I also visited the Innuos room at AXPONA 2022 and High End 2022, and the news then was the Nextgen power supply for the flagship Innuos Statement music server. I was able to compare the sound of the Statement with and without the new power supply, and there was a noticeable difference in the size of the presentation. At High End 2022, I was introduced to the new Innuos Pulse network player, which was designed for music lovers who just need something for streaming–like me. It was part of a static display in Munich, but I knew I wanted to try it ASAP.
At the 2022 Pacific Audio Fest, I was finally able to hear the Innuos Pulse network player in action. This time, the comparison was between the Statement with the new power supply and the Pulse. While I wouldn’t expect an affordable product like the Innuos Pulse network player to compete sonically with the $21,700 Statement–the latter product yielded more musical information on a large scale–I still think the Pulse is the Innuos product for me.
The system in the Innuos room, in addition to the Innuos Pulse network player and the Statement, also included a pair of KEF Blade2s–for some reason there were plenty of Blades and Blade2s scattered throughout PAF 2022. The system also included an integrated amplifier from The Gryphon, and a Chord DAC.
I had a pleasant surprise when the Innuos crew asked me what I wanted to hear. This was my only chance to hear “Chocolate Chip Trip” from Tool because the internet was kind of wonky at the show and no one seemed to be streaming. But, as I told Innuos, “if anyone can stream, it’s you guys.” So not only did I get to hear “Chocolate Chip Trip,” I got to indulge in some of my favorite BIG music from Hans Zimmer and Hildur Guðnadóttir. The Innuos Pulse network player was an important part of a system that could truly create large musical landscapes, dotted with an unfathomable amount of detail. The sound in this room, in other words, was nothing short of spectacular.
