Articles Archive - Page 26 of 266

Luxman L-509Z integrated amplifier

Luxman, as a company, is celebrating its centenary this year, which is an extraordinary achievement and surely warrants the use of the adjective ‘venerable’ to describe it. And it’s not difficult to see why this brand has such longevity – and is so well-loved and respected among audio enthusiasts worldwide – when it delivers products like the outstanding Luxman L-509Z integrated amplifier.

IAG (the International Audio Group, Ltd) has owned the Japanese brand since 2009. IAG also owns several highly regarded British brands, such as Mission, Wharfedale, and Quad. However, unlike many of these brands, the production of which moved to China in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the design and manufacture of Luxman remain based in Yokohama, Japan.

A short personal aside: My first experience with Luxman dates to 1981. A little more recently, I heard a predecessor to the L-509Z, the L-509fSE, when I worked in a high-end retail establishment in London about a decade ago. I thought it was delightful, but it did not fit into the owner’s long-term plans, so we did not take it on. The fact that this Luxman integrated amp was already well-established more than ten years ago shows the rarity of new models from the brand. This isn’t laziness; it’s because you don’t need to tamper with the classics. Regardless, when I heard this new model was coming into the UK, I metaphorically camped out on the distributor’s doorstep to get my review request in early.

Let’s Get Physical

It began with a courier groaning under the 30+kg weight of the very large box. I don’t do unboxing videos, but if I did, the viewer would have shared my astonishment to find the Luxman L-509Z encased in three cardboard boxes, like a Matryoshka doll. The packaging alone must weigh at least 3kg, but it is a harbinger of the company’s commitment to quality, which is still a hallmark of Luxman’s products.

I am used to lifting heavy audio equipment, but the Luxman L-509Z proved to be at the upper end of what my aged frame can manage. It is one of the best-built units that I have ever encountered. The build quality is beyond reproach. Having safely placed the unit on the shelf on my rack where my PrimaLuna EVO400 integrated valve amplifier usually resides, I could examine it in more detail. The finish on the silver casework was exquisite, and the visual impact from the front was beautiful. I love the retro look of the whole thing, particularly the pair of large VU meters that are proudly in the centre of the face plate and display in real time the output from the amplifier expressed in Decibels. Between them sits a pair of backlit seven-segment LEDs that show the current volume level, again in dB.

Rotary dial

On the left is a large rotary dial for source selection, and immediately below that is the master on/off switch. On the same line is a smaller button marked ‘Separate’, which allows the pre and power amplifiers to be operated independently. There is then a line of slim rotary controls. The phono stage is first. It has three positions to match most cartridges: moving magnet, high output moving coil, and moving coils with a low output. The second is for speaker selection, with click stops for two sets of loudspeakers, allowing the amp to drive A, B, A and B, and to turn the loudspeakers off altogether.

The next three are tone controls, allowing for boost or cut in Bass, Middle and Treble frequencies. Setting the dials to the centre removes these controls from the audio path. The last of the six dials is for adjusting balance. Beyond that, there are two more small buttons. The first sets Line Direct, and the second is Mute. Two headphone outputs are available for the popular jack sizes.

Vent holes

The top panel has no less than 14 vent holes on either side and shows off the beautiful finish of the enclosure. Moving around to the rear, the fit and finish remain exemplary, with all the sockets being solid. There is nothing flimsy here. Looking from the left, we find a pair of RAC sockets with an earthing terminal alongside for connection to a turntable, with a gap to four pairs of RCA inputs marked Line 1-4. In the next group are three RCA inputs, marked Pre-Out 1, Pre-Out 2 and Main In. Next are a pair of balanced XLR inputs, both of which have phase inversion switches, for those components wired back to front, as it were.

The last two inputs are for integration of the unit to a home automation system, should you wish to use it thus. The bottom half of the rear panel is home to two pairs of multi-way binding posts for connecting two pairs of loudspeakers should you so desire. These can be run separately or together, although in the latter case, care must be taken to ensure that the combined impedance is suitable for the amplifier. All this is set out in the accompanying Owner’s manual. There is the IEC input for mains connection, which does not have an accompanying on/off switch.

