[raybone0566]

My final thoughts after a week with the 430.
Please take into consideration the closet thing I have to this amp is the liquid carbon, so this was quite a step up for me. The first evening I wasn't really impressed. It felt kind of boring. It wasn't til the next day when I really heard what this amp can do. I can see people saying boring, it's just that this amp is so smooth. Treble is perfect in every phone I paired with it. All phones in stock form. I thought the hd800 was very good with this amp. I listened to mostly some Dave Matthews and that was exceptional. Extremely detailed with a large soundstage. He560's were fantastic with this amp, I thought they were good on the carbon but the 430 just was incredible. No excessive treble energy from a phone that can be bright at times. Hd650 balanced listening to avett brothers and pheonix was exceptional. I never heard the 650's sound so clear. Bass was also tight, not muddy as they can be at times. Fostex Th-x00 really surprised me with this amp. I mostly listened to some los lonely boys. Those are some really good phones & exceptional price for the sound you get. Moon 430 is a perfect example of an amplifier done right. I think it's only fault may be that it's to accurate. Last phone I used was the he6, and though the pairing was really good, I still prefer the he6 from speaker taps. Amazing how these phones can perform when the right gear is in place. I hated to see my week with the 430 come to an end. Anyone looking for a true reference amp. To get every bit out of their phones should give the amp a listen. Special thanks to Todd @ ttvj for including me on the tour.

 

[goldendarko]

So my week with the Neo has also just come to an end so I've got some final thoughts to add as well.
 
Headphones used with the Neo include the HE1000, LCD-3(F) & Ether C. Source was Auralic Aries Mini and DAC was Schiit Yggdrasil. Amps used for comparison were primarily the ALO Audio Studio Six, Oppo HA-1 and very briefly compared it with a Cavalli Liquid Carbon & Liquid Crimson that arrived at the end of the week as part of another loaner program.
 
Overall my main takeaway from the 430 was one of neutrality, precision and a super smooth presentation. Treble presentation was quite possibly the best I've heard from a reference amp, crystal clear with great extension and precision, while also non-fatiguing. Considering treble can often be the most difficult part to reproduce it's no small feat how well it performed.
 
In terms of mids and low end, it really depends on the headphone pairing, at least for me. While it was certainly reference quality with a wide soundstage, excellent detail retrieval on all headphones, certain pairings were just a bit too laid back for my taste. For example, when paired with my favorite headphones, the HE1000, the low end and mids were a bit too smooth. I finally understood why some people say the HE1000 could sound boring, I hadn't experienced that as of yet using my Studio Six. Fortunately, I found an excellent pairing with when I started using the LCD-3F with the Neo. They sounded better than I've heard with my Studio Six, which by comparison made them sound a little more bloated in the low end and not as clear in treble region. They certainly drove the HE1000 well, but for me the presentation was just a little soft, at least compared to the Studio Six, but was just right with the Audeze's. The Ether C's also sounded perfectly well rounded with the Neo, which is a testement to the amp and the headphone.
 
In summary, I can see why professional reviewers like Tyll Herstens use this amp as their main piece of gear for doing evaluations, it is wonderfully neutral for evaluating headphones, crystal clear and precise, powers everything and anything you could imagine (except electrostats of course) and is really a joy to listen to. I do think headphone pairing's and personal preference will be important when considering this amp, and I would certainly suggest hearing it before deciding on it as your reference amp, especially if something like the HE1000 is your go-to headphone. Also, I should point out that though I was auditioning the HA D with built in DAC, I did most of my listening using the Yggy instead. I found the DAC to be quite good in the Neo, but it wasn't quite up to par as the Yggy so that's where I went. If you are building a true reference system I would suggest forgoing the DAC that's included in the $4300 version and get the $3500 version, sans dac, and use that $800 to spend towards something like the Yggy or even the Gungnir which I've read is almost at the level of the Yggy for less money. No need to cheap out if your building a reference system, otherwise there are cheaper options available.
 
Lastly, I just want to Thank Todd over at TTVJ for making this loaner program happen, I was glad to get an opportunity to hear the Moon Neo, make no mistake, it is a true reference amp and one heck of an achievement. Highly recommended.

