See Audio Neko 6BA IEMs

Review Of The Seeaudio Neko

Introduction​

I have reviewed and used Seeaudio products before; whether they are their affordable or expensive IEMs, they have one of the best IEM lines available. Each and every one of their IEM sounds fantastic and leans toward my taste or preference. Iems' approach seemed to be more focused on what their audiophile community wants or likes, which is also the case in my case with their collaborations like the Yume Midnight and the Rinko. Of course, their Neo and bravery are also favorable to my liking as well as that of many other audiophiles. I also liked their original Yume and the Yume II. However, I'll be reviewing their most recent offering, the Seeaudio Neko, today. But first, I'd like to make a few points clear.

Disclaimer​

*Since this unit tour was organised by the lovely people at HiFiGo, I am grateful to them. And as I've said in all of my evaluations, the same is true for this one: all of the concepts I've expressed below are entirely my own, original ideas that haven't been influenced by anyone else. If interested, go to this link.
*I am not associated with the connection, and I receive no financial assistance from anyone.
*For the remainder of the review, I will refer to these IEMs as “Neko.”
*I am using different Ear-tips for convenience and better versatility.
*Finally, I will only evaluate the Neko based on their performance, even though I will explain how it feels and seems physically and aesthetically.

Specification​

The Neko has a configuration of all BA drivers, with about 6 drivers on each side. The shells are made of resin with one of the most beautiful faceplates ever seen on an IEM. From what I understand, the design is a mother of pearl panel pattern that was exclusive to CIEMs but is now being mass produced with the introduction of the Neko. I am not sure if the drivers are sourced or in house made, but the quality of the driver does make it sound like a 700 USD IEM. Additionally, the shells look stunning overall and feel luxurious in the hand. Even after extended listening sessions, the lightweight shells comfortably fit my ears. A special Effect Audio Cadmus cable with only TermX connections is included with the Neko. The cable has a premium feel to it, just like the IEM does. The cable has an interchangeable termination plug on one end and a fixed 2-pin connection on the other. A variety of eartips, two interchangeable plugs, a keychain, and a carrying case are included in the accessories, in addition to the IEM and the cable. In terms of technical performance, the sensitivity is 110 dB, and the impedance is 25 Ohms. The total harmonic distortion is less than 1%, and the frequency response ranges from 20Hz to 20kHz.

Sound​

The Neko's sound tends to be bright and neutral, producing a lot of fine details and nuances in the mix that can be heard as transparent and clear sound. The Neko's response is nothing new, but it is one of the best I've heard because of its control over higher frequencies, which makes it sound less repulsive and more pleasant to listen to. Because every region seems to respond consistently and cohesively, the Neko drivers are utilized to their fullest extent. This is, in my opinion, one of the best examples of an IEM with an all-balance armature driver. Although the answer is clear and concise, it does contain some issues; whether these issues are acceptable or not depends on the listener. I'll talk about these concerns later in the review. To put it mildly, the treble is wide-ranging and sparkling, and the mid range is energetic and forward. The bass has a controlled, textured feel. When I specifically refer to the Neko, the BA driver's characteristics are more lighthearted and well-behaved, especially in the bass region. Let's explore the sound more thoroughly.

Treble​

Starting with the treble, I'm surprised by the clarity and extension in the higher frequencies because the treble sounds really well done. Whether it's the details or the timbre, the presentation in this area sounds pleasant, if not bright. With a captivating response that occasionally introduces new nuances, the upper treble sounds broad, airy, and expansive. The vocals and instruments sound precise and clear, and the fact that the vocals don't break into single notes makes them more grasping at extremely high frequencies. The instruments, particularly the high notes on the violin and the cymbal crashes, sound crisper and more sparkling while the vocals still sound recognizable. Contrarily, the lower treble has a more upbeat, expressive sound with less control over the notes, particularly the vocals. Despite this, the overall response still sounds unbalanced. The vocals sound stronger due to their placement in the response, and the notes and details are as expressive as they can be. The instruments also contribute to a well-balanced sound with a lively response. The energy rarely seems to be lost in spots when it comes to the lower and upper treble, but the response remains constant. Overall, the treble region's presentation is detailed, sparkling, and crisp, with a little sibilance introduced here and there.

