I almost bought the Zen Dac just to try and then I was going to get the iDSD Signature series but now I’m definitely waiting for the Neo. I was on the fence until I saw it has 1000mW at 32ohms and that’s plenty for all my headphones, even my Arya should be fine with that.
The design of it reminds me of a satellite set top box rather than a DAC / amp.
4 Likes
iFi like the keep their funnel of Ms. Ugly Universe candidates well primed.
1 Like
I don’t get why everyone thinks it’s so ugly, it looks as good as anything from Topping or SMSL imo. Anyways I could care less how it looks as long as it sounds good and being an iFi product I imagine it’s going to sound quite nice. I’m trying to decide whether I should get the Neo or the new iDSD Signature series.
3 Likes
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
1 Like
I don’t think it’s fugly either.
but they can still be wrong. LoL!
It’s been a few days now with the Neo and I think it’s a really good piece of kit. The sound is right up my alley with that smooth Burr Brown touch that gives the headphones more soul and musicality than other dacs and amps I have. The detail is still there along with a nice warm tone and a wider soundstage than my other gear. Even warm headphones sound great and the Neo brings a little extra to the low-end and gives you more of a meaty sound that I really enjoy. I think iFi has a winner with this one and I feel like it would compete with the likes of the DX7 Pro which is around the same price.
3 Likes
Been curious about this one as an all-in-one relative to iFi’s own Pro iDSD, Questyle CMA400i/600i, etc. Looking forward to more thoughts as more folks get ears on it.
Hello,
Which Dacs do you have that you make such positive statements about?
Just to get a feeling for it I ask.
You did not mention that it would be cool if you would add it.
Now that I’ve had the Neo for a few weeks I’ve had time to really put it to the test with my other dacs and it came out on top, easily.
Paired with the new Topping A50s headphones like my Arya sound great and the Z1R sounds better than ever. One might think that using warm headphones with a piece of equipment that use Burr Brown dacs might sound to warm but the Neo while being on the warmer side has really good detail and clarity so even warm headphones sound really nice with it.
With easy to drive headphones you can use the Neo’s amp and it sounds pretty much the same as when using the A50s with it, but with ones like the Arya you want that extra power for better headroom because the soundstage is a bit larger overall.
I’m very impressed with the Neo and I feel like it’s a great option for anyone looking for a dac/amp combo or just a good dac. Compared to all the others that use either AKM or ESS dac the Neo is a breath of fresh air with is warm and musical Burr Brown chip set.
3 Likes
were you or are / can you compare it to the Zen DAC / Can performance?
it is nice to see iFi rounding out their options and offering things in the mid-range so it’s not just budget and high end.
Second this! I just got something for the zen lineup and would love to see how the Neo steps up as an upgrade path in comparison to a stack.
The Neo is better sounding than the Zen DAC as it should be. More transparent with better dynamics and the fact you can use a balanced amp with it is a plus as well. While my A50s doesn’t have balanced connections it still sounds great with the Neo but the amp in the Neo is very good and is plenty for most headphones with over 1 watt at 32ohm.
1 Like
Just received one from IFI for testing and review. I’m still working through some of the Geshelli products, then it’s next in line. Initial thoughts after just picking up the box and looking at it, its a tank and looks clean. I’m looking forward to seeing where it stands vs some of the separate setups in terms of sounds. This thing is packed with features, it could easily be a one-stop-shop if it sounds as good as it looks.
3 Likes
This is actually one of the best-looking devices I’ve seen from them, with the exception of the Nano iDSD and Signature series. Everything else looks like they actually intended every single one of them to look like ass (just not the same ass every time, they’ve been reasonably creative with the ass types they based them on 
).
What ended up being your take on it. I’d especially like to hear vs the erish on the amp side
Sorry for the late reply. The Ifi Neo DSD sounds as good as the Erish but it lacks just a little bit in the bass area. Like if I rated the bass of the Erish as a 10 the Bass output on the Neo DSD is maybe a 6.5-7 out of 10.
Sound quality wise I think it would be hard to tell which is which in a blind test. ( If you balanced the bass)
I actually need to complete the review on the ifi, as an all in one its fantastic. The price is probably fair as I’m using the Geshelli Jnog with the Erish and the ifi is all in 1 and has bluetooth, USB, and optical.
1 Like
I mainly use the Neo as a Dac only and I feel like it’s worth it just for that because of how clean it sounds but when using the balanced amp section many of my less power hungry headphones sound as good or better than when using some of my stand alone amps. I know it only has a little over 1 watt balanced but that’s plenty for the vast majority of headphones and it’s a very clean sounding amp and paired with the wonderful Dac section the Neo is a great combo setup for efficient headphones.
1 Like