 

[Todd]

Hi All,
 
Please remember to post your reviews here! The amp is currently on its way to Kevinspeed and will arrive this week.
 
Todd

 

[buffer]

I want to start with a big thank you to Todd for providing the NEO430HA D as a loaner unit.  Todd asked for nothing in return, except for an honest review.  At no time was he a pushy salesman and he did not try to influence the review in any way.  Of course, if the experience leads to a purchase it would only be fair to purchase through him ...but that's my humble opinion.  So on to the question - after listening to the unit would I be buying one?
 
The NEO-430HA D is both a DAC and a headphone amplifier and could be used as a preamp.  It has a plethora of inputs and outputs but I was surprised that it did not have balanced outputs on the back panel.  I should point out, however, that it does have 4-pin xlr, and two three pin xlr balanced outputs on the front, as well as a 1/4" output for traditional headphone cables.  The unit is substantial and well built.  The volume control is exquisite.  Up to about level 29 it adjusts in increments of 1, after that it adjusts in increments of .1 - this level of granularity was just fine and the ability to read the adjustment on a digital display was quite handy ...especially when going back and forth between headphones for comparison and trying to match their output level,  I should point out the obvious, but the digital number is not a readout of decibels, Each headphone model has different sensitivity so unless the unit employed a microphone(and it doesn't) that would not be possible.
 
I tried the unit as a DAC, a headphone amp (without the DAC), and as both a DAC and a headphone amp.  So how does the unit sound?  I'll spare you the suspense.  The unit sounded as good as any I have tried in my system.  I have tried the Liquid Carbon, the GS-X MK2, Bryston headphone amp, and the Oppo HA1, and the Microzotl ...and several other units as well,  Most of my listening was done as a combo of headphone DAC and headphone amp and I can honestly say the NEO had very little sound of its own.  Literally, nothing stuck out.  Now herein lies the problem.  When you are paying thousands for an amp/dac, you want it to wow you ...that's human nature.  The NEO did not wow me, but it handled every function expertly.  The sound was maybe a little wider than I typically experience, bass, midrange, and treble all seemed well balanced, though there may have been a hint of warmth to the overall sound when using as a headphone amp.  The DAC by itself also proved to be pretty transparent, meaning it wasn't forward or recessed, it didn't sharpen the sound or dull the sound.  This unit plays what's there.  If you were a reviewer it would be a pretty darn good tool to let you hear the true sound of your headphone.  At the beginning I asked, "Would I be buying this unit?".  The answer is no.  Why? Don't I want a completely neutral amp/dac?  Sure I do.  But with the equipment I already possessed I did not feel that the NEO delivered an advantage.  In fact, even comparing it to much cheaper DACS and amps like the Ocean Bravo tube amp and the Behringer Ultramatch, I did not hear substantial differences.  Now one thing I'll add.  I did find the NEO, after sufficient warm-up, competitive with the other equipment I compared it to, and this includes the tube equipment.  I'm as much an audiophile as the next guy and I strive for that last little bit of sound quality, but in the case of the NEO I felt that any improvement offered, if any, was minuscule. Now if you don't already have great equipment and you want the very best, and cost is no object, then I would definitely encourage you to take a listen.  It will compete with anything, in my humble opinion.
 
This opportunity has shown me one thing in particular, and I know that 'audiophiles' may not like to hear this or even agree but I will say it.  Technology is such that today you don't need to spend an arm and a leg to get excellent sound.  Sure, there will be subtle differences, but are those differences in taste, or truly superior results from superior design and parts?  A lot of folks wax on poetically about this DAC or that DAC or this headphone amp or that one.  I'm beginning to believe once you hit a certain price point (and it is becoming lower and lower with advancement of technology) that the differences are becoming more subtle, assuming proper operation of the unit.  Does that mean I regret trying out 4K equipment or owning a headphone amp or DAC that costs a couple of grand?  No, you do get some degree of benefit, generally,  but if your expectation is a night and day difference, I'm just not finding it.  And in the end, that's why I have decided not to purchase the NEO.  It's a great unit. But in my mind, cheaper solutions can be had for the same quality of sound.  Of course, your mileage may vary.  
 
