

Storage:

1 x pSLC SSD for OS
[Optional] 1 x PCI-E NVme SSD – 2TB / 4TB / 8TB (Factory fitted)
[Optional] 1 x m.2 NVme SSD (User or factory fitted)

CPU:

Intel Core i7: 8 x Physical Cores

Memory:

16GB DDR4 Industrial-Grade RAM

Streaming and CD Storage

UPnP/DLNA:

AssetUPnP

Streaming Services:

Qobuz, Tidal, Deezer, HighResAudio, Internet Radio

Average CD Storage Time:

5 Minutes

CD Metadata:

FreeDB, Musicbrainz, Discogs, GD3

Compatible Music Systems:

Sonos Multi-room Wireless Music System
DLNA/UPnP Compatible Devices
USB DACs complying to USB Audio Class 2
Selected USB DACs supporting Native DSD

Requirements

Network:

Internet connection required for metadata lookup, streaming services and software updates.
Network access via Ethernet
Premium subscription required for streaming services such as Qobuz, Tidal etc.

Power

Mains Supply:

230V AC / 115V AC (Switchable)

Innuos

ZENith NG Server

ZENith NG Server

Main Features

PhoenixUSB Lite Board

DDC Board

Specifications