[dharmasteve]

After having spent the last couple of weeks, diving deep into the Tansio Mirai Anniversary X....I'm back with the ISN Neo 3. I have to say on first re-listen I noticed the bass seems fairly anaemic compared to the TM X, (so how can I get the bass kicking), but so are 95% of IEMs anyway compared to the TM X. So adding .3 bass dynamics on my HiBy R6 III plugin, 'DRX10K Dynamics', and putting on the Penon 15.5mm Black Liqueur tips, we get back into the land of bass again. The beauty of the Neo 3 is it is seamless. the Two DDs and little 5.8mm Planar, sing off the same hymn sheet. Reasonably easy to drive, Middle gain 40 volume out of a hundred makes them loud. I do notice on the R6 III the bass has a very mild sub-bass resonance which I like, but it is mostly mid-bass, with sub bass around the edges of the notes....very nice. Drum textures are good, timbre and tone very agreeable and the sound is full. Slabo Day, Snowy White and Friends shows the mild reverb and good solid bass string impact. Way Down We Go, Kaleo the bass textures of the drums are nice. Ambitionz Az A Ridah, 2Pac, midbass hits are now in my face, very impactful and just as I like them. It has a very nice stock cable, and I increased bass dynamics of .3 and put on XL Penon Liqueur Black, 'Bass Tips'...I will call them. ISN have made a 'good'un' here. It responds well to EQ/dynamics and the bass can really be enhanced. Mids and vocals, are not to my ears recessed, but treble does lack a little sparkle, but I have old ears, so that may be just my hearing. As a whole seamless, good timbre and tone and a very enjoyable IEM. A winner!

 

[shiningtofu]

Hi all, does anyone happen to know if ISN does custom cable sheathing? I might want to get the ISN G4, but the colour is really throwing me off

 

[Redcarmoose]

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/the-penon-renata-cable.27038/reviews#review-33017
New RENADA review!

 

[Redcarmoose]

Hi all, does anyone happen to know if ISN does custom cable sheathing? I might want to get the ISN G4, but the colour is really throwing me off

You can listen and see your IEMs at the same time.......serious skills?

 

[shiningtofu]

You can listen and see your IEMs at the same time.......serious skills?

Nope but you can definitely see the cable lol. haha anyways it’s just a personal preference thing

 

[Redcarmoose]

Nope but you can definitely see the cable lol. haha anyways it’s just a personal preference thing

I’m just joking, cable looks are totally important! Cheers!

 

[DrewVz]

I'm surprised the Neo 3 hasn't caught on to the masses. Man, it is quickly becoming my go-to IEM to grab by default when I sit down to listen. I'm powering it off a pretty decent desktop setup and it sounds, quite simply, amazing. It's not for dissecting music, it's for listening and experiencing music. Very well-rounded sound reproduction with a larger-than-average soundstage, FAR above average imaging, tasteful bass and even more tasteful sub-bass, and clarity without glare. For the price, I'm just shocked that this hasn't become "THE" IEM of 2024. I can't think of another sub-200 dollar IEM that even comes close to the performance of the Neo 3. And very few under $500 that can match it in many categories. I would love to have about 10-15% more bass, but otherwise the balance is outstanding. I hope ISN can keep producing gems like this in the future.

 

[Rambone]

I'm surprised the Neo 3 hasn't caught on to the masses. Man, it is quickly becoming my go-to IEM to grab by default when I sit down to listen. I'm powering it off a pretty decent desktop setup and it sounds, quite simply, amazing. It's not for dissecting music, it's for listening and experiencing music. Very well-rounded sound reproduction with a larger-than-average soundstage, FAR above average imaging, tasteful bass and even more tasteful sub-bass, and clarity without glare. For the price, I'm just shocked that this hasn't become "THE" IEM of 2024. I can't think of another sub-200 dollar IEM that even comes close to the performance of the Neo 3. And very few under $500 that can match it in many categories. I would love to have about 10-15% more bass, but otherwise the balance is outstanding. I hope ISN can keep producing gems like this in the future.

That extra 10-15% more bass is happily delivered by Xbass on my iFi gear I have, I highly recommend it.

 

[Sheeno101]

Any more thoughts or comparisons of the NEO 3 vs the Fan 2? I believe Echalon (I think it was!) said they preferred the NEO 3's, but I'm interested to hear some more perspectives so I can decide which one to buy for an out-and-about pair.

 

[Echalon]

Any more thoughts or comparisons of the NEO 3 vs the Fan 2? I believe Echalon (I think it was!) said they preferred the NEO 3's, but I'm interested to hear some more perspectives so I can decide which one to buy for an out-and-about pair.

That was indeed me, mostly because of my bias for more bass. Both are good, but I’ll keep quiet so you can get some more opinions. Happy to answer questions if you want.

 

[dharmasteve]

Any more thoughts or comparisons of the NEO 3 vs the Fan 2? I believe Echalon (I think it was!) said they preferred the NEO 3's, but I'm interested to hear some more perspectives so I can decide which one to buy for an out-and-about pair.