You may be wondering at this point, what headphones did I try with the NEO?  I tried my Dharma D1000, Hifiman HE1000,  Ether-C, Sennheiser HD800, and Audeze LCD-X.  Some were better matches than others but I did not think, "gee whiz, I've never heard these headphones sound so good".  I did, however, think - if the headphone has a particular sonic trait this NEO will surely let you hear it.  And perhaps that's the best compliment I can give the NEO - if you do not wish to have the dac or headphone amp modify the sound your hearing, rest assured, the NEO will be pretty transparent to your listening experience ...and that, in my opinion, is the ultimate goal of a DAC and headphone amp.

 

[TSAVJason]

I want to start with a big thank you to Todd for providing the NEO430HA D as a loaner unit.  Todd asked for nothing in return, except for an honest review.  At no time was he a pushy salesman and he did not try to influence the review in any way.  Of course, if the experience leads to a purchase it would only be fair to purchase through him ...but that's my humble opinion.  So on to the question - after listening to the unit would I be buying one?

The NEO-430HA D is both a DAC and a headphone amplifier and could be used as a preamp.  It has a plethora of inputs and outputs but I was surprised that it did not have balanced outputs on the back panel.  I should point out, however, that it does have 4-pin xlr, and two three pin xlr balanced outputs on the front, as well as a 1/4" output for traditional headphone cables.  The unit is substantial and well built.  The volume control is exquisite.  Up to about level 29 it adjusts in increments of 1, after that it adjusts in increments of .1 - this level of granularity was just fine and the ability to read the adjustment on a digital display was quite handy ...especially when going back and forth between headphones for comparison and trying to match their output level,  I should point out the obvious, but the digital number is not a readout of decibels, Each headphone model has different sensitivity so unless the unit employed a microphone(and it doesn't) that would not be possible.

I tried the unit as a DAC, a headphone amp (without the DAC), and as both a DAC and a headphone amp.  So how does the unit sound?  I'll spare you the suspense.  The unit sounded as good as any I have tried in my system.  I have tried the Liquid Carbon, the GS-X MK2, Bryston headphone amp, and the Oppo HA1, and the Microzotl ...and several other units as well,  Most of my listening was done as a combo of headphone DAC and headphone amp and I can honestly say the NEO had very little sound of its own.  Literally, nothing stuck out.  Now herein lies the problem.  When you are paying thousands for an amp/dac, you want it to wow you ...that's human nature.  The NEO did not wow me, but it handled every function expertly.  The sound was maybe a little wider than I typically experience, bass, midrange, and treble all seemed well balanced, though there may have been a hint of warmth to the overall sound when using as a headphone amp.  The DAC by itself also proved to be pretty transparent, meaning it wasn't forward or recessed, it didn't sharpen the sound or dull the sound.  This unit plays what's there.  If you were a reviewer it would be a pretty darn good tool to let you hear the true sound of your headphone.  At the beginning I asked, "Would I be buying this unit?".  The answer is no.  Why? Don't I want a completely neutral amp/dac?  Sure I do.  But with the equipment I already possessed I did not feel that the NEO delivered an advantage.  In fact, even comparing it to much cheaper DACS and amps like the Ocean Bravo tube amp and the Behringer Ultramatch, I did not hear substantial differences.  Now one thing I'll add.  I did find the NEO, after sufficient warm-up, competitive with the other equipment I compared it to, and this includes the tube equipment.  I'm as much an audiophile as the next guy and I strive for that last little bit of sound quality, but in the case of the NEO I felt that any improvement offered, if any, was minuscule. Now if you don't already have great equipment and you want the very best, and cost is no object, then I would definitely encourage you to take a listen.  It will compete with anything, in my humble opinion.

This opportunity has shown me one thing in particular, and I know that 'audiophiles' may not like to hear this or even agree but I will say it.  Technology is such that today you don't need to spend an arm and a leg to get excellent sound.  Sure, there will be subtle differences, but are those differences in taste, or truly superior results from superior design and parts?  A lot of folks wax on poetically about this DAC or that DAC or this headphone amp or that one.  I'm beginning to believe once you hit a certain price point (and it is becoming lower and lower with advancement of technology) that the differences are becoming more subtle, assuming proper operation of the unit.  Does that mean I regret trying out 4K equipment or owning a headphone amp or DAC that costs a couple of grand?  No, you do get some degree of benefit, generally,  but if your expectation is a night and day difference, I'm just not finding it.  And in the end, that's why I have decided not to purchase the NEO.  It's a great unit. But in my mind, cheaper solutions can be had for the same quality of sound.  Of course, your mileage may vary.  