Mid Range​

The mid range is what gives the response its magic and evocation; by this I mean that the vocals and instruments in that range make you feel provocative. Every single detail that the notes permit seems to resonate with what your brain is triggering and anticipating. The smooth response never stops being present in the upper mid range, which has the same energy as the lower treble. With more note weight and expression, the vocals and instruments sound as lively and forward as the lower treble. Even though the clarity is excellent, I still think the response is thin and lacks the density of the notes. This offense, which is ostensibly rarely introduced but is present in the response, comes across as sounding weightless. Female vocals in particular sound light, airy, and compelling while the instruments complement the vocals and sound controlled, vivid, and resonant. Since the lower notes in this range seem to be more refined than what I noticed from the graph, the lower mid range sounds cleaner than expected. The clarity in this region feels good, but it negates the need to create a denser and thicker response, laying the groundwork for the higher frequencies to behave in a more natural and tonally appropriate manner. This is definitely not what I like. Even though it's not terrible, this is how I feel. In any case, it doesn't seem like the vocals and the instruments create a thick response. The bass slams sound more detailed than organic, which, to be honest, feels computed. The details in this area are expressive. Overall, the mid range is presented in a forward, intricate, and expressive manner.

Bass​

When it comes to the bass, it doesn't hit you dynamically or make you feel the weighted notes physically; instead, the drivers create a textured presentation with just enough impact to make the instruments sound realistic, but they also add too much color and clarity to the mix. Naturally, the sub bass region receives the majority of attention, with the mid bass barely making an appearance. Even if it is, I find the slams and thumps to sound puffy and artificial. I'm fine with the bass' physicality, but the tone is more introduced and the control is also tight. The sub bass extension is adequate to produce some resonating rumble in the ear canals, but it rarely accomplishes this, especially when listening to tracks with lots of bass. The punches feel precise and well-controlled, and as was already mentioned, the same is true of the slams and thumps added to the mix. The texture and details of the bass are the best I've ever heard. The bass region, in my opinion, has the effect of making the drivers produce a more accurate tonal presentation of each of the instruments, whether they be the kick drums or toms, rather than making it sound similar. Overall, the bass region is presented in a very controlled, textured, and light manner.

Technical Performance​

There are some areas where the Neko excels and some areas where it falls short. Technically speaking, one might anticipate an all BA IEM to be able to provide a good response whether they're the details or imaging, etc. The Neko is true of this as well. However, its overall capability more than makes up for it.

Soundstage, Sound Imaging & Separation​

The stage is one of the best in this price range that I have heard because it is wider than deep and produces sound in a more elliptical area. However, I do believe that complicated tracks make it more sophisticated. The separation is excellent, with notes being far away and distinct so that the sound is easily pin pointed where the it is coming from. The images are so clear and vivid that I can honestly say they are some of the best I have ever heard.

Speed & Resolution​

The response from Neko is incredibly expressive and shames other IEMs in terms of details, whether they are macro or micro. The attack and decay of notes are extremely fast-paced, which I haven't heard on any other IEM, and the resolution is also excellent.

Sound Impressions ​

Sources​

Sony WM1A - When using the WM1A, the sibilance that was added in the higher frequencies has relaxed, making it a pleasure to listen to. Without losing many details, the response sounds more dynamic and the bass has more impact. Where the separation got better, the response feels even more expansive and roomy. The overall delivery sounded velvetier and more refined. I think this pairing is the ideal one.

Tempotec V6 - The response is better staged, positioned, and has better note separation when listening with the V6, but the tonal quality of the notes seems lacking. The clear, transparent response is intriguing, and the vocals are more forward than usual. Even though the response is practically safe-sounding and has good stereo positioning, the WM1A's musicality gives the sound a more realistic feel. It is therefore not what I preferred, but it does demonstrate a more pragmatic sound.

Tracks​

Luna Haruna - Glory days
Luna Haruna - Overfly
Rokudenashi - The Flame of Love
LMYK - 0 (zero)
ORESKABAND - Jitensya
Marina Horiuchi - Mizukagami no Sekai
RADWIMPS - Suzume
Indila - Love Story
Indila - Tourner dans le vide
Earth, Wind & Fire - September
Tom Petty - Free Fallin'
Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Blue Oyester Cult - (Don't Fear) The Reaper
Guns 'N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine
The Police - Every Breath You Take
Gojira - Amazonia
TV on the radio - Wolf Like Me
Bring Me To The Horizon - Can You Feel My Heart
Bring Me To The Horizon - sTraNgeRs
Avril Lavigne - Dare To Love Me
Travis - Love Will Come Through
Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know
DJ Shadows - Six Days (Remix) [feat. Mos Def]
Lady Gaga - Just Dance
Lil Wayne - Lollipop
Flo Rida - Low
Sebastian Lopez & Flug - Electronic Measures
Federico Mecozzi - Blue (Da Ba Dee)
Wayve - Not Enough
Kai Wachi & TeZATalks - Ghost
NGHTMRE, Zeds Dead & Tori Levett - Shady Intentions
Zeds Dead, DNMO & GG Magree - Save My Grave
Skrillex, Noisia, josh pan & Dylan Brady - Supersonic
Skrillex & Nai Barghouti - Xena
Skrillex, Missy Elliott & Mr. Oizo - RATATA
Kaifi Khalil, Eva B & Wahab Bugti - Kana Yaari
A.R. Rahman, Javed Ali & Mohit Chauhan - Kun Faya Kun

