I’ve heard both the Pulse and Zen mk3 but not at the same time so I can’t offer any comparison. However, in comparison with the ZenMini mk3 with LPS the Pulse was a large step forward.I'm also looking for more of a specific comparison between these two, obviously streaming only since Pulse is just a streamer. From services like Tidal or Qobuz. With all else being equal (ie either using Roon from a separate source or native Sense app, and USB as output) how does the sound quality compare?
I currently use and enjoy a Zen mk3 but as I've owned it I've migrated more and more toward streaming vs playing local files. And these days, streaming is all I do. So I'm wondering if it's worth it to replace my Zen with a Pulse.
I've recently rediscovered Sense. I tried it briefly when it was in its infancy but quickly went back to Roon for its superior UIX and features. But a couple days ago I fired Sense back up and my sense (see what I did) is that Sense sounds better. I need to do a targeted comparison with Roon but overall, music seems to sound fuller and more dimensional. However, I still miss the Roon UIX and features, most particularly how it plays and helps me discover new music.
FYI, after having owned the Pulse just a couple of months I’m now using an Auralic Aries G2.1 streamer. (This is a change that is firmly in the different rather than better camp.) My experience is that both Auralic Lightning DS and Innuos Sense sound better than Roon. But the trade-off IS giving up Roon’s ”superior UIX and features”, so totally agree there. Another kind of trade-off.