You may be wondering at this point, what headphones did I try with the NEO?  I tried my Dharma D1000, Hifiman HE1000,  Ether-C, Sennheiser HD800, and Audeze LCD-X.  Some were better matches than others but I did not think, "gee whiz, I've never heard these headphones sound so good".  I did, however, think - if the headphone has a particular sonic trait this NEO will surely let you hear it.  And perhaps that's the best compliment I can give the NEO - if you do not wish to have the dac or headphone amp modify the sound your hearing, rest assured, the NEO will be pretty transparent to your listening experience ...and that, in my opinion, is the ultimate goal of a DAC and headphone amp.

You found Moon by SimAudio. It's design is to be neutral and not to color the sound. Every other product you mentioned is designed to have its own sound. Good observations!

 

[yage]

Normally, I condense my reviews for posting in the forums, but I felt that the Neo was special, so I left it as-is.
There are reviews out there of uber-priced components that jump from superlative to superlative. The hyperbole can be numbing and over time calcify into jadedness. Yet there are those moments where everything's clicking in a system. They cut through that hard-boiled shell and turn you back into the awestruck budding audiophile. Maybe you're lucky and you're reminded of this feeling every time you turn on your gear and cue up a track. It was how I felt after I dropped the Simaudio Moon Neo 430HAD into my headphone system.
Description
The 430HAD is a serious piece of audio equipment clad in masculine black steel. It's more portly than the previous size champ, the Airist Audio Heron 5, and not likely to be unassuming when placed on a desk. It's quite hefty too. Since its dimensions largely match the rest of the Neo series, this implies a homebound presence where it can be stacked with the rest of its siblings into a tower of Simaudio power. Case edges are rounded over and panels are finished in differing textures / materials to provide a little tactile and visual variety. Overall, the design and workmanship of the amp itself befits the price tag. The one weakness is the remote - it's made of cheap plastic, feels rather flimsy, and the buttons are pretty small. Admittedly, I'd rather have most of the effort go to the circuitry powering the headphones than a fancy remote.
The front panel is tastefully laid out. The large, sculpted volume knob and tiny silver buttons have high quality actions and feel. The volume knob spins smoothly and freely - no potentiometer here! Instead, the input signal is attenuated in the analog domain using a DAC in current steering mode. Neat. To the left of the volume knob is a 1/4 inch headphone socket. Above that is a 1/8 inch input for connection to the analog out of a media player. Hidden behind a sliding transparent panel are the balanced headphone outputs - a single 4-pin XLR and a pair of 3-pin XLR jacks which sit on the right flank of a large segmented red LED display. The silver buttons above that display select the gain, power up / down the amp from standby, select the active input from the rear panel, activate the custom crossfeed filter, mute audio output, or select the media player input for amplification.
The rear panel sports all manner of inputs and outputs. For the optional digital section, you have a choice of optical (Toslink), SPDIF (two unbalanced coax inputs), and USB. Analog inputs include two pairs of unbalanced RCA and a single pair of XLR jacks. Analog outputs are all unbalanced, with a fixed and variable line level out. Curiously, there is no balanced output which seems a little out of place since all the amplifiers in the Neo line are fully balanced, like the 430HAD. An IEC inlet allows you to swap power cables to your heart's content (and perhaps your spouse's consternation) with a co-located power rocker switch allowing you to truly shut down all the internals.
Operation
If you don't have the onboard DAC option installed, operation is pretty straightforward - flip the rocker switch in the back to 'on' and press the 'Standby' button on the front face plate to take the amp out of hibernation. Those with aftermarket power cords take note, the housing may make it difficult to access the rocker switch. You might have to flip it on before you insert your power cord.
I tried the onboard DAC option with Linux / ALSA and it worked flawlessly with PCM files out of the box. Windows users will need to download a driver.
