Thanks for all the information about Neo 3. Very interesting, looks like a banger! How does it compare to Fan2 soundwise?
I call it Smedium. Its not exaclty small but smaller side of medium. Very comfy in the ears. No weird nozzle like the Fan2. Next to it is the Penon Serial which I consider actual medium size.
ISN Earphones impression thread. New ISN NEO 3!
- Thread starter Dsnuts
- Start date
The Neo 3 is bigger sounding, warmer, more crisply defined treble. The Fan2 is politer and more balanced. Also the Fan2 looks a lot better to my eyes. But I prefer the sound of the Neo 3.
Isn’t that the Quattro?
I call it Smedium. Its not exaclty small but smaller side of medium. Very comfy in the ears. No weird nozzle like the Fan2. Next to it is the Penon Serial which I consider actual medium size.
Thanks, that sounds amazing!
Guess I need to get them then.
Surf Monkey
Headphoneus Supremus
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I’m on the Neo 3 train. The Neo 5 is really good. I listen to it a lot more than I imagined I would. I’m sold on ISN’s Neo tuning and the candy orange of the 3 is irresistible.
Just be warned that they are a very coloured IEM, designed to give their own flavour to the sound. If you like pure, critical listening sets or thinner mids, these will not work for you. Also they do not sound their best immediately, but after a night burning in they are much more musical.Thanks, that sounds amazing!
If none of that put you off, I hope you have as much fun with them as I do! I can vouch for what Dsnuts has said about them: this is likely to be a more widely appreciated tuning than many Penon/ISN designs, and is a really nice set so long as you like the warm mid-focused tuning.
alexandros a
1000+ Head-Fier
........and that's why we all here dig a lot ISN HOUSE SOUND bro............
because their critical listening is our fun listening....
Music is an alive organism ISN AUDIO appreciates that for sure..
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Yeah, I much prefer warm and musical over thin mids and analytical. Fan2 is my only Penon and I love it. My two recent buys are Fudu and Phoenixcall, think both are great. Also got th Conch lately, but that one was too thin for me. Stuffing foam in the nozzle fixed them though.
So it sounds like Neo 3 is up my alley.
So it sounds like Neo 3 is up my alley.
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Redcarmoose
Headphoneus Supremus
I will never forget the time I was contemplating to buy a close to $4000 dollar IEM and I PMed a reviewer who had just reviewed them. He answered only one single question of mine, so yes he did get back to me……….but it was all of a sentence or two of help? He refused to answer any more questions. I never forgot that reviewer and his response. A $4000.00 possible purchase? I purchased the IER-Z1R instead and I’m glad I did.
So when I get PMs I always try to help the person who wrote me.
Here is a question I got about possible cables additives for the OKAVANGO IEM.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/hisenior-okavango.26620/reviews#review-31915
He asked about the White Whale Cable, the SPACE cable, the included cable, the Penon ASOS cable, the Penon Mix cable and the ISN G4 cable.
This is with the switches in the both-up position.
The Mix:
The Mix was also (photographed) and tried with the Penon Rhodium plated plug. Really with the pure silver wire of the Mix, mixed with other pure copper wires the Rhodium would service other combos other than the OKAVANGO IEM and Mix. Meaning the regular gold platted plug offered a slight warmth that was less harsh in the treble region. Though surprisingly the Mix was a great match for the OKAVANGO making the IEM wide in stage and itemized in performance. I still can’t get over how much the regular plug (included set-up) was really the way to go. Also I had doubts about the Mix possibly being too bright with the OKAVANGO, but no any fears were put to rest. Probably the value here was the separation (so the cable sounds like it looks) where there was a separated distance between sound elements here.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/the-penon-rhodium-plated-modular-plug.26746/reviews#review-31868
The SPACE:
Coming off with full stage force the SPACE really leaves much of the tonality of the OKAVANGO alone, seemingly bigger and wider in comparison to the included cable?