Conclusion​

To sum up, if you prefer a bright, neutral sound signature and have a budget under $1,000, the Neko IEM will more than satisfy you because it can easily compete with and possibly outperform IEMs that cost more money. The transparent and crisp sound of the Neko completely blew my mind. At this price, it's a great deal thanks to its airiness and expressiveness, which, in my opinion, can only be achieved with high-end IEMs. I am completely confident in recommending this IEM. Let it do for you what it did for me when it opened my eyes and revealed the truth.

Over the past few years, See Audio has made itself a great name in the international market. What began with Yume, Neo, Kaguya, is going fantastic with the Yume 2, Rinko, and even the brand-new Neko. Neko is the See Audio’s latest creation, it’s a brand new character brought to life by See Audio with a 6BA driver configuration on each side. The pair is designed beautifully and is tuned to deliver a rich and lively sound, giving a unique character to the name. I have spent a good two to three-week period with the Neko here, and today, I am going to share my review on the same with you guys, so let’s get our reading glasses on and get started.

A Short Disclaimer before I begin:-

I bought the See Audio Neko from HiFiGo upon launch. They were kind enough to offer me a decent discount, i would like to thank them for this. Rest assured there is no affiliation or payment involved to write anything positive or negative on the pair. All the thoughts and impressions on this review are completely my own based on my own experience over the past few weeks with the pair. At the time of this write-up, the See Audio Neko retails for 699$, you can buy it from HiFiGo from the link below(non-affiliated link).

https://hifigo.com/products/seeaudio-neko

Package & Accessories:-

See Audio has done a fantastic job in bringing “Neko” to life. The package of the pair is really beautiful. It has a colorful outer sleeve that depicts an image of Neko along with some branding information. On the side, we also have a character introduction for the Neko. Inside the contents are in a layered pattern, the first layer has the IEMs and the cable, and the second has the other accessories such as the round-shaped carry case, a bunch of eartips, a Neko keyring, etc. Did I tell you that the Neko comes with Effect Audio Cadmus?? Well, it does and this Cadmus cable has a TermX replaceable termination plug design. 3.5mm and 4.4mm plugs are included in the package. The primary point of the start of the discussion with HiFiGo for a discount on Neko was due to Cadmus as a stock cable only LOL. I have previously used the Cadmus and several other cables by Effect Audio and the Cadmus is actually one of my favorite cables by them.

See Audio has actually brought the character to life with the packaging. On the inside of the package, we also have a comic-style representation of the Neko character right at the top(attaching the image below).


Design & Build Quality:-

See Audio Neko looks extremely beautiful. The blue-coloured shells have a beautiful pattern on the face covers. Some might even find the design a little girlish, but I personally adore the beauty of the shells. The shells are made up of resin and are kind of semi-transparent in nature. We can actually see the drivers placed inside through the blue-tinted transparent inner cavity. Face covers are charming, they have a stunning flower-like pattern which See Audio calls something as “Mother of Pearl”. I was checking the images out by the brand and it seems to me that the face covers are hand-crafted to perfection.

Simply beautiful and highly ergonomic are the two words that instantly come to my mind when looking at the pair. The shells are compact and small, they provide an excellent fit for me. See Audio has also given a vent at the top near the two-pin connectors to do ventilation and stop air-pressure buildup on the eardrums. Absolutely amazing in terms of design, and super comfy in terms of fit and isolation. I used the pair with my Feaulle Latex H570 eartips most of the time and faced no issues of air pressure or discomfort by any means.

Driving the Neko:-

The See Audio Neko is quite efficient, it works well with most sources you will treat her with. I am using her with HiBy R6 Pro II, Sony Wm1A MK2, and also with direct connection to my Macbook, which works efficiently with all of them. With Wm1A MK2, I get a slightly warmish signature with denser instruments and vocal notes while the R6 Pro II sounds more neutral in terms of timbre and tone. If you have any decent source, you will be good, I am saying this because I never had to give much volume to any of my sources. At the time of writing this, I am using HiBy R6 Pro II at just 30/100 volume on medium gain mode, so you can have an idea about its efficiency.

