ISN AUDIO NEO 3 2DD X 1Planar Universal IEM

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 types
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 and are available for purchase from their website see the non affiliated link below

https://penonaudio.com/ISN-Audio-NEO-3.html

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 to see such 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.

Introduction
The ISN Neo 3 is actually my first IEM from ISN Audio. This unit here is courtesy of Mr Harmoko, who got them from Mr Chi Kong Hui and Penon Audio. Thank you Mr Harmoko for lending me the ISN Neo 3 and Thank You Mr Chi Kong Hui and Penon Audio. Thank you for a lot of people who continues to support me.

Anyways, the ISN Neo 3 is actually a unique set, as it has a hybrid with 3 drivers in them, hence the name Neo 3. The configuration is 2 Dynamic Drivers, and a Single Planar Driver. The unboxing experience is not PhoenixCall level but… the included case made for it. I actually enjoy the case so much, the leather they use isn’t sticky and feels of good quality. However, I’m not sure if it is faux leather or real leather. Enough about the case, the Neo 3 came with 3 types of eartips… the green middle part ones are wide bore ones and the orange ones are narrow bore. They also included a shirt clip and a cleaning tool.

Unboxing Shorts:


Getting Started (Setup)
I’m a little torn on the included cable, as the cable is a supple and very malleable. However at the same time it feels a little too thin ? even though, it surely can be considered thick. I’m also glad that they don’t have earhooks but at the same time, I can’t really tell how it should be oriented, which pin has which polarity and the fact that the earbuds doesn’t have marking on them to tell which one is which can also exaggerated the confusion when setting them up. However, if you have the Neo 3 or planning to get one. I think this is the correct orientation. ISN Audio logo is the left side and the side that said ‘Neo 3’ is the right side, the cable is marked with left and right, the logo or marking of each earbuds should be at the same side as the L or R marking on the 2 pin. I hope that’s the right way to set it up, but if I’m wrong please do let me know in the comments.

Fit and Comfort
I was supposed to take some rest days… however, me being me… I ended up lightly trying the Neo 3 while collecting some notes on them. I was chilling with just Babymetal playing in the background, funny enough I actually fell asleep while listening to them. I got around an hour or 2 of sleep? I’m not really sure as it clearly is my day off and I didn’t took many notes. All I can say is that the Neo 3 is definitely a comfortable set of IEM. But we’re getting sidetracked here. Let’s go into the review!

Sound
Like I’ve said, I chilled with some Babymetal tracks, the setup was my portable setup. Xiaomi Mi9T streaming spotify in Very High Quality, through the Akliam PD4. A little note about the PD4, the PD4 has a brighter sound signature. I personally feel like the Neo 3 benefits more from a brighter leaning source. Switching to the PD4 Plus which has warmer tone to them make the treble feels further.

With that, let’s talk about the treble.

The Treble
The Neo 3 is surprisingly my first dark IEM in my opinion. I thought it would be worse to be honest but turns out it’s not bad at all. You do lose some sparkle in the top end, like in Cymbals or Electric Guitars being less forward compared to something like the PhoenixCall or Maybe the T4.

However, compared to the PhoenixCall, the Neo 3 has a more natural timbre and has a better soundstaging, as they feel wide with good enough imaging. I’ll get back to that in the perceived technicalities section.

The Mids
While having a slightly recessed mids, because having a more V tuning in my opinion. The Neo 3 performs really well, as instruments and notes does feel full and has a lot of body on both percussion like snare drums, and vocals. I find the snare drums came off more natural than the PhoenixCall. While they are not as clear or forward as the T4 or maybe the Mega5P Ultra, but I don’t seem to mind.

Vocals tend to take a back seat with the Neo 3, this especially shows on the 10 Babymetal Budokan Live. It feels like you’re watching the concert from afar. However, this effect does not always the same. I think for the case of 10 Babymetal Budokan, since it is a live recording it accentuate the feeling of less forward vocals. On something like Green Day’s 21 Guns and Guns N’ Roses Sweet Child O’ Mine, this does not really show that much.

The Bass
What really stands out for me is the bass. Both bass and midbass are equal with the Neo 3, I think it’s perfect if you want more subbass from the PhoenixCall. The bass is surprisingly tight with good enough texture. The mid bass does bleed a little bit to the mids, but it’s definitely not the worse offender as it is not as common as you might think. On some recordings it does came of a little boomy at time, but not always. I really enjoy songs from Valorant, not sure why but their hip-hop tracks sounds very good with the Neo 3. The bass thump of Renegade from 99God and C103 sounds nice. Undefeated by XG is also nice with the Neo 3.