The White Whale:
Here this is pushed as the HiSenior upgrade cable for many of their products in including the OKAVANGO. While not quite as airy as the SPACE the physical difference here is this is the one cable here today that comes with ear-hooks, though I’m pretty sure you can order any cable with ear-hooks from Penon/ISN? Still I couldn’t get over how simply pure the White Whale was, adding a smidge of stage as well as lower midrange thickness. Never was the OKAVANGO showing and stark treble of intensity. Due to this stature the bass was also enhanced, except it didn’t have the crisp fireworks of the Mix, nor the tonal weight in the midrange or treble…………or simply the stage positioning of the ISN G4?
The ISN G4:
Come-on……this is pretty much a staple here at Redcarmoose Labs. Yet when I did my OKAVANGO review I used different ear-tips. Yet today with the tips shown in the photograph the G4 is doing its standard magic. Not as boisterous in the treble as the Mix, yet treble and midrange enhancements over the included cable, and a stage difference. Yet the way I describe the G4 is the Graphene sound. Where yes, the bass is slightly diminished yet still hearable? The tone down but still accentuated midrange and treble hold a slightly thicker stance and cohesive qualities. I mean this is what Graphene does most of the time. I may not be finding the exact match-up for this member, yet I’m just explaining what I hear. Nothing wrong with getting the G4 and calling it a day. Just remember it will be slightly midrange and treble pushed and itemized, where the White Whale is warmer down low (below the belt) and gives of slightly more bass action, yet this style of bass it completely good, it is just not the most the OKAVANGO does in the bass department. Still while ever so slightly diminished the bass sitting back it clear and round and hold texture, just not as forward as some cables.
The Penon ASOS:
So this is one I’m really excited to try!
$169.90
https://penonaudio.com/Penon-ASOS.html
Yes it is the most expensive cable today.
But what it did was probably the very best too? Where here was the stage (maybe the stage of the SPACE) except there was more transparency and more clarity? Even a guided physicality over the Mix, in that it was a hair smoother? Except that smoothness was directly the response of simply more weight to the instruments and vocals? It was best today, and the bass while clear was more of a spectrum of tones…………….yep, more detail to hear the bass in its very own stage opening up and showing a blackness of background which simply let the details flow? The bass was more separated and detailed in the end? Vocals were both smooth and held a wonderful forwardness that wasn't really forwardness but only clarity maybe?
So when I get PMs I always try to help the person who wrote me.
Here is a question I got about possible cables additives for the OKAVANGO IEM.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/hisenior-okavango.26620/reviews#review-31915
He asked about the White Whale Cable, the SPACE cable, the included cable, the Penon ASOS cable, the Penon Mix cable and the ISN G4 cable.
This is with the switches in the both-up position.
The Mix:
The Mix was also (photographed) and tried with the Penon Rhodium plated plug. Really with the pure silver wire of the Mix, mixed with other pure copper wires the Rhodium would service other combos other than the OKAVANGO IEM and Mix. Meaning the regular gold platted plug offered a slight warmth that was less harsh in the treble region. Though surprisingly the Mix was a great match for the OKAVANGO making the IEM wide in stage and itemized in performance. I still can’t get over how much the regular plug (included set-up) was really the way to go. Also I had doubts about the Mix possibly being too bright with the OKAVANGO, but no any fears were put to rest. Probably the value here was the separation (so the cable sounds like it looks) where there was a separated distance between sound elements here.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/the-penon-rhodium-plated-modular-plug.26746/reviews#review-31868
The SPACE:
Coming off with full stage force the SPACE really leaves much of the tonality of the OKAVANGO alone, seemingly bigger and wider in comparison to the included cable?
The White Whale:
Here this is pushed as the HiSenior upgrade cable for many of their products in including the OKAVANGO. While not quite as airy as the SPACE the physical difference here is this is the one cable here today that comes with ear-hooks, though I’m pretty sure you can order any cable with ear-hooks from Penon/ISN? Still I couldn’t get over how simply pure the White Whale was, adding a smidge of stage as well as lower midrange thickness. Never was the OKAVANGO showing and stark treble of intensity. Due to this stature the bass was also enhanced, except it didn’t have the crisp fireworks of the Mix, nor the tonal weight in the midrange or treble…………or simply the stage positioning of the ISN G4?
