CD/SACD-проигрыватели и транспорты — Soulnote Z-3

The Z-3 is a network transport made in Japan by Soulnote and sold in the Series 3 line, and it was developed to remove bottlenecks in the ZERO LINK connection between source and converter. It has no disc drive - it streams files from a network or a computer and hands them on to a D/A converter.

Key specs that matter

Inputs are SFP for the network connection and USB, while outputs are ZERO LINK and USB. PCM files are handled up to 768 kHz in AIFF, WAV, FLAC, Apple Lossless, MP3 and AAC at 16, 24 or 32 bit, and DSD in dsf and dff form is supported up to 22.6 MHz. The unit runs on 230 V AC at 50 Hz and draws 30 W. The case measures 454 mm wide, 174 mm high and 393 mm deep, and the weight is 20 kg. Buyers choose a silver or black finish, and the box includes a spike board, spikes, a ZERO LINK cable and a power cable.

Engineering and use context

Three operating modes are possible. With a LAN feed and the ZERO LINK output it acts as a ZERO LINK network player, with a computer or music server on its USB input it becomes a ZERO LINK bridge, and with LAN in and USB out it works as a plain network transport for any USB DAC. ZERO LINK is Soulnote's answer to the asynchronous stages normally found inside a converter - the transport sends only signals already cleaned up by its clock, which the company says greatly reduces the work the D/A converter has to do. The clock itself is an SC cut OCXO with ultra-low phase noise, fitted in a dedicated SFP circuit, and Non-PLL Sync is applied when the link is connected. For a streamer the supply is unusually large - a non-NFB discrete design built around a 260 VA transformer, four separate non-NFB regulation circuits, 16 SiC rectifier diodes and 70 electrolytic capacitors. The housing follows the brand's non-rigid approach, with titanium washers and spikes placed directly beneath the transformers.

Pairing

The full ZERO LINK chain needs a Soulnote converter with the matching input, which lets the Z-3 feed it clock-aligned data instead of a conventional USB stream. Owners of a third-party DAC can still use it as a LAN to USB transport, though the clock synchronisation benefit then falls away. Music comes from a network library, so a NAS or a computer running server software completes the system.

Alternatives

The Soulnote S-3 is the Series 3 Super Audio CD player for buyers who want a disc-playing source.