ISN NEO 3
A Galaxy in your ears
Pros:
1,Bass
2. Natural timbre
Smooth non fatiguing treble
3. Build quality
4.Beautiful faceplates
5. Good accessories
Cons:
1.Not for treble heads
2. Not for bass phobic people
3.Cable not the best synergy
4. Can’t really find much to gripe about
I’d just like to say upfront I believe we are all biased when giving our subjective thoughts about IEMs be it a particular type of signature that works with our music library or how an IEM looks and feels in our ears. On the subject of ears everyone’s ear anatomy is different and this effects fit and seal which in turn effects the perception of bass response so I recommend finding the right ear tips that suit your ears to get the best of any IEM.
My review star ratings are linked to the price range of the iem eg a 5 star review of a $100 iem is not equal to one of a $500 iem.
I’m and audio enthusiast with a collection of over 200 iems, 30 different sources with a music collection that numbers over 100,000 tracks and 15 flathead buds I share my impresseions as a way to share my enthusiasm for the hobby I approach from the premise of music first technology 2nd, what does this mean? For me it means not are the technicalities prime importance but does the music move with this particular item.
I’m a connoisseur of many different sound signatures. The only prerequisite is musicality I’m not a fan of analytical cold playback. My scale of success when it comes to evaluating iems is do I get goosebumps when they playback my favourite tunes. There are many good iems but do they give me goosebumps? Unfortunately I have a draw full of just good iems.
I want the iem that I reach for without thinking because I instinctively know it will bring the thrill I’m seeking from my music. The Neo 3’s bass and mids coming from the double DD’s gave me the same goosebumps from the first few bars of the Michael Shenker Groups track “Rock me to the Ground” the swinging bass and big drums literally making the hair stand up on my arms as the NEO5s had when I was using them. Its clear that ISN’s super power is their ability to tune drivers to get the most out of them and give the wonderful house sound of big bass and stunning mids.
I have a love hate history with Planar drivers there speed and ability to provide great technicalities I like but the way they produce bass has always left me feeling something is missing ISN’s master stroke of combining 2 Dynamic drivers handling the bass and mids with a 5.8mm planar dealing with treble frequencies, you get the best of the strengths of both driver types20240707_165218~2.jpg
I favour Dynamic Drivers for bass the tactility of the drums ISN using 2 6mm Dynamic Drivers in this small iem one handling the bass giving great sub bass mid bass the other supplying those silky smooth mids is very important to my enjoyment. Instruments sound anologue, natural and smooth Planars just don’t give me the organic feel of analogue instruments in the lower frequencies so Im very pleased to see they are handling the treble frequency range here and they perform admirably in providing the very natural sparkling treble. I didn’t detect any planar timbre which really shows how well tuned this iem is.
ISN is a brand under the umbrella of Penon this is not my first ISN iem, I recently received and reviewed the NEO 5 which I really enjoy I do own a couple of Penon. The Fan2 and 10th Anniversary, so I was very interested to see how the ISN Neo 3 performed compared to these iems that are loved by the the community and myself.
Disclaimer
ISN was kind enough to send me a sample set of THE Neo 3 to review. I am not affiliated with ISN and of course was not asked for any copy checking before publishing, they are seeing this the same time as you. All pictures taken be me or taken from the PENON website. ALL opinions shared in this review are my subjective thoughts.
Make sure to research any iem before you buy!
The Neo 3 retails at $199 which for this configuration is extremely competitive
Details from the Penon website
ISN Audio NEO 3 1 Planar Driver + 2 Dynamic Driver Hybrid 2Pin 0.78mm HiFi Audiophile IEMS
Description
ISN Audio NEO series, different tuning style
Medical grade resin material, light and beautiful, comfortable to wear.
3 drivers hybrid earphone
Specifications
Brand: ISN AUDIO NEO Series
Model: NEO 3
Drivers:1 Planar Driver + 2 Dynamic Driver
1 x 5.8mm planar driver for high frequency
1 x 6mm dynamic driver for middle frequency
1 x 6mm dynamic driver for low frequency
Impedance: 15ohm
Sensitivity: 105dB
Frequency response: 10Hz-20kHz
Connector: 2pin 0.78mm
Cable : 8 strands , 19 cores per strand OCC wire
Cable length: 1.2M
The frequency graph for those who like those sort of things
The Neo 3 is a beautiful 3 driver HYBRID iem, small and perfectly formed they disappear in the ear. Which is very impressive with the driver count. A solid blue resin shell with a beautiful galaxy od stars shimmering in a deep blue background with a metal nozzle which really helps with fitment of eartips. I’m reviewing with the included cable which while being a nice quality cable it does hold the NEO 3 back when paired with a better quality cable like the ISN C2, H2, or S2 they all improve on the separation of the frequencies giving a more specious presentation while adding more texture and detail to the bass and mids.
What do they sound like?
Around the hifi forums I’ve heard the description “Fun” in relation to this IEM, to me, fun means the iem I reach for, when I want to really enjoy my music. Something that releases the full scope of what the artist created in the studio. The Neo 3 certainly does that with that special something. The cohesion of the drivers ensuring to there’s no jarring transition between the frequency range. Neo 3 is unabashedly a warm bass driven signature, bass is textured, dynamic and layered, digging out details . The mids are slightly warm so they do colour the vocals slightly adding body to males voval and female alike but not so much to effect the natural timbre of the vocals . The vocals don’t take a slight step back they are there front and centre with instruments placed exactly where they should be showing depth to the stage with natural unforced width. Hybrids can have coherence issues the Neo 5 sounds like a single driver no trace of Planar timbre just everything working together as one.