I think the combination of Neo 3’s Subbass extension and slight slow decay also help boosts the perceived wide soundstaging.

Technicalities
Which is in my opinion, a part of Perceived Technicalities. Soundstaging, imaging, detail retrieval, and instrument separation. It is a highly subjective topic and everyone seems to have a different opinion about them. In this part, I would like to share my opinion on the perceived technicalities of the Neo 3.

The Soundstaging of Neo 3 seems to be wide, almost as wide as the HiSenior Okavango I tried a while ago without the much reverb and with an addition of vertical spaces in my opinion. The Neo 3 has surprisingly good Soundstaging and imaging. Perhaps it is not as good and clear as something like the Volur or Crimson, but it is something.

The detail retrieval however… since it is a darker sounding IEM, there aren’t a lot of details to be picked up with the Neo 3. The Instrument Separation is just okay, as I feel like there aren’t a lot of air due to the nature of being a darker sounding IEM and less treble extension.

Dark IEM ?
I didn’t really mind the darker leaning signature of this IEM. However, on some songs that I really like to have sparkly and energetic vocals, losing some of that sparkle can get a little unsettling. I experience this when I first listen to Omokage by Milet, Aimer, and Lilas Ikuta. With other less dark sets, the song sounds lively. Especially with a more vocal forward set, the synergy of all 3 singers is very pleasant to listen to. With this set, adding a Bright sounding DAC/Amp like the PD4 does work really well giving a little extra clarity to the top end and giving a little more sparkle to female vocals.

Other than losing the sparkle in some female vocal tracks, Dark leaning IEMs tends to lost some of its’ detail. This may came across as lacking in the technicalities department, but at the end of the day, technicalities aren’t everything and it all came down to your own preferences.

In my theory, the Neo 3 is darker leaning to avoid the tendencies of Planar Drivers sounding unnatural, and the Neo 3 delivers. Like I’ve mentioned in the previous section, the Neo 3 came out more natural compared to the PhoenixCall.

Movies on Neo 3 ?

The combination of good bass response, midbass and subbass that is. The Neo 3 offers an impactful movie watching experience. I watched the final episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, it was a beautiful ending for sure. The Neo 3 with deep sub-bass and good midbass gave me an immersive watching experience. If you like watching movies, the Neo 3 might be another strong candidate as they are also comfortable to wear.

TL; DR
Let’s now recap a bit. The ISN Neo 3 is the first IEM I reviewed from ISN Audio company. The Neo 3 came with pretty good number of accessories for the price. In this review, I pair the Neo 3 with a brighter leaning Dongle DAC the PD4 from Akliam. The ISN Neo is a Hybrid IEM with unique configuration, 2 Dynamic Drivers and a Single Planar Driver. The Dynamic Drivers are used to reproduce the Bass and Midrange frequencies, while the Planar is used to reproduce the Treble frequencies. The Neo 3 may come off a little dark leaning, meaning it does lack a little bit of sparkle in the treble frequencies. However, compared to the PhoenixCall which also has planar drivers, the Neo 3 came off a little more natural sounding and I prefer this over the PhoenixCall. Compared to the T4, the T4 overall sounds tighter and brighter, but the Neo 3 has better subbass with wider perceived soundstage. The Neo 3 has good thumpy bass, although sometimes it can bleed to the mids slightly causing boomy bass. The Neo 3 and the T4 so far is my favourite IEMs in the under $200 market. For the rating, I’m honestly a little bit torn here, as for Tonality, the Neo 3 is either an A or A-, because of the lack of treble sparkle, however at the same time, I don’t really mind it that much. As for technicalities, the Neo 3 is a more relaxed IEM and does not have the best Technicalities in my opinion, so I gave them a B, which is slightly higher than the PhoenixCall and slightly lower than the T4.

That is it, my review of the Neo 3. Thank you Mr Harmoko for lending them in for review, and thank you Mr Chi Kong Hui for sending the unit to Mr Harmoko. Like if you like the video, dislike if you dislikes it. Got any suggestions, questions, or criticism? leave a comment down below. Thank you all for reading my Head-Fi review, trust your own ears, and have a great day!

Update (5/13/24):
Since the unit is no longer in my possession, while reviewing the Letshuoer DZ4. It seems like my memories of the ISN Neo 3 is brought back. I think the ISN Neo 3 sound isn't that easy to forget or the ISN Neo 3 is perhaps one of the IEMs I like in the $200 Price Point.

Video Review:

Songs That I Enjoy with The ISN Neo 3: