Innuos - From audiophile's hobby to Hi-Fi revolution

Amelia Santos and Nuno Vitorino are Innuos Co-Founders

The Innuos journey began back in 2009, driven by Nuno Vitorino and Amelia Santos, a dynamic Portuguese couple and computer science engineers who graduated from the prestigious Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon. At the time, they were pursuing corporate careers at Deloitte and Tesco in London. Hi-Fi audio was Nuno’s hobby. But then it became serious.

It all started in London: improvised lab at the dining table

As an audiophile, Nuno took pleasure in assembling his audio equipment using off-the-shelf components on the dining table, creating a personal home streaming platform for himself. Nuno used open-source software at the time, unifying different platforms, knowing that this flexibility would also allow to connect other audio devices and create his own personalized audio experience.

Nuno decided to build a device where they could store all their music in digital format so they could hear it on their HiFi in a more convenient way than using a CD player or turntable. At the same time, they were not happy with just a computer or the streaming service App, as they wanted to build a dedicated device that would always be at the ready, letting them dive into their music instantly without needing to boot up a computer or navigate through menus. So, they did!

This project became a source of fascination for the couple’s friends. As Nuno meticulously configured his system, more people started asking about what he was doing, and he started wondering if more people needed that kind of equipment, deciding to test feedback online; after six months, they had sold about 200 units just on eBay.

With each server he assembled, the success in online marketplaces went beyond expectations. There was a gap in the market, so they seized the opportunity. The seed of a future business venture was planted. Amelia, with her INSEAD Business School background, championed Nuno’s side project, making it their joint focus. The couple’s passion for music and the drive to unleash the full potential of digital audio playback spoke louder than their corporate careers.

Crafting a personalized audio experience: a home for innovation in the Algarve

In the UK, the company was first created as LIV Technologies Concepts. Nuno very quickly evolved beyond using readily available parts and towards designing and assembling his own custom components. In 2013, Nuno and Amelia began to develop their own software, electronics and chassis, including the now well-known Innuos fascia design.

That same year, Innuos co-founders decided to return to Portugal and chose the Algarve as their base, believing in the potential of the region for growth beyond tourism and the positive impact the company could have at local level. With an international airport, 300 days of sunshine per year, and the capacity to attract foreign talent, the region has much to offer. With Innuos, the Algarve is also about innovation, research, and development.

In Portugal, Nuno and Amelia started working in the garage of Amelia’s family vacation home in Vila Real de Sto António. They then set up an office in Tavira, where the company was registered, and after a brief period, they moved to Loulé. Currently, Innuos has its headquarters in Faro, the capital of the Algarve region, while maintaining an office in the UK.

Innuos comes to light as a brand: a family of many talents

The release of the ZEN MkII series of music server/streamers in 2016 also marked Innuos brand launch. Nowadays, the facets and angles of minimalistic Innuos elegant fascia designs are a trademark and are easily recognised by audiophiles worldwide.

Innuos is now an established brand. Supported by a dedicated team of almost 50 people from more than 10 different nationalities, Nuno and Amelia pursue the mission of unleashing the magic in music. In Innuos we believe that remarkably high-quality audio and ease-of-use are essential parts of any memorable music experience. Through precise matching of bespoke hardware and in-house developed software, our music servers, streamers, and more continue to prove that digital music sources can still be pushed to new levels.

Growth and award-winning excellence: every detail is important

Since the official launch of the Innuos brand, our products have rapidly gained respect in the new but fast-growing category of components for streaming digital music. Today, our brand is a family of many talents, with an uncommonly wide range of products: music streamers & servers, network music players, audiophile-grade network switch, reclocker, and Linear Power Supply. We have our own research and development department, for which Nuno Vitorino is responsible, developing its own in-house Operating System since 2016 and launching its companion Sense control app in 2020.

Our products have now received more than 100 press awards and highly praised reviews and are available in 47 countries through more than 350 Hi-Fi partner stores worldwide. In China, Taiwan, Australia and Thailand, we work in close partnership with distributors. With new facilities inaugurated in March 2023 in Faro, including a full ESD electronics laboratory to prevent electrostatic discharges and ensure expanded product longevity. Innuos international team is spread throughout the world, with offices in Portugal and the UK and team members placed across Europe and North America.

Sound quality. Ease of use. Excellence. Innovation. Consistency. Attention to detail. Exceptional performance. In-house research and development. Upgrade path and customer-driven support. Sustainability, social responsibility, and inclusion. All of these are essential ingredients for the Innuos brand.

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Innuos new facilities, inaugurated in Faro in March 2023, were designed to meet high quality standards with extraordinary attention to detail

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By working closely with end users and partners alike, we really understand what different customers require in a music solution. At Innuos, it's all about listening via our Feedback Zone, Community Forum and Support channels

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Innuos has extraordinary attention to detail. When assembling Innuos products, our staff uses gloves made of cotton with a mesh of conductive carbon to create a protection barrier. This is how detailed we are!

