iFi audio NEO Stream - Sweet Streams!
- Thread starter iFi audio
- Start date
mu41
New Head-Fier
Good question since during testing of neo Idsd, Hifi.nl adviced to also purchase either an s-booster or farrad psu since the sound becomes even more natural.
panoptikon
Head-Fier
I recently switched to the Elite PSU 15V - but from the iPower X 12V. A little bit too soon to draw conclusions, but initial impressions are a slightly more authoritative bass region and a bit more control. Not night and day though.
My experience is that power upgrades often make a difference, especially upgrading from stock PSUs.
ra990
Headphoneus Supremus
I've got several big batteries I used for my TT2 and MScaler. They have 12v out, so I plan on trying those with the neo stream. Will report back on how that works.
SoundStageHunter
New Head-Fier
I did a quick browse of the whole thread but didn't see it discussed so I'm sorry if I missed it.
How is the DAC on this compared to the DAC of the original Neo? My intended use case for this is both as a streamer and DAC, directly outputting to my amp.
How is the DAC on this compared to the DAC of the original Neo? My intended use case for this is both as a streamer and DAC, directly outputting to my amp.
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By any chance can you try with a different iPhone? Just to see if this occurs again.
I will have a look into this and get back to you
Mr BubbaHyde
Sponsor: iFi audio
iFi Audio Neo Stream Notes Part 1 of...?
My new dedicated Headphone listening area...
I have had the new iFi Audio NEO Stream for a few days now, and I have been putting it thru various scenarios, but I have decided that I am going to take this slow, and step by step. Lessons learned from being a Zen Stream owner for over a year now, so there are a few things I won't be doing right off the bat. I am not going to be comparing the NS to the ZS, not yet anyway, Nor am I going to be checking this that or the other settings or any of the does this or that work, not in the first two weeks or so anyway.
This will be simple to follow and contain most parts relevant to this unit, probably the main exceptions being DSD, and HQplayer, it's not that I am not a fan but I do not understand the premise or benefit of these Upsampling scenarios, and I also do not own a ton of Music in DSD, so I am sure others can fill in that gap, and from them, I am willing to learn about its greatness.
I would also like to thank @ctrlm for all he has offered here, His observations are spot on, and I am in complete agreement with his observations thus far.
================================================================================================================================
In the first part of my evaluation/review of The new Ifi Neo Stream I plan on taking a straightforward stance, I am going to Treat the Neo (or NS for short) as a stand-alone or new product. My reasoning for this approach is simple, it is a new product, in a different line, and bringing to the table an offering in the Mid-line or close to a higher-end Streaming solution, and I think comparing right out of the gate to the fantastic, and also lower-priced Zen Stream would to me be a bit Short-sighted on my part.
Although I will address and compare it to the Zen Stream (or ZS for short) that will come at a later time, at least for me in my evaluation process, and also in my reviewing of the NEO Stream.
That being said the first part of what I am planning on putting together is going to be simply related to the basics, first up an attached hard drive using the Stream iFi app to play music thru its built-in DAC, and out to my Drop THX-AAA 789 using the balanced output of the NEO and iFi balanced 4.4mm to XLR cable.
After following the simple setup video on iFi’s YouTube channel, connecting a straight RJ45 cable and the included iPower X power supply, as I said, straight forward basic review to start. The only thing extra I did was verify I was on the latest firmware, from within the app, and after a few minutes everything was a go, with my IP address on the screen, and a white light next to the dial showing a good connection, we were off!
I have an SSD with about 80GB of music on it all FLAC files, all ripped from CD. After plugging it into the rear USB port the app started reading the drive and populating the library. In a minute or so I could browse through the files, and select and play anything I wanted. Very straightforward forward and everything worked as it should in this process. I am a Zen Stream owner, so it was second nature in both setup and operation. Speaking of the Stream-iFi app it remains a very basic offering, but gets the job done for file streaming and also setup options of the NEO, I do not look much further at it than that as its intended purpose is not to be anything more than basic streaming and adjustments of the settings of the NS, so in that case its very functional.
I must say right off the bat, that I was very pleased with what I was hearing from the built-in DAC, so much so that I immediately recognized that I was not only very satisfied with the sound, but I was not “wanting” for anything, and by nature, I am a bit of a fiddler and a tinkerer. I found myself just enjoying what I was hearing, and as a note, this is going to be a recurring theme, mainly because I didn’t feel the need to immediately start hooking it up to all of my other DACs. This is a rarity, especially with the Drop amp, which at times I feel can be a bit lifeless, the NEO was giving me all I needed to be satisfied.
For me the interface, and artwork, all worked as they should in AIO mode, for those that aren’t familiar with the ZS this is an all-encompassing mode that allows you to perform any functions of the unit, like Roon, Tidal Connect, and Spotify Connect, or simple SSD streaming, without getting into exclusive modes.