Unfortunately, I didn't have time to test DSD functionality with the onboard DAC over USB. My stereo setup also precluded me from trying the 430HAD as a preamp since my integrated amp (an Ayre AX-5 Twenty) doesn't have a traditional preamp section that can be separated from a power amp section.
A word of caution to those with sensitive headphones - the Neo 430HAD is not the quietest of amplifiers. On the LCD-XC's I could barely detect a low level hiss when inserting the balanced connector. The even more sensitive NAD VISO HP50's picked up the hiss as well through its single-ended connection. This may or may not be a problem depending on how loud you like your music. However, the Sennheiser HD 600 and HD 800 S were absolutely quiet at the volume levels that I'm comfortable listening at.
Listening
This is where things get interesting. The source I usually use for headphone listening these days is the Ayre QB-9 DSD and it has both balanced and single-ended outputs. Given that the 430HAD is fully balanced, it made sense to wire everything up with balanced cables, even the headphones. Of course, that would be something of a cheat so I also listened to the other three possible combinations of inputs / outputs to get a bearing on how much this aspect might affect the resultant sound quality (and it does). Throw the onboard DAC into the mix as well as the crossfeed circuit and things really get hairy. So please keep in mind that the bulk of the impressions I'm going to lay out will be in the fully balanced configuration with the crossfeed circuit set to off, the onboard DAC bypassed by the Ayre QB-9 DSD, and the Audeze LCD-XC's connected via 4-pin XLR. However, I will state what I think are the differences between this setup and others towards the end of this section.
As I played track after track on the 430HAD several adjectives popped into my head - graceful, powerful, warm, natural. It masterfully walked the tightrope between musical warmth and inner detail, macrodynamic contrast and touch. While listening to the Moon, I got the sense of a live event happening before me, rather than a superb reproduction of a recording.
I usually like to to lead off with "I'm Old Fashioned" from Blue Train (CD, Blue Note 53428), this time taken from the late 90's Blue Note CD reissue. The 430 HAD didn't disappoint. Coltrane's sax was reproduced with a bell-like glow that contained a marvelous blend of tone and inner detail. This continued with Fuller's trombone and Drew's piano solo, whose notes had such realistic timbre and expressiveness that I felt wholly engaged, yet relaxed. Kelly's closing trumpet solo seemed to be placed in a real space with air to spare. Chambers' bass sounded round and weighty, but perhaps just a hair overdone. The brushed snare didn't seem to be as fleshed out or present in the mix as I'm used to, though I could've been distracted by the lovely handling of the brass and piano. However, I still felt this rendition was one of the finest I've heard - whether on headphones or speakers.
Spatial resolution was another of the 430HAD's strong suits. "Al vaivén de mi carreta" from Afrocubism (CD, World Circuit / Nonesuch 525993-2) possessed realistic depth and exquisite layering. Vocals floated in space in front of the pulsing beats of the hand drums and the chanting guitars. The Moon certainly had the refinement to portray the attack of each plucked guitar string counterbalanced with a pure reproduction of the subsequent tone. An almost-spooky realistic reproduction of the impact and dynamics of meaty palms striking drumheads that wafted back and forth within the soundstage anchored the mix. In and of itself this kind of performance was amazing, yet the Moon pulled it all off so effortlessly that it was all the more impressive.
This amp was no slouch on classical music either. It easily conveyed the scale and dynamics of "Jupiter" from Holst's The Planets (CD, Decca London 289 460 606-2) as well as tenderly captured the drama and sweeping emotion of Rachmaninoff's final movement from his Piano Concerto No. 2 (CD, Chesky CD2). With regard to the former, the Neo barely broke a sweat telegraphing the bold confidence of the Orchestre symphonique de Montreal. The images it laid down were huge with convincingly real timbre. On the latter, Wild's stunning skill at the keyboard and the London Royal Philharmonic's massed strings flowed forth with a warmth and grace that belied the seemingly limitless reserves of power the Neo had on tap. In both instances, I felt I could pinpoint the performers in their own distinct space without losing the sense that they were part of a greater whole. The Neo easily plowed the electrons into my LCD-XC's as the pipe organ thundered its opening chords during the finale of Saint-Saens' Symphony No. 3 (CD layer, Telarc SACD-60634). The soundscape was deep and reverberation from the basses was plentiful, but not overbearing. Simply excellent.