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Innuos facilities include an ESD electronics laboratory to prevent electrostatic discharges and advanced humidity and temperature control systems to ensure the superior quality and longevity of the equipment we develop and produce.

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Innuos products have now received more than 100 press awards and highly praised reviews and are available in 47 countries through more than 350 Hi-Fi partner stores worldwide. In China, Taiwan, Australia, and Thailand we work in close partnership with distributors.

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Innuos actively fosters a diverse and inclusive environment that celebrates different backgrounds and perspectives. Innuos is now an established brand. Supported by a dedicated team of almost 50 people from more than 10 different nationalities

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Our products are designed and handcrafted in Faro, Portugal, according to a rigid set of requirements. Our software is designed to allow an intuitive user experience. Sense is the in-house developed operating system and control app of Innuos servers, streamers, or network music players; a powerful music manager and player for all our servers and streamers.

The multi-disciplinary Innuos team combines expertise in computer hardware, audio hardware, networking, and software engineering to create our products end-to-end. Innuos manufactures both hardware and software. Our products are designed and handcrafted in Faro, Portugal, according to a rigid set of requirements. Our software is designed to allow an intuitive user experience. Sense is the in-house developed Operating System and control app of Innuos servers, streamers, or network music players; a powerful music manager and player for all our servers and streamers. An intuitive and slick app integrated with our Operating System, Sense is made to help you manage, organize, and play your music and navigate streaming services with ease.

Discover more about Sense here

By working closely with end users and partners alike, we really understand what different customers require in a music solution. This has been driving our research and development since day one. In the end, it is all about listening via our Feedback Zone, Community Forum, and Support channels, so we better understand how music lovers and audiophiles want their music served. Nuno Vitorino, co-founder of Innuos, is also the brand R&D Director.

Join Innuos Community Forum

When Innuos was created it was, in fact, an acronym for INNovation through Open Systems. Digital audio is a fast-evolving area, with new products constantly introduced to the market. Instead of designing closed solutions, we build our products to be open, allowing integration with the most popular Hi-Fi and multiroom products on the market. We also try to provide an upgrade path as innovative technologies and manufacturing processes improve our products so that our customers’ investment in an Innuos product can last as long as possible. One thing is for sure; if it says Innuos, it will be an important part of improving what you hear from your system.

Innuos’ new facilities, inaugurated in Faro in March 2023, were designed to meet high-quality standards with extraordinary attention to detail; they include a fully-controlled ESD electronics laboratory to prevent electrostatic discharges and advanced humidity and temperature control systems to ensure superior quality and longevity of the equipment we develop and produce.

When assembling Innuos products, our staff uses gloves made of cotton with a mesh of conductive carbon to create a protection barrier. This is how detailed we are!

In addition to the laboratory, we have also built a new sound room with optimised acoustic ratios and acoustic treatment, triple insulated walls, and dedicated electrical circuits to help test and demonstrate our products, a true sonic sanctuary where one can immerse in music.

Some Innuos products have 3ppb oven-controlled crystal oscillator (OCXO) clocks inside, and those clocks are very temperature-sensitive. That’s why the electronics board, where they are placed, was designed in a way that ensures the least possible heat transfer from surrounding components. Additionally, this electronic board is placed on the chassis outside the normal airflow path, aiming for a more stable temperature.

Another example of attention to detail is the fact that Innuos has added significant anti-vibration treatment to the chassis and electronic components of its products, significantly improving the resulting sound quality. In some products, like the flagship STATEMENT Next-Gen, we use an adaptive vibration control platform specifically designed to dampen the high-frequency vibration coming from the chassis.

Our brand is committed to innovation and sustainability. Innuos products and packaging processes always have sustainability in mind. At Innuos, we are proud of our social responsibility programs, like the Sustainable Empowered Education Development (SEED), launched in 2020, which has supported many relevant institutions in education for children from underprivileged backgrounds as well as promoted our team members to progress further in their education. Building a strong team starts with inclusion. We actively foster a diverse and inclusive environment that celebrates different backgrounds and perspectives.

As a fast-growing company willing to expand its presence worldwide, we try to bring passion for music, elegance, and sophistication to every Hi-Fi show we participate in. Innuos has been a regular presence at international audio shows since 2016. We always offer the possibility of an A/B test between our products so that music lovers and audiophiles who visit us can hear for themselves what difference Innuos products make. You listen, you feel, and you decide. The Innuos team is always there for you! If you cannot meet us at the audio shows, we strongly encourage you to experience our systems in person at one of our partner stores.

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