What do I mean by unforced width? Some IEMs give an impression of super wide stage which sounds unnatural throwing instrument placement off.
The mids are natural and organic slightly warm with just enough edge to add excitement to vocals and guitars causing me to be drawn into the music, A very engaging musical experience which ISN and Penon seem to excel at.
The Transition from upper mids to lower treble is boosted slightly but still sibilance free, even with songs that have siblence bult into the recordeing.
While the overall signature is slightly in the darker realm there’s still lots of detail. The upper treble has a pleasing amount of air and sparkle, without straying into fatigue levels.
The timbre of drums, strings, guitars and brass instruments is natural. Vocals both male and female are reproduced authentically , if a voice has gravel you feel it. Pure female vocals like Joni Mitchell are imbued with emotion and sweet rounded clarity making an overall very satisfying vocals experience very similar to the NEO 5.
The sound signature as a whole is of big bass with warm clear clean mids with a little edge in the treble, an overall satisfying feeling of immersion in the music.
When I’m evaluating IEMs I have a play list of roughly 100 songs of mixed genres. With the ISN NEO 3 I again, like the NEO 5, I found myself listening to songs rather than analysing the different frequency ranges listening to albums in their entirety just loosing myself in the music. I found they worked across most genres both smooth and aggressive. I don’t listen to much EDM preferring real instruments playing together as a unit.
Muse - 2nd Law album sounded Immense with thunderous bass. Matt Bellamys voice was crystalline with a little extra warmth bringing more depth to the vocals along with the searing guitar enhanced by the planar speed a very exciting experience.
Lorde - Royals with its throbbing and droning subass really digging deep with great effect her higher range voice sibilance free again with alittle added warmth.
Joni Mitchell – Blue, the acoustic guitar sounding detailed with the strings resonance reproduced well. Joni’s vocals can sound a bit shrill on lesser iems not here the added warmth and roundness to her upper register was very pleasing.
Steely Dan’s - Aja, one of the best produced albums in my opinion was played with musical deftness’, hi-hats and cymbals were natural with excellent decay staging was good with height, depth and width enabling me to pick out instruments in the mix, the added warmth on this album did feel slightly less open than the NEO 5 but it was still very enjoyable.
Michael Schenker Group – Rock Me to the ground this is one of my favourites the big swinging bass line with powerful drums starting the song, then the gravely shout of Graham Bonnet comes screaming through as the guitars are take over. The Neo 3 llike the NEO 5 nails this with aplomb genuinely causing the hairs of my neck stand to attention. The added warmth worked really well here on the 1980’s dry production style giving a sense of a more “real” organic presentation.
Peter Gabriel - live album with the New Blood Orchestra. The full orchestra reproduced with clarity but had less separation than the NEO 5 but still managed to place me in the front row and centre of the stage with the strings having slightly less air but Gabriel’s voice was still intimate and detailed.
Lady Black Bird - Blackbird the subtleties of the interplay between vocals and instruments are played well, her voice warm and intoxicating. The space around the components of the song is decent but not outstanding. Black acid Soul is superb Acid jazz/soul mix produced and mastered to perfection and the Neo 3 does a good job of drawing you into the music with a great sense in intimacy.
Iron Maiden -Rhyme of the ancient Mariner - the dynamics of this track are a little dulled still reproduced with pin point accuracy , I did perceive slight congestion in the guitars, bass and drums lacking a little finesse Bruce’s vocals were still on point and unveiled just good headbanging fun
The Neo3 is very easy to drive for an iem with a planar and I had no issues using them with Daps, Dongles.
They sounded good with my cooler less coloured sources. This is not an iem that needs an expensive source but it does scale impressively.
I’m not a fan of analytical sounding IEMs that force details into your ears like a photograph with HDR and sharpening set at max a decidedly digital representation. I’m more Vinyl on a turntable, Leica manual focus, sumptuous colours on kodak colour gold film, kinda guy, where if you look really close all the details are there but it’s the whole image you appreciate rather than just how sharp it is. The Neo 3 gives me this feeling with the Hiby R6 111, Cayin N3 Ultra the best it was a little too warm with the Sony NW-WMIA and Shanling M6Ultra
Sources used:
IBasso dx170
Shanling H5
Shanling M6 Ultra
Sony Zx507
Sony Nw-WM1A
HiBy R6 111
HiBy R8
HiBy RS2
ONIX Alpha X1
CAYIN N3PRO
CAYIN RU6
IFI GO BLUE
FIIO BTR7
FIIO M15
Conclusion
The upto $200 range is full of great sounding iems with more released it seems on a weekly basis the Neo 3 competes admirably, with it’s fun and exciting sound signature. The size and design of the shell does help its move up the ranks as I found it one of the most comfortable iems on the market. The Neo 3 while being less technically adept than the NEO 5 I kinda enjoy it more especially with classic rock and jazz it’s an iem that wraps you up in a cosy blanket that make the hours slip away.