I spent the next three hours listening to various albums, I had no hiccups, no glitches, and everything just worked. My wife is fond of telling me that she knows within 20 minutes whether a new piece of equipment is staying or "meh". She knows this because if she looks over at me and my eyes are closed, I’m in the zone, meaning I am not twisting knobs, looking for wires, or scrunching my eyebrows in a perplexed way, that we might have a keeper!!
Well, we do have a keeper…
Next up Spotify Connect…
Cheers!!
My new dedicated Headphone listening area...
I have had the new iFi Audio NEO Stream for a few days now, and I have been putting it thru various scenarios, but I have decided that I am going to take this slow, and step by step. Lessons learned from being a Zen Stream owner for over a year now, so there are a few things I won't be doing right off the bat. I am not going to be comparing the NS to the ZS, not yet anyway, Nor am I going to be checking this that or the other settings or any of the does this or that work, not in the first two weeks or so anyway.
This will be simple to follow and contain most parts relevant to this unit, probably the main exceptions being DSD, and HQplayer, it's not that I am not a fan but I do not understand the premise or benefit of these Upsampling scenarios, and I also do not own a ton of Music in DSD, so I am sure others can fill in that gap, and from them, I am willing to learn about its greatness.
I would also like to thank @ctrlm for all he has offered here, His observations are spot on, and I am in complete agreement with his observations thus far.
================================================================================================================================
In the first part of my evaluation/review of The new Ifi Neo Stream I plan on taking a straightforward stance, I am going to Treat the Neo (or NS for short) as a stand-alone or new product. My reasoning for this approach is simple, it is a new product, in a different line, and bringing to the table an offering in the Mid-line or close to a higher-end Streaming solution, and I think comparing right out of the gate to the fantastic, and also lower-priced Zen Stream would to me be a bit Short-sighted on my part.
Although I will address and compare it to the Zen Stream (or ZS for short) that will come at a later time, at least for me in my evaluation process, and also in my reviewing of the NEO Stream.
That being said the first part of what I am planning on putting together is going to be simply related to the basics, first up an attached hard drive using the Stream iFi app to play music thru its built-in DAC, and out to my Drop THX-AAA 789 using the balanced output of the NEO and iFi balanced 4.4mm to XLR cable.
After following the simple setup video on iFi’s YouTube channel, connecting a straight RJ45 cable and the included iPower X power supply, as I said, straight forward basic review to start. The only thing extra I did was verify I was on the latest firmware, from within the app, and after a few minutes everything was a go, with my IP address on the screen, and a white light next to the dial showing a good connection, we were off!
I have an SSD with about 80GB of music on it all FLAC files, all ripped from CD. After plugging it into the rear USB port the app started reading the drive and populating the library. In a minute or so I could browse through the files, and select and play anything I wanted. Very straightforward forward and everything worked as it should in this process. I am a Zen Stream owner, so it was second nature in both setup and operation. Speaking of the Stream-iFi app it remains a very basic offering, but gets the job done for file streaming and also setup options of the NEO, I do not look much further at it than that as its intended purpose is not to be anything more than basic streaming and adjustments of the settings of the NS, so in that case its very functional.
I must say right off the bat, that I was very pleased with what I was hearing from the built-in DAC, so much so that I immediately recognized that I was not only very satisfied with the sound, but I was not “wanting” for anything, and by nature, I am a bit of a fiddler and a tinkerer. I found myself just enjoying what I was hearing, and as a note, this is going to be a recurring theme, mainly because I didn’t feel the need to immediately start hooking it up to all of my other DACs. This is a rarity, especially with the Drop amp, which at times I feel can be a bit lifeless, the NEO was giving me all I needed to be satisfied.
For me the interface, and artwork, all worked as they should in AIO mode, for those that aren’t familiar with the ZS this is an all-encompassing mode that allows you to perform any functions of the unit, like Roon, Tidal Connect, and Spotify Connect, or simple SSD streaming, without getting into exclusive modes.
I spent the next three hours listening to various albums, I had no hiccups, no glitches, and everything just worked. My wife is fond of telling me that she knows within 20 minutes whether a new piece of equipment is staying or "meh". She knows this because if she looks over at me and my eyes are closed, I’m in the zone, meaning I am not twisting knobs, looking for wires, or scrunching my eyebrows in a perplexed way, that we might have a keeper!!
Well, we do have a keeper…
Next up Spotify Connect…
Cheers!!
ctrlm
100+ Head-Fier
Well it's about time!My new dedicated Headphone listening area...
Congrats and enjoy. I'm sure your impressions will be very helpful as they were with the ZS.
I'm finally over my bout with Covid - it smashed me and I was able to leave my apartment today for the first time in 8 days. Tonight I'm celebrating & relaxing with a G&T or two and some acoustic fare:
Mr BubbaHyde
Sponsor: iFi audio
Glad you're feeling better!! Gonna have to check out that album!Well it's about time!
Congrats and enjoy. I'm sure your impressions will be very helpful as they were with the ZS.
