Innuos Pulsar ????

[ssfas]

Is the Pulsar the PULSEmini + Innuos linear power supply + PhoenixUSB but just all in one box?

It's a streamer/DAC with more output options than Pulsar, same operating system.

 

[ssfas]

We have two completely different approaches and that's what makes this hobby so much fun. There is no wrong or right.

I don't speak to company people most times before a review as I prefer to know nothing about their marketing and spin and I don't want to be influenced (I may speak to them to get gear in and how to hook it up but that is about it). I personally could not care less about a power supply if at the end of the day the unit doesn't have the features I want nor the sound. I just don't care about anything but the sound. And at the end of the day in my system I chose the one I liked. Regardless of trying to focus on the Spotify issue which it did not come with it set up ready to go (as I feel it should), I preferred the AA.

There are too many other "dealer youtubers" who keep stating and snowing their viewers that they are looking out for them and poo-poo high priced gear while selling equally high priced gear themselves. And they of course dislike anything they don't sell.

There are equally as many who pretend they aren't making money with the gear they choose to review but those on the inside all know differently about how they "pump and dump". No way they are impartial like they claim as they have a serious financial interest in their videos and what they do content on.

And there are those who are trying to convince you to hire their hifi services while pretending to be completely unbiased.

Thankfully I am none of those. They are welcome to do what ever they want - that's just not how I choose to be.

As I state repeatedly in the videos are just pure personal journey and many seem to appreciate that approach - and some don't (which is totally fine). I don't try to be all things to all people nor do I want to. I have my base of very loyal followers between YT and FB whom I interact with on a regular basis and I do this all for FUN. Nothing more, nothing less.

I do find some people get entirely too emotionally wrapped up in this hobby that is supposed to be fun. That is their right. I choose not to live a life like that.

I repeatedly state in my videos to never take my word on untying, to do your own research and to TRY TRY TRY the gear for yourself. There is nothing more I can do for those who choose to ignore all that.

I spoke to the manufacturers of my turntable (Ray @ CTC / Garrard), turntable power supply (Nick @ LDA) streamer (Richard @ Innuos), conditioner (Mike @ Puritan), cables (Sean Jacobs, Mike @ Vinyl Passion, Galen @ BJC) and phono stage (James @ Whest). Anyone who knows any of these people will know that none of them are B-S merchants and only Innuos spend any serious money on marketing. I find it helpful to do enough reading and searching to be able to ask the designer/manufacturer sensible questions and it doesn't take long to work out if you're getting sensible answers. There is no one better to explain a product than the person who designed and made it.

Home loans are quite easy to arrange here in the UK. My second phono is RCM, a brand that do no marketing, the dealer brought it round to my house, I'd tried a couple of others and sent them back. My DAC was off eBay, but the seller was local and I had a home demo first.

I think it's vital that reviewers speak to the manufacturer or an informed dealer to find out the purpose of the product, who it was designed for, how it works etc. I don't agree that reviews should be completely blind because customers will ask these questions before they buy, so any reviews should evaluate whether the product meets the design objectives. It amazes me how many reviewers just don't understand the product concept.

If you were a potential buyer of the Innuos Pulsar and use Spotify a lot, you'd ask the dealer before getting one, even on loan. I've used Qobuz exclusively since 2014, so in those days Naim (the biggest UK brand) was out of the question because their only lossless option was Tidal.

Listening and going to music is certainly enjoyable. Hifi as a hobby seems a bit more serious because a single purchase can be a significant amount of a person's disposable income. Spending $50 on a concert ticket and it's no good, it's no big deal. Spending $5,000 on a DAC and it's no good is for a lot of people a very big deal. Anyone in a position of influence should appreciate this and get their facts right.

 

[ssfas]

@Synaxis

Just another clarification regarding your criticism of the inability to connect a USB hard drive. A far better solution to USB is a networked hard drive, and for this purpose there is a second Ethernet input. I have used it this way and it works perfectly. It is by design galvanically isolated. (This has been Linn’s preferred approach for over 15 years.)

Although connected to the back of the machine, the drive will appear on your network and the music can be played elsewhere, which you can’t do with a usb drive.

From what I understand, they implemented the USB input because people were complaining that they or their friends would have music on a USB thumb drive and they couldn’t listen to it.

In my book, the one big demerit of the Pulsar is that it does not have an SFP input.

 

[tedwoods]

Is the Pulsar the PULSEmini + Innuos linear power supply + PhoenixUSB but just all in one box?

Not quite...

The Pulsar is a streamer only (no integrated DAC).
The power supply inside the Pulsar is a far more elaborate design than the standalone power supply for the Pulse mini or the Zen series (if that's what you are referring to...).
It also uses a suspended single-level Cell SSD.
The main board, SSD and reclocker are all powered independently.
Finally, the chassis design is substantially heavier with the extra mass facilitating better heat dissipation and along with the specially designed feet and feet placement enhance the device's anti-vibrational properties.
Oh... and I forgot to mention, it sounds pretty darn good too...​

 

[Vangelis]

I’ve been dialing in the sound of my Pulsar with a number of enhancements. Seven items that each contributed equal improvements were, an isolation base, Symposium Roller blocks, a Synergistic Research Atmosphere SX power cord, a Shakti Stone, a Synergistic Research Pink Fuse, a second Sablon EVo USB cable and the Innuos PhoenixUSB. These products combined, provided a significant leap up in sound quality. With each new addition, I adjusted and listened carefully to be sure that it was musically better, rather than simply, different.



I have not personally heard the demos at the shows where the Innuos factory guys have done direct A-B’s from the Statement to other Innuos streamers, but many of participants that have heard theses A-B comparisons reported an audible but modest improvement. I’ve never read that contrasts between the A-B were day and night differences. At one show they compared a Zenith MK III against a Pulsar and the listeners heard the improvement but didn’t say they were enthusiastically ready to empty their bank accounts to make the upgrade. I’m confident that any listener comparing fully accessorized Pulsar compared side by side to a stock (un-accessorized) Pulsar would shocked by the lift in musical engagement. The Statement is out my budget but I would speculate that a few accessories surrounding a Pulsar, might well, take it pretty close, or maybe…..

 

[tedwoods]

I’ve been dialing in the sound of my Pulsar with a number of enhancements. Seven items that each contributed equal improvements were, an isolation base, Symposium Roller blocks, a Synergistic Research Atmosphere SX power cord, a Shakti Stone, a Synergistic Research Pink Fuse, a second Sablon EVo USB cable and the Innuos PhoenixUSB. These products combined, provided a significant leap up in sound quality. With each new addition, I adjusted and listened carefully to be sure that it was musically better, rather than simply, different.



I have not personally heard the demos at the shows where the Innuos factory guys have done direct A-B’s from the Statement to other Innuos streamers, but many of participants that have heard theses A-B comparisons reported an audible but modest improvement. I’ve never read that contrasts between the A-B were day and night differences. At one show they compared a Zenith MK III against a Pulsar and the listeners heard the improvement but didn’t say they were enthusiastically ready to empty their bank accounts to make the upgrade. I’m confident that any listener comparing fully accessorized Pulsar compared side by side to a stock (un-accessorized) Pulsar would shocked by the lift in musical engagement. The Statement is out my budget but I would speculate that a few accessories surrounding a Pulsar, might well, take it pretty close, or maybe…..

While I agree that there are enhancements that can take a piece of equipment to the next level (I have tried -as much as funds and knowledge accumulated so far permitted- to particularly focus on "cleaning up" the input stream to the Pulsar), I'm still afraid that the new Zen/Zenith NG (particularly the latter) architecture will prove me wrong...