Even the underside of the L-509Z deserves mention, fitted as it is with cylindrical feet made of cast iron, which must be significant contributors to the overall weight of the machine. A quick word of appreciation for the remote control is required here. It is constructed of aluminium, although the battery door is slightly incongruous, being plastic. The remote allows selection of input, volume level and muting, and will also work with any Luxman disc player released since 1996.

Technology

You can go to Luxman’s excellent website and read about all the wonders within that elegant but substantial frame. Luxman call the design concept as ‘single chassis separates’, with both pre and power amplifier sections using their LIFES 1.0 (Luxman Integrated Feedback Engine System), which follows work initially done in 2021 for the brand’s flagship power amplifier, the M-10X. The power output figures quoted for the L-509Z are 120W per channel into 8 Ohms and 220W per channel into 4 Ohms. For this review, I used my Harbeth Compact 7 ESXD loudspeakers, which are 6 Ohms across their entire frequency spectrum, and they proved to be an excellent match for the Luxman.

Volume control is another fine piece of engineering that incorporates LECUA-EX (Luxman Electronically Controlled Ultimate Attenuator – Excellent eXperience). This allows the user 88 steps between 0dB and 87dB. The knob feels very well-weighted, but the remote control allows a very accurate volume setting too, and that was how it was used here after the initial set-up.

For the review, I connected my Linn Sondek LP12, which was rebuilt mainly using Tangerine Audio hardware components and whose Ittok arm is currently fitted (and will be for the foreseeable future) with the excellent Vertere Dark Sabre moving magnet cartridge, to the phono input. My Yamaha CD-S3000 was connected to the Line 1 RCA input and also served as the DAC for an AURALiC ARIES Mini streamer, which has been upgraded with various products from Network Acoustics, and for our television sound as well.

Listening To The L-509Z

As is my habit, I allowed the Luxman some time to settle into its new surroundings after setting it up. Streaming from Qobuz, I started off with Cara Dillon’s 2024 album Coming Home, to which I have been drawn regularly in the last few weeks. I was oblivious to this artist until one of her tracks was played at a British loudspeaker manufacturer whose production facility I visited. This Northern Irish singer/songwriter has one of the most beautiful voices I have heard and on this fine album she uses it to both sing and speak her deeply affecting lyrics, which are accompanied by sparse yet perfect instrumentation arranged by her husband Sam Lakeman. If that name rings a bell, he is the brother of Seth Lakeman, who is a highly regarded purveyor of fine folk music.

What I was not prepared for from the start of listening to the L-509Z was the magnificent soundstage which it would create. We use words like ‘holographic’ and ‘three-dimensional’ too often, which can somewhat devalue them, but they are entirely appropriate here. Ms. Dillon was right there in the room with me, well forward of the front plane of the Harbeths, with her gossamer voice grabbing the attention while the supporting instruments were arrayed around and behind her. Every tiny detail captured in the studio was given its own place in the mix. For detail seekers, the L-509Z is a perfect choice, but that is just one of its myriad capabilities.

First impressions count

My late mother, who specialised in sharing her endless supply of pithy truisms, used to say “You cannot undo a first impression”, and I was delighted that the L-509Z created a deep, lasting and very positive impression on me. During my brief but intense time with this amazing device in my system, I fed it a very varied diet of rock, pop, jazz, electronica, folk, large and small scale classical music as well as television sound, and there was nothing that knocked it off guard. A favourite album for more than half a century, my original UK pressing of the Who’s Who’s Next came blasting into the room with every element intact. Somehow that attention to detail never overwhelmed the musicality, and finally etched as it all was, it never felt overdone.

