Leema Acoustics’ Sirius streaming music server system which has been extensively developed in recent months in conjunction with Innuos, is finally available. Sirius is a hi-fi-grade streaming music server system developed in partnership with Innuos. Leema’s ex-BBC engineers have combined audiophile performance with the convenience of a UPNP/DNLA-compatible music server.
Sirius features a raft of audiophile components centred on a high-speed quad-core processor with up to 8 GB of system memory. The app-controlled server is available with huge storage reserves on HDD in two-terabyte increments up to 8 TB. Sirius incorporates a TEAC optical drive for the one-time bit-perfect transfer of CD data to the hard drive. It supports lossless FLAC, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, OGG Vorbis, AAC and MP3; a USB 3.0 connection is also available for audio backups.
What separates Sirius from other high end servers is its onboard DAC. Its integrated asynchronous USB DAC employs an ESS ES9038PRO SABRE DAC with a Xmos USB interface. The DAC supports 16, 24 and 32 bit-depths, from 44.1kHz up to 384kHz with DSD 64, 128 and 256 also supported. For consumers already invested in a high-end DAC, the Sirius’ ultra-low-noise USB output offers Class 1, Class 2 and DoP external connections. Balanced analogue outputs via XLR and unbalanced RCAs allow direct connection to an amplifier.
For those who have a streamer Sirius offers a dual-Ethernet connection: one for routers and one for dedicated streamer connections. The device is compatible with a wide range of playback systems including: SONOS multi room; Naim Mu-so/Uniti; Denon HEOS; Squeezebox; Linn DS; Pioneer N-50A; Cambridge Audio CXN and Denon 720AE.
Further features include editable metadata and album art, support for Tidal, Spotify, BBC iPlayer and internet radio, plus simple importation from computers, USB and NAS drives. There’s also a three-way linear power with a dedicated supply for the DAC. The Leema Sirius is available to order now from £3,995 (2TB).