The Neo dove comfortably into more contemporary fare. The bright nature of Florence + the Machine's latest album How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (CD, Republic B0023122-02) can be fatiguing on the ears, but the Neo portrayed "Third Eye" with the utmost clarity and finesse and leaving out the edge. Again, a sense of depth to the soundscape was readily apparent and timbres were spot on. Welch's vocals have a tendency to sound a little hard - not so, here. There was an intoxicating ease that permeated throughout her performance. Hand claps sounded, well, like hand claps. Cymbals sounded brassy, with a finely textured decay and shimmer. On "Go Quietly" from the Cold War Kids' latest album Hold My Home (CD, Downtown DWT70397), Willett's vocals had an immediate, palpable quality. Backing vocals and instruments each occupied their own space. The drum kit possessed good body and impact, but wasn't quite as tight as I've heard elsewhere. The entire track sounded free from compression when the mix turned a little dense.
The Neo 430HAD remained unflappable switching between the Audeze LCD-XC, the Sennheiser HD 600, and (briefly) the Sennheiser HD 800 and 800 S. Its superb abilities in spatial resolution, layering, and tonal purity were apparent on all of them. It let each headphone's particular qualities shine through. I never felt that the Neo restricted the performance of any of the transducers I used.
Alternate Configurations
Now this is all well and good for those with fully balanced sources and headphones that can be connected for balanced drive. What about a single-ended setup? I won't sugarcoat it - my experience tells me that you'll leave some performance on the table. This was the case whether the source was connected to the balanced input and the headphones driven single-ended, or with the source single-ended and the headphones driven balanced, or both hooked up in single-ended fashion. Images were a little flatter and soundstage depth was shortened. Timbres were lighter - "sunnier" might be the apt descriptor - and the ease that I experienced before was a tad muted. The Neo never sounded strained, but the music didn't flow as freely or gracefully as with the fully balanced system.
The onboard DAC exhibited much of the same qualities as the unbalanced configurations. It output a drier, tighter presentation with a lighter tone than the Ayre QB-9 DSD in balanced mode. The sound wasn't as palpably immediate and I got the distinct sense of listening to a recording rather than a live event. The soundstage also collapsed inward a little further with images wanting to crowd around the center - especially evident on loudspeakers. It's possible that the DAC module's output stages aren't fully balanced, given its sonic performance. In my opnion, the Moon Neo 430HAD deserves a better source than the built-in option and most should take a pass unless it's required out of convenience.
I tried the crossfeed circuit only briefly. Once activated images moved a little more to the front and out. The effect was tasteful and subtle and there didn't seem to be any obvious deleterious effects to the sound.
Comparisons
The only amp I have on hand that even remotely approaches the quality of the 430HAD is my DNA Sonett 2. When pitted against the fully balanced configuration, the Sonett 2 was hopelessly outclassed by the realistic tone, textures, and imaging of the Moon. However, when the playing field was leveled somewhat by driving both from the single-ended outputs of the QB-9 DSD (but still using balanced drive for the headphones), the Sonett 2 proved to be a worthy competitor. It still couldn't match the Neo's ease with dynamic contrast borne, no doubt, from its seemingly limitless power reserves, but it stood toe-to-toe with the 430HAD in terms of touch, clarity, and tone. The Sonett 2 also possessed slightly tighter bass and a more mid-hall feel to the presentation, so some might actually prefer the Sonett 2 to the Neo, again, if the source is single-ended.
Conclusions
Yes, the Moon Neo 430HAD is big, heavy, and expensive. But, in my opinion, it's worth the inconvenience and expense. If you have the ability to keep the entire chain balanced from end to end, you'll be privy to some of the very finest audio to be had anywhere on the planet today. Hyperbole? Not to these ears.
 