What the L-509Z does is bring all music to life, finding the inner strength in quiet passages while being able to belt out the climaxes with gusto without ever becoming fatiguing. The closing track on Who’s Next is, as many of you will know, is ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’. I was lucky enough to be in the crowd at the Oval cricket ground in September 1971 when the Who topped the bill of a daylong festival of London-based bands. ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ that night was incredible, with the whole band playing and singing at the very best of their ability, and the whole place on its feet. That feeling was totally recreated in our living room, with me cranking up the volume to anti-social levels.

Happy confirmation

I then switched to vinyl replay and happy to confirm that the Luxman design team have thrown their hearts and minds into this too. First on to the Collaro mat on my LP12 was Congo Funk! hich describes its content on the album cover as “Sound madness from the banks of the mighty Congo River. Kinshasa/Brazaville 1969-1982”. Two slabs of all-analogue black vinyl on which are captured a host of West African musicians whose joyful playing is guaranteed to lift the darkest of moods. Having them transported thousands of miles to perform live in my living room was one of the highlights of my time with this extraordinary amplifier.

An opinion I have seen regurgitated from time to time is that Harbeth loudspeakers are very ‘pipe and slipper’, which I take to mean that they are a bit dull and boring. I have always known as a Harbeth owner for well over a decade that such opinions can only come from a source that has never actually heard them. Pair them with a good amplifier and they will do a fine job, as they do every day for me. However, pair them with an extraordinary amplifier and that faintly patronising description is shown for its inaccuracy and ignorance.

Terrific

The Compact 7s here sounded absolutely terrific driven by the Luxman, and pulled off that disappearing trick that the best loudspeakers do in a really well sorted system. The soundstage seemed to go from wall to wall in the room, with commensurate height and depth. This happened whether the volume was dialled well back or advanced to window rattling levels.

The designers of the L-509Z obviously spent many long hours working on its voicing, to the extent that the tone controls were redundant on pretty much every record that I played. However, to pique my own curiosity and because you might want to know, I did spend an afternoon playing with them and it was an interesting experience. I started with a favourite from my small but growing collection of jazz records, Bass On Top by the Paul Chambers Quartet. Mr. Chambers was at the time the bassist in Miles Davis’ band, but on a day in July 1957 went to Rudy van Gelder’s studio in Hackensack New Jersey with three friends.

A single day

In the space of a single day this very gifted group (Kenny Burrell on guitar, Hank Jones on piano, Art Taylor on drums along with Paul Chambers on bass) laid down seven tracks – over 40 minutes of music – of what I suppose could be called mainstream jazz. Using the tone controls, I was able to increase or decrease each instrument’s place in the sound story, not in an exaggerated way but subtly. Mr van Gelder’s production skills were such that he got the balance spot on in the studio, but it was fun to see if I could do better – needless to say I could not. If you own a few less-than-stellar recordings, you may find it helpful to use those tone controls, but otherwise, I would class them as nice to have rather than essential.

Television sound was always crisp and well defined and once again the extensive soundstage worked very well. We watched our BluRay copy of Top Gun: Maverick (not very high brow I know, but very entertaining) and the F18s on full throttle sounded thrilling, while the dialogue and soundtrack really came alive through this “simple” two channel replay system.

Headphones

Finally, I did give both headphone sockets a try. The Owner’s manual reminds one to turn the speaker selector dial to the Off position before using headphones, so that was my first action. I plugged my Audioquest Nighthawk closed back ‘phones into the larger of the two sockets and lined ups couple of SACDs to play through the Yamaha. First up was the Rolling Stones 1969 album Let It Bleed. Afficionados of the band will remember that the inner sleeve of the album contained the instruction “this record should be played loud”, and that is faithfully reproduced on the fold out sleeve of the DSD version. It would be rude not to comply so once Gimme Shelter started I found a setting that was loud without being uncomfortable, and that in-your-head experience that can only come from this method of listening brought the band to life.