Sound Quality Impressions:-

See Audio Neko has a lively and musical character in terms of sound quality. It has a balanced sound tuning with a little emphasis on the midrange, no It doesn’t feel overly emphasised or take the entire focus in the output, we still have an amazing lower-end and a crispy treble, but the midrange is probably the best part for me with the Neko. The pair starts with a fast and punchy bass response with a clear sub-bass rumble and a good punch in mid-bass. Lower-mids are a little recessed, but they sound crispy and show no lack of clarity or don’t feel overshadowed by the lower end. Upper mids specifically after the 1kHz region starts coming forward bringing a lively and slightly forwarded presentation for vocals. Vocals, in my opinion, are simply fantastic here on the Neko. The pair sounds absolutely adorable in terms of vocals rendition, both male and female vocals maintain a rich, lush presentation with a hint of warmth to their timbre/ The treble region is clear and shows good energy and details as well. Notes don’t end abruptly, they have a good extension up in the high-frequencies. This makes instruments sound clear and detailed and has a good amount of air on the stage as well.

How’s the Bass?

Balanced, and Clearm the Bass response on the Neko is pretty good. it’s more on the balanced side, don’t expect a powerful, hard-hitting bass, See Audio Neko delivers a clear and refined lower-end response which delivers both, a good rumble in the sub-bass and a good punch in the mid-bass. As long as you love a balanced bass response, you will definitely enjoy the Neko.

How’s the Midrange?

Lovely, absolutely lovely especially the vocals. Vocals are so charming that even in my initial impressions I stated that I absolutely love the vocals. Heck, when i started listening to the set 2-3 weeks ago I felt like man these are the juiciest vocals I have heard to date. They definitely sound rich with tone and have a musical touch to them. Both the male and female vocals have a great textured finish, simply said, they sound really great to listen to. Instruments in their midrange have amazing clarity as well, acoustic guitars, pianos, etc. sound clear and nicely separated.

How’s the Treble?

Smoothly extended. I love how beautifully the See Audio Neko handles the high-frequencies, they have a smooth and inoffensive presentation. neko maintains good clarity, wide extension, and proper definition of details in the high-frequencies. It doesn’t lose its character and maintains its resolution in the treble region. Instruments such as electric guitar, snappy things like Cymbal crashes, thunder lightning, claps, etc. don’t feel sharp or piercing at all.

How are the Technicalities?

See Audio Neko maintains good technical performance. We have extremely solid imaging and layering characters. Instrument positioning and placement is precise, stage has good depth and height but a slightly intimate width presentation.

How’s the Tone and timbre?

See Audio Neko definitely has a rich and dense character. The overall tone and timbre for the pair are slightly on the warmer side with lush and rich notes. Every instrument note has a good weight to it, same can be said for vocals with their lush presentation. It feels like a smooth ride throughout the frequency band.

See Audio Neko Vs Night Oblivion Butastur:-

Night Oblivion Butastur is getting some solid reviews worldwide. It is also a multi-BA set but instead of 6 BA’s like the Neko, this one has a 10BA arrangement on each side. The Butastur retails for 599$, close to Neko, I got the Butastur thanks to a friend(for the purpose of this comparison), let’s see ahead what i noticed.

>Neko has richer notes, instruments and vocals feels more weighted and has a better body.

>Butastur maintains a more neutral and more balanced sound presentation.

>Butastur has a wider and bigger stage, and Neko is more immersive and engaging in staging with a little intimate width.

>Bass on the Butastur has a faster response. It hits harder as well.

>Midrange definition and tonality for vocals is simply amazing and better on the Neko, they feel slightly recessed on the Butastur in comparison.

>Treble has more energy in Neko, and Butastur is slightly relaxed in comparison.

>With a bigger stage, Butastur also feels to have more air between instruments and has slightly better separation for instruments.

See Audio Neko and Butastur both offer great sound, Neko on the one hand has richer, denser presentation with more note weight, and Butastur on the other has a wider stage and better separation. I would say vocals are still the best on the Neko!!

Final Words:-

See Audio Neko sounds lovely, looks lovely, and comes in a lovely package as well. I personally loved the rich and dense character of the Neko here, Vocals are my favorite part of it and the Cadmus cable is just like an icing on the cake. It has been in my daily rotation for the past few weeks, and it is still going to get a place here. But some of my friends are interested in listening to the Neko, so I might send it to them to have a try and I will listen to some other sets in the meantime. But this is definitely a sound which I will miss when this goes out to my friend(probably gonna send it to my close proximity people only so that i can take it back whenever I want lol). Well, that’s about it, I hope you guys loved reading my review on the See Audio Neko. Please leave me a like if you enjoyed it, for any questions or queries you might have related to the Neko, feel free to ask me in the comments section below!!

Thanks for Reading till the end!!