 
Associated Equipment

Headphones – Audeze LCD-XC, Sennheiser HD 600, Sennheiser HD 800 S

Loudspeakers – Vandersteen 3A Signatures

Amplification – Ayre Acoustics AX-5 Twenty, DNA Sonett 2

Sources – Ayre Acoustics QB-9 DSD, onboard optional DAC

Cabling – Analysis Plus Pro Oval Studio XLR, Analysis Plus Pro Power Oval, Analysis Plus Power Oval 2, Analysis Plus Power Oval Ten, Analysis Plus Solo Crystal Oval 8

Power – Bryston BIT-15

 

 

[Kevinspeed]

I am WAY WAY WAY         WAY late posting this review.  My thoughts have changed a tad since listening to the amp though which maybe makes my thoughts a little better.  That's not an excuse for the lateness.
 
FIRST:  My DAC is Berkeley Alpha 2 with the Alpha USB my headphones were the LCD3 (my main headphones), Fostex TH-X00 (mahogany) and an evaluation pair of LCD-4.  My main comparisons amps are a Burson Soloist and Cavalli LAu both of which I have had 100s of hours on.  All music was FLAC files played on a PC using Foobar.
 
I used  Magnan Cables throughout.  If you have not heard of or tried Magnan Cables do yourself a favor and check them out.  Their cables are one of the best purchases I have ever made. Check them out.
 
SECOND:   The build quality of the  Neo 430 is excellent.  The fit and finish is on par with the Cavalli.  The amp has lots of features and a remote.  The screen is easy to read.  Once feature I really liked was the loop out.  The only complaint I have and it is not a big one is the volume knob seems cheap and its adjustment is too fine.  You have to turn it for years to get the volume to move.  Some of my complaint is because I was used to the Burson stepped attenuator with far less steps and the Cavalli LAu with a much quicker sweep. Of the 3 the Cavalli is the best easily.  Still, the 430 volume control worked fine it is just something I did not like compared to my other gear.
 
Sound:  I think the sound of the 430 was incredible.  The sound was highly detailed  and transparent.  The amp did not seem to color the music one way or the other except that everything sounded just a little thinner than the same music played through the Cavalli LAu.  The LAu lets the music bloom just a little more while keeping a solid control over the image.  In many ways the Neo sounds like a very close amp to the LAu.  The 430 may even get a little more detail out of the music than the LAu but it as the expense of an overall musicality. The mids and the highs were incredible.  The bass was not as controlled and full as the LAu but it by no means was a slouch.  In every category it runs very near the LAu,  The 430 kills the Burson Soloist across the board.  I like my Soloist and it was the first great amp I had but it is not in the same league as the 430 or LAu. 
 
The way I approached this test was just to start listening to the 430 (not switching back and forth between the amps) to see what if anything I would miss in the LAu.  I missed the power of the LAu and the way it lets the music shine and the incredible bass.  Did I miss it so much that I had to turn the 430 off? NO WAY.  The 430 is a serious amp and after listening to it for  a few days I was thinking more about it and what it was able to do not what it wasn't able to do.  What it did great was dig into the details of the music.  The stage was no bigger than the LAu it just showed slightly more fine details.  I won't say that it was at the expense of the bass but either way the 430 did not handle the low end like the LAu.  I am starting to think nothing ever will.  That being said when I unhooked the Neo and went back to the LAu I have to say I missed that detail retrieval. However pretty quickly I forgave the LAu of that one very slight penalty when compared to the  430.
 
 
Final Thoughts:  The Neo 430 is a world class headphone amp.  It runs a very close second to my experience with the Cavalli LAu,  If I did not have the LAu I would be more than happy to have a 430 occupying its space in my rack.  The Neo 430 is the second best amp I have ever heard and it was even close to the LAu when running the Fostex headphones.  I would highly recommend this amp to anyone.  It could easily be an end game amp for just about anyone.  It sounded great with red book, hi res, and hi res files and put up a great battle for the LAu.    I try to listen to things and just see how much I like them in total as opposed to a highly detailed ranking of every single facet of the sound reproduction.  The 430 has its own character and is not the same as the LAu,  It was a great amp to listen to and if I could have two amps in my rig it would be there.  If the LAu blew up and could not be repaired my first call would be to get one of these especially since the LAu is no longer in production.
 
 
Also, a huge thanks to Todd for letting us listen.  He is a great guy and really does want us to get the gear we will be most happy with.  To do all this on faith like he does is incredible.  I will always turn to him first for my audio needs.  I never thought I would have a chance to try something like the Neo 430 in my home with my gear like this.  It's still kind of unbelievable to me.  I will have the Dharma review up soon. 

 

[TonyRoma]

Ive been looking for a replacement for my bryston, this looks like a serious contender.