The Fan 2 has a little more clarity than the Neo 3, but the Neo 3 is absolutely seamless in the marriage of the DDs and Planar. The Fan 2 has a more solid build. Some find the fit of the Fan 2 difficult, although I don't.The Neo 3 is to my ears rhythmically a little more dynamic than the the Fan 2. I find the bass on both good, considering the small drivers. I think they are genuinely equal in their enjoyment factor. Clarity Vs Rhythm. Maybe for 'out and about' the Neo 3 will sit better in the ears.

 

[Redcarmoose]

PENON Oxygen-Free Copper Modular Plug
Description
CNC cut shell, carbon fiber protective sleeve.
Gold-plated Oxygen-Free Copper
Compatible models:
PENON 3-in-1 cables Penon OBSIDIAN , Penon Mix , Penon Storm , Penon Impact cable , Penon Space , Penon Totem , Penon Leo plus
ISN 3-in-1 cables: ISN Solar , ISN H2 , ISN S2 , ISN C2

As such this $35.00 option goes to add a sight bit of note-weight and authority, especially to a cable that you already have the room and response to find it, combined with a detailed IEM, of course. To tell you the truth I was surprised to use it with the Penon ASOS to thicken up and add weight to the music, of course this is subtle, yet there..............I went back a few times just to make sure it was something, and yes it was there. Simply using plugs to maximize your experience here.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Pairs of 4.5mm Penon Liqueur Series Silicone Eartips
Description
Penon Liqueur O (Orange color)
Enhanced low-frequency atmosphere, clean background, clearer vocal, reduce the sibilance,high resolution.
Penon Liqueur B (Black color)
Rich details of low frequency, high frequency is transparent, clean background, the vocal is clear, and reduce the sibilance

Everyone's hearing sense are different, and maybe you hear it differently.

Specification
Brand PENON
Materials: silicone
Tube diameter: 4.5mm
Height: 9.2mm
S/M/L/XL Diameter :
S :11mm
M : 12.5mm
L : 14mm
XL : 15.5mm

Laughingly I will be writing an entire review about these guys. Yet for now let me say they are very different maybe from any (ear-tips) you have ever come across? Sure it takes us a while to get used to tips, and at times it is instant, that you don't like them. Though one thing is for sure is the shape, material and build quality affects the IEM you are using and can at times bring about the best that particular IEM can be...........so they are worth investigating. With that said I probably have a few thousand, except use only about five different pairs, though it is possible to keep an open mind and always be learning from experience............................

 

[Redcarmoose]

This new Penon Type-C to DAC/Amp Dongle is one of the very best I have used, yet way smaller than some. So some may recognize the cable it is the OS133 yet it has been doubled up to make the Penon Space. Yep, Penon uses it because the cable enhances stage and it’s color-free. Yet here it is more simple than a regular Dongle as it is only one piece. Super fun, just open and natural and I probably almost like it even better than the Penon Dongle, it sounds almost clearer and more ergonomic......simply plug and play..........that is how good it is.........a fraction of the price of most Dongles, simply the cost of lunch out for two on the town. Funny too, it sounded better out of the USB Type C port of the HIBY R3 II than from a phone, and I'm not sure why that is, but I tried it a few times? The Dongle here is the very definition of neutral, if neutral has a definition?

https://penonaudio.com/PENON-OS133-Type-C-DAC-for-iOS-Android

Remember this technology is moving ahead every few months, to probably replace DAPs, that is how spellbindingly good this unit sounds, I challenge you to find better. This blows the APPLE Dongle out of the water!

At $34.90 it is the deal of a lifetime.

 

[Sheeno101]

The Fan 2 has a little more clarity than the Neo 3, but the Neo 3 is absolutely seamless in the marriage of the DDs and Planar. The Fan 2 has a more solid build. Some find the fit of the Fan 2 difficult, although I don't.The Neo 3 is to my ears rhythmically a little more dynamic than the the Fan 2. I find the bass on both good, considering the small drivers. I think they are genuinely equal in their enjoyment factor. Clarity Vs Rhythm. Maybe for 'out and about' the Neo 3 will sit better in the ears.

Thanks dharmasteve and Echalon! I'm still very much torn... I quite like the idea of trying the deep insertion of the Fan 2 (used to use triple flange tips when I was a teenager, before I got properly into the hobby, and so have always been interested in a deep-insertion pair like Etymotics). The other thing that draws me towards the Fan 2 is the driver configuration, as I have quite a few sets (mostly <$50, but also the Quattros) that handle mids with DDs, whereas I don't have any that use Sonion BAs for the mids so am intrigued to hear what they're like. That said, reasons in favour of the NEO 3 are they sound like a safer and easier pair in terms of comfort, I'd like to try an ISN IEM, and all the recent positive buzz about them.

What do people think about the mids on each? Which has the lusher/fuller vocals of the two? I'll add that my current pair for wearing out the house is the AFUL Performer 5, which I find a bit bland for lots of music by default, but enjoy quite a bit more with some EQ to increase midbass and some frequencies in the mids. So not sure which of the two would make a better companion to them! (best thing about the P5 is the comfort which is truly excellent!)