To try the smaller socket I used a pair of Sivga ‘phones, and for them I played my treasured copy of Lyn Stanley’s Interludes. Ms Stanley is an absolute stickler for sound quality, and on this 2015 recording she was able to call on the cream of Los Angeles’ musical elite as accompanists, resulting in an album where her wonderful voice is centre stage but each musician has their own performance space. The Luxman transported me in to the studio with all of them, creating a sense of intimacy and involvement for the listener. It takes some chutzpah for a jazz vocalist to take on Led Zeppelin’s ‘Whole Lotta Love’, but Ms Stanley pulls it off with great panache. We were in strong goosebump territory here.

Final Thoughts

My brief time with Luxman L-509Z left me with an indelible impression. It is a behemoth, but every ounce, every gram of its weight translates into an outstanding performance. A fellow scribe who knew it was here asked me if I found it ‘bright,’ as he had read that others had reported it so. I’m afraid I have to disagree. For my taste, the designers of the L-509Z have created a magnificent flagship integrated amplifier. The voicing is perfectly judged, achieving incredible detail retrieval without sacrificing one iota of musicality. I could listen to recordings in a way only the best amplifiers can achieve. At the same time, it drew the very best from my source components and my loudspeakers, allowing me to appreciate fully just how good a system I have here.

I have spoken of the build quality, but it is worth repeating here. The L-509Z was built to give a lifetime of musical pleasure. God forbid it should ever happen, but I would add it to the short list of things that would remain intact after a nuclear catastrophe (assuming it was powered off at the moment of the explosion – EMP would fry the circuits otherwise!). As an armchair warrior, I can also highly commend the Luxman remote control, which is comfortable to hold and easy to use, with very tactile buttons clearly marked and spaced apart enough to prevent the wrong one from being pressed by mistake.

Flagship

As a flagship integrated amplifier, the Luxman L-509Z must be counted as a major achievement by the designers and engineers who brought it to life. It is an unashamedly analogue device in an increasingly digital world, but it is all the better for it. If I had the funds, I would bring one into my system in a heartbeat. I would pair it with one of Luxman’s high-end SACD/DAC units, and I think we could all live happily ever after. Is it expensive? Yes, it is. But it outperforms any separate pre and power amplifiers that I can recall at a similar price point, and in an era when you can walk into my former employer’s London emporium and lay down the price of a decent house in my part of the world on a system, I think it represents outstanding value.

Technical specifications

Type: Solid-state Integrated amplifier
Power output: 120W per channel (8Ω), 220W per channel (4Ω)
Input Sensitivity/Impedance: Phono (MM): 2.5mV/47kΩ, Phono (MC-H): 0.3mV/100Ω, Phono (MC-L): 0.1mV/40Ω, Line: 180mV/47kΩ, Balanced line: 180mV/79kΩ, Main In: 1.1V/47kΩ
Output Voltage: Pre Out: 1V
Frequency Response: Phono: 20Hz-20kHz (±0.5dB). Line: 20Hz-100kHz (within -3dB)
Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.007% or less (8Ω, 1kHz), 0.03% or less (8Ω, 20Hz to 20kHz)
Signal-to-noise Ratio (IHF-A): Phono (MM): 87dB or more, Phono (MC-H): 70dB or more, Phono (MC-L): 62dB or more, Line: 106dB or more.
Volume adjustment: LECUA-EX
Amplification feedback circuit: LIFES 1.0
Output configuration: Bipolar 4-parallel push-pull
Damping factor: 330
Max. amount of tone control: Bass: ±8dB at 100Hz, Midrange: ±8dB at 760Hz, Treble: ±8dB at 10kHz
Dimensions (WxHxD): 44×19.3×46.3cm
Weight: 29.4kg
Price: £10,995, $12,495, €13,000

Manufacturer

Luxman

www.luxman.com

UK distributor

IAG UK

+44(0)1480 447700

2025 Awards – Network Streamer

Our annual Awards are a celebration of the best in audio. Specifically, we have seen the best audio products over the last 12 months. In most cases, that means products introduced between late 2023 and the final months of 2024. However, if they are new to us, that counts too!