The ISN G4:
Come-on……this is pretty much a staple here at Redcarmoose Labs. Yet when I did my OKAVANGO review I used different ear-tips. Yet today with the tips shown in the photograph the G4 is doing its standard magic. Not as boisterous in the treble as the Mix, yet treble and midrange enhancements over the included cable, and a stage difference. Yet the way I describe the G4 is the Graphene sound. Where yes, the bass is slightly diminished yet still hearable? The tone down but still accentuated midrange and treble hold a slightly thicker stance and cohesive qualities. I mean this is what Graphene does most of the time. I may not be finding the exact match-up for this member, yet I’m just explaining what I hear. Nothing wrong with getting the G4 and calling it a day. Just remember it will be slightly midrange and treble pushed and itemized, where the White Whale is warmer down low (below the belt) and gives of slightly more bass action, yet this style of bass it completely good, it is just not the most the OKAVANGO does in the bass department. Still while ever so slightly diminished the bass sitting back it clear and round and hold texture, just not as forward as some cables.
The Penon ASOS:
So this is one I’m really excited to try!
$169.90
https://penonaudio.com/Penon-ASOS.html
Yes it is the most expensive cable today.
But what it did was probably the very best too? Where here was the stage (maybe the stage of the SPACE) except there was more transparency and more clarity? Even a guided physicality over the Mix, in that it was a hair smoother? Except that smoothness was directly the response of simply more weight to the instruments and vocals? It was best today, and the bass while clear was more of a spectrum of tones…………….yep, more detail to hear the bass in its very own stage opening up and showing a blackness of background which simply let the details flow? The bass was more separated and detailed in the end? Vocals were both smooth and held a wonderful forwardness that wasn't really forwardness but only clarity maybe?
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Redcarmoose
Headphoneus Supremus
He is showing the Neo 3 nozzle is kind-a like the Quattro, he is showing the Neo 3 with the Quattro pictured. The Fan 2 nozzle would be way longer. Yes, not the Serial, he made a mistake, one of the few I have ever seen?
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Dsnuts
Headphoneus Supremus
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Lol ya its the quattro. My mistake.
May I ask the sound comparison between Neo 3 and Neo 5 please? I have Quattro and Fan 2, so will it be redundant to buy either one of them?
fudgadeliq
New Head-Fier
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Things seem to be moving in such a rapid pace in the world of IEM. New releases that are reviewed as “the best yet” and older stuff that still have a following and pop back up in discussions again and again.
It is VERY (extremely) difficult to try to make one’s mind up for a purchase when you don’t have infinite funds and no chance of hearing for yourself before deciding.
How do you guys even cope?!
That said;
I’m looking forward to complete reviews of the Neo 3. This could be my choice. But there is the Reecho Dawn (for a lot less but with compromises of course), the H40 (MMCX unfortunately), Neo 5 (would have to buy used because of $$$) and so on and so on.
@Dsnuts has been very nice in sharing his opinion of the Neo 3. Truly thankful for that!
Will wait for full reviews still. Exciting times!
It is VERY (extremely) difficult to try to make one’s mind up for a purchase when you don’t have infinite funds and no chance of hearing for yourself before deciding.
How do you guys even cope?!
That said;
I’m looking forward to complete reviews of the Neo 3. This could be my choice. But there is the Reecho Dawn (for a lot less but with compromises of course), the H40 (MMCX unfortunately), Neo 5 (would have to buy used because of $$$) and so on and so on.
@Dsnuts has been very nice in sharing his opinion of the Neo 3. Truly thankful for that!
Will wait for full reviews still. Exciting times!
alexandros a
1000+ Head-Fier
is it very (extremely) difficult for you to get just one monitor and be happy with it ? i think this is the real question here man...........
fudgadeliq
New Head-Fier
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Well the difficulty lies in making the right choice in the blind since sound is subjective right? All I’m saying is that I’m having a hard time choosing between a lot of good IEMs
I currently have the HBB Olina and I find it rather lean. The iBasso it01 I had before was a way better choice for my taste. Both bought after reading reviews. No audition.
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