Innuos Stream Series: Digital Audio Excellence Redefined

  • Posted on 14 April 2025

Innuos Stream Series: Digital Audio Excellence Redefined

The new Innuos Stream series marks a significant advancement in digital audio, offering exceptional sound quality and versatility. These meticulously engineered components—the entry-level Stream1 and flagship Stream3—set new performance benchmarks whilst delivering outstanding value.

What sets Innuos apart is their comprehensive approach. By developing both hardware and software in-house, they achieve perfect synergy between their components and intuitive Sense app. This creates a seamless ecosystem where every element works together to optimise sound quality.

innuos stream1

Innuos Stream1: Compact Excellence

The Stream1 delivers reference-level performance in a space-efficient design. Its half-width aluminium chassis occupies minimal shelf space whilst providing full functionality.

At its heart lies Innuos' proprietary CX Regulator module, providing clean power to the Digital Output Module. This eliminates noise and interference, resulting in precise sound with improved clarity, detail, and spatial accuracy.

These technological advantages become apparent when playing complex music. Recordings reveal newfound depth, with instrumental textures and ambient cues emerging from a silent background. The Stream1 excels with acoustic music, preserving natural timbres whilst creating a soundstage that extends beyond speaker boundaries.

Its modular design offers exceptional versatility, functioning as a network streamer, digital server, or both. This flexibility adapts to various system configurations without compromise. For maximum performance, the optional LPS1 linear power supply offers a substantial upgrade without replacing the main unit—protecting your investment whilst providing clear upgrade options.

Innuos Stream3

Innuos Stream3: Uncompromising Performance

The Stream3 represents Innuos' engineering pinnacle—a reference-grade digital source for demanding audiophiles. Its substantial 10mm aluminium chassis provides comprehensive vibration damping and electromagnetic shielding, creating an ideal environment for the sophisticated electronics inside.

The power architecture sets new standards for digital audio. Its integrated ARC6-CX module combines 132,000μF Mundorf capacitance, active rectification, and proprietary regulation, fed by a substantial 300VA transformer with medical-grade filtering. This dramatically reduces noise floor and improves dynamic range, allowing the finest musical details to emerge with clarity.

For ultimate signal purity, a dedicated 4mm earthing port diverts unwanted electrical noise away from audio circuitry, revealing subtle musical nuances. The result is a precise soundstage with improved spatial definition.

The optional PhoenixDAC module transforms the Stream3 into a complete digital source of extraordinary capability. This premium component delivers state-of-the-art conversion through a sophisticated dual-mono implementation, eliminating the need for a separate DAC whilst rivalling dedicated components costing significantly more.

innuos Stream1 and Stream3

Sonic Benefits

Both Stream components deliver significant sonic improvements that enhance musical enjoyment across all genres.

The Stream1 presents music with exceptional clarity and focus. Its articulate presentation reveals subtle details whilst maintaining a natural tonal balance free from digital artefacts. This ensures long-term listening satisfaction without fatigue.

One of its most valuable attributes is precise timing and rhythmic drive. Bass lines maintain their propulsive quality, percussion exhibits realistic attack and decay, and musical momentum remains intact even during complex passages—creating a more engaging listening experience.

The Stream3 elevates playback to an entirely new level. Most immediately noticeable is its remarkable micro-detail retrieval, revealing the full texture and timbre of instruments. Subtle nuances such as fingers on strings, a vocalist's breathing, or room acoustics become clearly audible without analytical emphasis.

Its expansive, three-dimensional soundstage places instruments with pinpoint accuracy, creating a convincing illusion of live music within your listening space. Complex orchestral works benefit particularly from this spatial precision, with each instrumental section occupying its own distinct position.

Perhaps most impressive is the Stream3's effortless reproduction of dynamic contrasts. From the most delicate passages to explosive crescendos, it maintains complete composure across the entire dynamic spectrum, bringing recordings closer to the impact of live music.

System Integration

Both Stream components integrate seamlessly into a wide range of audio systems, providing substantial sonic improvements regardless of associated equipment.

The Stream1 delivers outstanding performance across diverse system configurations. It pairs exceptionally well with mid-range to high-end equipment, consistently elevating overall system performance. When connected to quality amplification and speakers, it reveals newfound detail in familiar recordings.

The Stream1 scales with system upgrades. As other components improve over time, it continues to reveal additional performance capabilities. Adding the optional LPS1 power supply approaches the performance of much costlier digital sources—ideal for those building systems incrementally.

The Stream3 provides maximum benefit when integrated into systems of comparable quality. Its reference-grade performance is most fully realised when paired with premium amplification and loudspeakers that can resolve the additional detail and dynamic range it provides.

From an investment perspective, both models offer exceptional value. The Stream1 challenges digital sources at higher price points, whilst the Stream3 delivers performance that rivals reference components from established manufacturers at significantly higher cost.

Modular Architecture

The Stream series' innovative modular architecture provides flexibility and future-proofing. This design allows each unit to be tailored for specific requirements and upgraded over time, ensuring optimal performance whilst protecting against technological obsolescence.

The comprehensive range of output modules enables precise matching to your existing equipment:

  • Standard DAC Board supports PCM signals up to 24bit/192kHz—sufficient for most high-resolution audio content

  • Performance DAC Board extends compatibility to 32bit/768kHz PCM and native DSD playback, unlocking the full potential of the latest formats

  • PhoenixUSB Board provides regenerated USB output with an ultra-precise OCXO clock, reducing timing errors for improved clarity and focus

  • Stream3 Exclusive Options: The PhoenixI2S Board enables direct connection to compatible DAC chips, whilst the flagship PhoenixDAC Board offers premium dual-mono conversion using AKM's finest DAC technology

Storage options range from 1TB to 4TB of pre-installed capacity, accommodating extensive music libraries. Both models also support user installation of M.2 NVMe SSDs for virtually unlimited storage expansion.

Conclusion: Superior Digital Sound

The Innuos Stream series establishes new standards for digital audio reproduction, delivering remarkable performance that transforms the listening experience.

The Stream1 democratises high-end digital streaming, offering performance previously unattainable at this price point. Its combination of exceptional sound quality, versatile functionality, and meaningful upgrade path makes it an intelligent investment for music enthusiasts.

The Stream3 represents the ultimate expression of Innuos' engineering philosophy, providing reference-grade performance that competes with much costlier digital sources. Its advanced power architecture, premium construction, and modular flexibility create a digital foundation capable of revealing the full emotional impact of your music.

Both components share a fundamental commitment to musical authenticity—preserving natural timbres, maintaining proper spatial relationships, and conveying the dynamic flow that gives music its emotional power. The result is a more immersive listening experience that reconnects you with your favourite recordings.

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