Over the following pages, we’ve found what could well be your next great audio purchase. We’ve tried where possible to cover the broadest spread of product categories and prices. We have also listed both award winners and highly commended products in many categories. In these categories, we have been almost universally blown away by the performance of these products. It’s amazing to think that an industry as inherently mature as audio (the first audio products predate the widespread home electrification schemes of the 1910s and 1920s, and the first branch of ‘consumer electronics’ was all hi-fi related) can still produce innovative products that move the needle and improve audio performance. But, each year, we keep seeing improvements in almost every aspect of the replay chain, and often those improvements are significant.

It’s also fascinating to see how the audio industry changes over time, which can be seen by how our categories shift from year to year. Certain products remain perennial members of the Award roster; it’s unlikely that any audio Awards will ever exclude loudspeakers or integrated amplifiers. However, we’ve noticed that categories that almost didn’t exist a year ago are now a significant part of the audio landscape. Network Switch, Network Filter, and Active and Streaming Loudspeaker categories were all sections of the audio world that either didn’t exist or were way outside of hi-fi+’s purview to be considered until recently.

Selection

Selecting products for awards is never easy, but our product selection process makes it harder. We want to replicate the experience of those who enjoy their audio devices rather than those who approach every component with a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp. That means we have a two-step pre-review process before a product reaches the review stage. A potential review product is loaned to the reviewer; if they feel it isn’t the kind of product they would buy, it’s sent to another reviewer who might be more in step with how that product performs. If, at that point, we can find no one who likes what it does, we send it back. Why? The product may not have been suitable for any of our review team members. If not, and the product is just wrong, we find denying it the oxygen of exposure is better than people buying it because “it can’t be that bad!” Or worse, the review is subjected to careful and unscrupulous massaging; I come from a theatrical background. I’ve seen excoriating ‘crits’ of shows dressed up to sound upbeat on billboards. The same goes for audio. If it’s bad, it’s far better not to have our name by it, than someone buy it!

The crème of the crop

This means that every review in hi-fi+ has already made the grade. Our reviews are already the crème de la crème. So, our Awards are the crème de la crème de la crème! That’s damn crème-y! But even in a list of products that is so admirable, there are always some that stand above the rest.

Audio magazines seldom exist in isolation. Our team interacts with people in the industry and enthusiasts. Some products keep coming up because they have ‘a bit of a vibe’. An example of this (from last year’s Awards lineup) is Soul Note. If the name ‘Soul Note’ is brought into the conversation at an audio event, it’s usually followed by someone else saying, “Oooh… that stuff’s nice!” There are always a few products each year that keep getting mentioned in and around the audio business. Some of those ‘vibe’ brands are in the pages of our Awards, every year.

Regarding product shortlisting, we’ve found that relying on the review published at the time is often more critical than cross-examining the memory of the reviewer months after the product was shipped back to the manufacturer. While, once again, those ‘vibe’ products stick in the memory, a reviewer that might look at several products a month – and has done so for many years – is unlikely to remember the nuances of something they tested almost a year ago. As reviewers, we should look at each product with fresh eyes, so we should purge our memories of what came before (some of the least valuable reviews compare the 2024 model with long-discontinued previous designs from the last century). The review itself is more of a snapshot of what the reviewer felt while reviewing it.

Trickle down

Many of the products over the next pages are the stuff of dreams. And some dreams don’t always come cheap. While some are in the ‘affordable’ class, many of these products are at the ‘aspirational’ end of audio. Some are at the ‘astronomic’ (literally… one costs as much as a short space flight). But crucially, what we’ve seen over the years is that these products form the basis for more attainably priced products. The lessons learned in making something that costs a small fortune filter down into the real-world.

This is not simply an attempt to justify sky-high prices, it’s an understanding that the bandwidth of audio is expanding in more ways than one. By making products that cost a fortune, companies haven’t abandoned the entry-level products. They’ve ceded the floor to a new generation of manufacturers. And they are winning Awards!