I'm finally over my bout with Covid - it smashed me and I was able to leave my apartment today for the first time in 8 days. Tonight I'm celebrating & relaxing with a G&T or two and some acoustic fare:
Cheers!!
Guys
When playing DSD with the internal DAC of the ZS please DO NOT select Minimum phase filter. In my understanding, when ZS is doing Direct DSD, the filters and volume control are supposed to be bypassed (I did it for testing proposes). But that's not the case when selecting MP filter. I guess some software error may be producing this. It is not just about a volume control issue, if you do, the unit may crash and need a hard reset. I will post more details soon.
When playing DSD with the internal DAC of the ZS please DO NOT select Minimum phase filter. In my understanding, when ZS is doing Direct DSD, the filters and volume control are supposed to be bypassed (I did it for testing proposes). But that's not the case when selecting MP filter. I guess some software error may be producing this. It is not just about a volume control issue, if you do, the unit may crash and need a hard reset. I will post more details soon.
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fordski
500+ Head-Fier
@ctrlm Glad to hear you're recovering well. I have been diagnosed with what may be long Covid and it sure isn't a treat. Thank goodness listening to music is a great therapy.Well it's about time!
Congrats and enjoy. I'm sure your impressions will be very helpful as they were with the ZS.
I'm finally over my bout with Covid - it smashed me and I was able to leave my apartment today for the first time in 8 days. Tonight I'm celebrating & relaxing with a G&T or two and some acoustic fare:
@Mr BubbaHyde Thank you both for sharing your impressions on the iFi Neo Stream. I'm looking forward to trying one out once they are available in Mexico and look forward to further reports from you both.
ra990
Headphoneus Supremus
Glad to report the Neo Stream is working exactly how I was hoping it would. It's streaming full 705/768k from HQPlayer over NAA into my Chord Mojo2 over USB. I have the Neo Stream connected to a battery that is putting out 12v. It took me a while to figure out how to update the firmware since the web interface doesn't stay up once you switch to NAA mode.
ra990
Headphoneus Supremus
Wow, I'm loving this streamer. I only wanted to use it for Roon and HQPlayer and I was pleased to see that I could turn off all the other features I didn't need, even in AIO mode. The HQPlayer NAA integration is very solid. The only fault I found (and was previously mentioned in this thread) was the display shows DXD when I send it PCM at 384k or higher rates. But the playback of audio is perfect. I haven't had a single skip, crackle, or pop all day.
I tried the rear USB out and it sounded great on everything I connected to it. Now, I'm trying the built-in DAC, also with HQPlayer, using the ifi bitperfect filter and it sounds as good as the Chord Mojo2 I had connected to it. I was assuming the DAC would be slightly lackluster based on my experience with the Burr Brown chips in previous ifi products, but this sounds pretty damned great! I just found out that the front USB-C can also be used to connect a DAC, how convenient...they thought of everything.
It took some time and several glances through the manual to figure it all out, but I'm really impressed with it. This device is totally isolated right now running off battery (barely uses any power really, I have plenty left after hours of streaming) and the optical gigabit ethernet being included with the device was awesome. That could easily have been sold as an extra/add-on and people would have bought it for the benefits.
I tried the rear USB out and it sounded great on everything I connected to it. Now, I'm trying the built-in DAC, also with HQPlayer, using the ifi bitperfect filter and it sounds as good as the Chord Mojo2 I had connected to it. I was assuming the DAC would be slightly lackluster based on my experience with the Burr Brown chips in previous ifi products, but this sounds pretty damned great! I just found out that the front USB-C can also be used to connect a DAC, how convenient...they thought of everything.
It took some time and several glances through the manual to figure it all out, but I'm really impressed with it. This device is totally isolated right now running off battery (barely uses any power really, I have plenty left after hours of streaming) and the optical gigabit ethernet being included with the device was awesome. That could easily have been sold as an extra/add-on and people would have bought it for the benefits.
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Have you noticed this?
Looking at the very first sentence, that statement seems wrong, since the NS doesn't have any USB input, but that looks like a copy-paste typo inherited from the NEO iDSD page. Then... there is some contradictory info. They refer to cirrus logic DAC chipsets in the "Xmos-16" part. Then, below in the Hi-Res audio segment, they mention Burr-Brown DAC chip's. It seems unlikely that the DAC chips were not BB, even in the PCB picture the BB logo is present. Hopefully iFi can clarify this, or correct the typo.
Looking at the very first sentence, that statement seems wrong, since the NS doesn't have any USB input, but that looks like a copy-paste typo inherited from the NEO iDSD page. Then... there is some contradictory info. They refer to cirrus logic DAC chipsets in the "Xmos-16" part. Then, below in the Hi-Res audio segment, they mention Burr-Brown DAC chip's. It seems unlikely that the DAC chips were not BB, even in the PCB picture the BB logo is present. Hopefully iFi can clarify this, or correct the typo.
By the way, I concur with your findings, the built-in DAC+ HQplayer sounds as good as the Mojo 2.
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