Thank you, @soix. Although it’s used, its performance justifies the price. Its articulate low end is very weighty. I assume it’s already fully broken in, so I’m going to put it in my primary rig and do some more serious listening and a side-by-side comparison with the Rivo+. I want to hear how wide and deep this thing can drive the soundstage in my main setup.
SQ Comparison of 3 streamers
Do you concur these assessments if you were the owner?
SQ Comparison: Eversolo T8 vs Innuos Zen Mk3 vs Volumio Rivo Plus
| Feature | Eversolo T8 | Innuos Zen Mk3 | Volumio Rivo Plus |
| Tonal Balance | Slightly warm, musical | Neutral, reference | Neutral-warm, slightly lush |
| Midrange | Lush, expressive | Transparent, accurate | Smooth and natural, slightly forward |
| Bass | Tight, controlled | Tight, maybe leaner | Solid, full-bodied, a bit warmer than Zen |
| Detail Retrieval | High, smooth | Very high, analytical | High, clear |
| Dynamics | Natural, engaging | Precise, accurate | Great, rhythmic and musical |
| Soundstage Imaging | Spacious, slightly forward; enveloping | Very wide and deep; highly precise | Wide, deep, more relaxed |
| Overall Impression | Engaging & musical | Neutral & resolving | Balanced, musical, and slightly “polished” |
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- 110 posts total
@jrareform Sorry, I missed your message and couldn't respond because I no longer had the CC registry. FWIW, the Rivo Plus (RP) is more neutral than the Zen Mk3. They're neck and neck sonically, but the RP has slightly better detail retrieval, while the Zen sounds a bit fuller-bodied. Notes from the Zen linger a little longer, but the RP is by no means lean. Their soundstages are almost identical, but the RP images slightly better, especially in the lower registers. Both have excellent midrange and bass performance as well as dark background. The violin sounds sweeter through the Zen, whereas the RP sounds more realistic, especially when paired with my Denafrips Hestia preamp. Overall, I prefer my first system, where the RP resides. That said, the Innuos Sense app performs much better than Volumio. Because of that, I think the Zen Mk3 is the safer choice in terms of user interface and overall sound quality. RP has far more digital input options than Zen though. Good luck with your search if you haven't upgraded yet. |
@lanx0003 congrats on the purchase of the Innuos. I'm quite happy with mine. I do use the cd ripper as well. I have several cds that aren't available to stream. It's pretty convenient to add them to the Sense library.
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@sls883 Thanks. It has been a long journey in the quest for a second streamer. I went through quite a few options, including the Node Icon and Eversolo T8, but neither one really worked out for me. That changed when I took a leap of faith and clinched a deal on the Zen 3. I’m quite happy with it. |
- 110 posts total