2025 Awards – DAC Cost No Object

Selection

The crème of the crop

Trickle down

Introducing ScansonicHD’s new M Series

March 2025 – ScansonicHD is thrilled to announce the launch of its new M series loudspeakers—three meticulously engineered models that bring an elevated audiophile experience within reach.

The M15.2 standmount, M20.2 floorstander, and M30.2 floorstander each exhibit ScansonicHD’s celebrated craftsmanship and blending of Danish design. The DNA and high end pedigree from sister brand Raidho is clearly audible.

A recent anecdote at an audio show exemplifies the M series’ extraordinary price-to-performance ratio. When one listener said, “The speakers sound great, but for EUR 20.000 they are a bit too expensive,” our team responded with a smile, “I agree, but the speakers only cost EUR 2.600 for a pair!” This perfectly captures our mission to bring the best in Danish design and innovation to passionate music lovers — without the premium price tag.

M15.2 – Euro Retail Pricing: EUR 1.500 for the pair
M20.2 – Euro Retail Pricing: EUR 2.600 for the pair
M30.2 – Euro Retail Pricing: EUR 3.500 for the pair

Key features of this new series are:

A Raidho inspired Ribbon Tweeter
Powerful passive bass radiators on the back
Very high quality crossover
Sandwich membranes

A recent show attendee mistook the M Series for a EUR 20,000 speaker due to its performance. The reality? These speakers start at only EUR 2,600 per pair. Discover world-class Danish design and engineering at an unbeatable value.

All models are available in black and white satin gloss finish from April 2025.

For more information, visit: www.scansonichd.dk

Innuos ZEN Next-Gen

For many years, the Innuos ZEN has been a cornerstone of the brand’s servers. Now in Mk3 form, this server offers 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB of hard disk drive capacity. It strikes an ideal balance between performance and economy. The ZENith Mk3 is the ‘performance’ option, while the ZENmini Mk3 represents the ‘economy’ entry point into Innuos music serving. Towering above these is the Statement Next-Gen. However, introducing the new Innuos ZEN Next-Gen server at the Munich High End 2024 upended the apple cart.

Let’s quickly address the big question: No! The ZEN Next-Gen is not replacing the ZEN Mk3; the original ZEN line will continue. This question looms large in people’s minds because the base model of the ZEN Next-Gen costs three times as much as the most expensive ZEN Mk3. Adding SSD storage and internal board options can increase Next-Gen’s price. In fact, up to over five times that of the Mk3. Hearing of the new ZEN Next-Gen, owners of the original ZEN range are understandably concerned. Is their next Innuos server out of reach? Fortunately, no!

All Change!

Other than the ZEN name and the fact that both feature a black or silver aluminium chassis, nearly everything has been up for consideration in Innuos’ Next-Gen project. Perhaps the most significant change is the introduction of a new ‘PreciseAudio’ custom mainboard. This Intel Core I3-based four-core (with four virtual cores) board features 16GB of industrial-grade DDR4 RAM. It has had components removed, but it incorporates custom regulators specifically selected to enhance sound quality. Innuos now exercises complete low-level control over the mainboard. This allows Innuos to configure individual clocks and optimise hardware protocols for audio performance. Given that a surprising number of servers are built around an off-the-shelf PC motherboard with ‘minimal’ changes to the components on that board, this alone puts the Innuos ZEN Next-Gen into the top tier of dedicated music servers.

The PreciseAudio board has a secondary bonus, but it is one that significantly improves performance. The Innuos-developed Sense 3 Operating System’s kernel now runs in real time, drastically reducing operating latency. This lets the ZEN Next-Gen allocate specific audio processes to dedicated processor cores. Translating from Modern Geek, this means interruptions are minimised. This has more to do with ensuring that audio processing is not interrupted than finding files quickly. It helps reduce latency and power noise. Using custom Gallium-Nitride-based regulators Innuos specified for the system also helps reduce latency. This lowering of latency provides faster power to the processor.

Unable to resist a motoring analogy, Innuos claim this is akin to driving through a city and getting green traffic lights at every crossroad! Of course, Innuos isn’t based in London, where that would increase speed to nearly three mph!

Storage Options

Another big change is the switch from Hard Disk Drives to Solid State Drives, both for onboard music storage and a dedicated SSD to store the Sense 3 OS. This last has power-loss protection in the (hopefully unlikely) event of a power cut. This is a pragmatic and practical decision. If the drive holding the operating system is less likely to go ‘bang!’ in worst-case situations, fewer repairs will be needed in the field. No one wants to end up with an expensive metal brick, and power loss protection reduces the chances of that happening.

The storage for music files is also well accommodated. A new Extensible Storage Management (XSM) feature in Sense allows users to seamlessly add M.2 storage via a slot at the bottom of the system. Alongside the internal storage, this creates a single storage volume of up to 16TB (you can add an additional 8TB of external SSD under the XSM system). This means there’s no need to worry about free space on each individual drive unless you are storing the entire canon of Western music in high resolution. The new system is also more robust; if one of the drives fails, only the contents of that drive are affected, and backup can restore files specifically from that drive. It’s possible to extend storage even further with Network Attached Storage, though this may exhibit greater latency than the onboard options.

Mad for Modules!

Unlike the existing ZEN range, the ZEN Next-Gen can be supplied with optional output board modules. This provides several advantages to the Next-Gen owner, allowing you to tailor the Innuos ZEN Next-Gen precisely to your needs. Therefore, if you are connecting to a DAC that only supports traditional digital connections, there is an S/PDIF board with optical, coaxial, and AES connectors. Alternatively, there is a USB version or even a configurable I²S option. This prevents the need to purchase and operate unused digital inputs and, as they are retrofittable, enables the ZEN Next-Gen to adapt to your system and remain future-proof.

Speaking of future-proofing… the ZEN Next-Gen platform introduces an upgrade path, should you wish to take your ZEN Next-Gen to ZENith Next-Gen status. The inherently modular nature of the new ZEN Next-Gen platform means upgrading is easy. It also means your ZEN Next-Gen goes back to Innuos to become enZENithified. But the option is there.

Making the new ZEN Next-Gen so inherently modular means the chassis also needed to come under a lot of scrutiny. The nature of this new platform allows this degree of change and upgrade to Next-Gen models, which means it’s now a 10mm thick CNC-milled affair with custom vibration damping in the transformer platform. It also has a chassis grounding connection.

CD To Go

The ZEN Next-Gen omits one notable feature: the CD slot. Although it can easily rip CDs to storage, it requires an aftermarket CD drive to do so. The reason for this omission is twofold: the significance of CDs as a one-time musical data carrier has diminished in the West. Those who rip discs have largely done so already, and downloading files has replaced the practice of ripping new discs. Another significant reason is the harsh reality that disc drives are becoming increasingly difficult to find. Innuos has stocks of drives for its existing ranges (both for new sales and to repair current products), but adding extra lines of servers to its range depletes those stocks.

Numerous manufacturers of CD players and servers have discovered this the hard way; they launch their new products into the market, only to find the transport mechanism is declared ‘End of Life’, leaving the new product without any CD or SACD playback option. This is particularly harsh for products sold in China and Japan, where CD sales remain strong. Unfortunately, the reality of producing magneto-optical transport mechanisms becomes increasingly uneconomic each year. The ZEN Next-Gen’s lack of a disc draw reflects a reckoning with that harsh economic reality.

ZEN vs ZEN

In requesting an Innuos ZEN Next-Gen, it seemed like an obvious comparison to include a ZEN Mk3. It’s also worth comparing it to my Innuos Statement Next-Gen. There’s one thing all three have in common; they take a few days to come on song from cold. Fortunately, this isn’t one of those 500-hour run-in times, but letting it sit for two days before you listen critically makes a lot of sense.

The other thing they have in common; they deserve good up- and downstream components. Don’t sacrifice your Innuos ZEN’s potential performance (either) with a Netgear switch and some low-cost CAT5 Ethernet cables. Sure, the PhoenixNet switch from Innuos is an obvious choice, but even something like a decent network filter helps.

In hindsight, the ZEN vs ZEN title bout was unfair. The ZEN Mk3 put on a good show, but the ZEN Next-Gen thoroughly trounced it. There was so much more information available from the Next-Gen it made the ZEN Mk3 sound soft and rounded. It’s interface and track access times seemed glacial. The strange thing is if you listen to the ZEN Mk3 on its own, it’s an excellent server. And it’s damn fast even by today’s standards. But when you switch over to the ZEN Next-Gen, the flaws in performance and operation become all too apparent.

Speed king

The speed of the Next-Gen will be the initial attraction, even though it sounds so much better. If you go back to the Mk3 after playing with the Next-Gen, you end up mashing cover art on the Innuos app and wondering why it’s taking so long.

One of the frustrating parts of audio reviewing is spending hours setting up two devices and days running them in, only to discover that the differences between them are so apparent that the listening test takes about a minute. That was the case here. I played one track on the ZEN Mk3, played the introduction again to lodge that in my brain, swapped the ZEN Mk3 for the ZEN Next-Gen, played the opening bars of that track, and swore a bit. The track was ‘Ghost Hardware’ by Burial [Untrue, Hyperdub]. Nothing sums up a grimy winter in London better than this track.

It sounded great on the ZEN Mk3, right up until I played it on the Innuos ZEN Next-Gen, when suddenly, those broken beats and glitchy sounds snapped into focus. The rhythm was tighter, and it sounded more hypnotic. It actually made me want to sit on the top deck of a big red bus in the wet, staring into the bleakness outside. The sound was cleaner, more precise, more energetic, and dynamic. It just got everything right.

Subsequent tracks covering everything from ABBA to Zappa only confirmed what had taken a few seconds to hear. The ZEN Mk3 went back in the box.

Making a Statement

The challenge match between Statement Next-Gen and ZEN Next-Gen was more interesting. Now, we had a fight on our hands! They trade blows. The two are very well-matched. It says something positive about the Innuos ZEN Next-Gen in that it’s ‘well-matched’ against a long-standing benchmark of mine and my ‘personal use’ server of choice. But this was more of a slugging match.

The two did not perform identically. Their sonic signatures were very different, but both were equally valid. The Statement has an expansive, lithe, and almost fluid sound. It produces a big soundstage and effortless dynamic shading. The Statement has grace and space to spare without sounding over-smoothed or warm. Playing jazz or orchestral music through the Statement Next-Gen is a sublime experience. Throwing car-sized sums at a music server is the only way to better it.

Slave to the rhythm

There’s that rhythm again helping the Innuos ZEN Next-Gen in the clinches. I’ve long believed the advantage of the Statement Next-Gen lies in its ability to be both expansive and detailed (for the traditional audiophile) while also being rhythmically tight (for the Naim user or similar). Nevertheless, the ZEN Next-Gen certainly had the upper hand in the rhythm stakes. Returning to that Burial track – by ZZ Top’s ‘La Grange’ [Tres Hombres, London] – the beat was more defined and crisper, with more precise leading-edge speed.

I don’t use the term ‘Pace, Rhythm, and Timing’ or ‘PRaT’ too often. UK enthusiasts overused it, and so few products have it. Computer audio largely forgets ‘PRaT.’ However, the ZEN Next-Gen has it. It times. It doesn’t trade much of that grace found in the Statement. This is more of a ‘now!’ sound, perhaps why I played a few Taylor Swift tracks through the ZEN Next-Gen.

The World Beyond Innuos

Comparisons are fine, but where does the Innuos ZEN Next-Gen sit outside Innuos-world? This is an easy question to answer because it stands very tall indeed. Like the Statement Next-Gen, it stands above its rivals at its price. And it continues to do so until you get into the super-high end of music servers. And, unless you like your music quite soft and a little saccharine, there’s not much to say against it. Innuos has hit it out of the park again!