[alejandro7]

Hello Imackler    I have the V4....only had it for 3 weeks and so does FlySweep as above messages but I believe he's had it much longer. It is NECOs newest and each time I try it it sounds more robust thru my old trusty HD420s (600 ohms). This next week I'll put it with my HD 650s. Can you help with the batteries question?  Thank you.  alejandro

 

[imackler]

  Hello Imackler    I have the V4....only had it for 3 weeks and so does FlySweep as above messages but I believe he's had it much longer. It is NECOs newest and each time I try it it sounds more robust thru my old trusty HD420s (600 ohms). This next week I'll put it with my HD 650s. Can you help with the batteries question?  Thank you.  alejandro

Its funny. I actually asked Neco this question and he said it hadn't been a problem. It seems like it could be though, if one battery loses its charge quicker than the other. Thus a possible channel imbalance with that design. FlySweep may have other info though. 

 

[FlySweep]

 

  BTW Senor Fly: Is it normal after a day's use that as the amp "empties" it's charge, on listening, I notice the right channel goes out. Then I put the charge on it and the red light appears indicating it needs charging. Is this just a newbie duh on my part? Over the past week I've noticed that the second and then the third charges took less time. Initially the full charge seemed to take 12 or more hours b4 the red light went out indicating fully charged. The second and now third times to charge took noticeably less time, closer to overnight. Seems like a silly question. And even in these maybe three or four listening sessions, under 3 hours each, I noticed that the music is getting fuller and cleaner. Amazing or just a newbie with a new toy?  thanks for your input,  alejandro    PS As a Sennheiser devotee am I perverting myself by entertaining thoughts of getting a  Grado 225i for walkabouts? I LIKE that the upper grados have 1/4" outs for hps. Fits with the V4 quite well!

 
Yep.. that's totally normal.  Mine behaves the same way.  the right channel (or left?  Can't remember) cuts out when the battery is near empty.  Once it's fully charged, the red "charge" light turns off.  Glad to hear it's improving.  The 4627 is one of the most transparent opamps I've ever used.  This amp can go from bright to warm/dark in a pinch.. all depending on your phones/DAC/music.

 

[alejandro7]

Thanks FlySweep, I just got the same jist from Neco himself today. This is normal because of course the channels operate independently. And the charging time seems to have dropped from 14 down to 10 hours. Now I would love it, from a tweek's point of view, if we had my V4 with the AD627 op amps and yours with the 4627s side by side for a shootout! Yeah baby. Listening for differences with acoustic mainstream jazz is what I'm about, dude. Problem is I'm in New Zealand and you're in Washington state!   As for the Grado impulse I think I'm going to invest in a new super pair of shorter 1/4" ended cables and just walk about with these old HD420s. Now I have to figure out what player as I only have an OLD 20gig iPod in, gasp, M3 flavor. So what do you suggest? A 16 gig nano loaded with re formatted "lossless"? Fewer tunes (small library) but much better fidelity? With this amp something in front needs to be of quality. Wish I could afford a HiFi man dac player....? Any suggestions?
Cheers, alejandro

 

[FlySweep]

 

  The HE-500 sounds terrific with the V4, btw.  Understandably, it can't deliver the gobs of current that an ortho-friendly amp is capable of.. but what it does deliver is clean and more than adequate...

 
I'm going to have to take that statement back.. it seems my HE-500 finally 'opened up,' so to speak.. since I perceive them to sound noticeably less compressed, cleaner, and smoother than they did but a few days ago.  Since this is my second go around w/ the HE-500, I'm not surprised their break-in period takes a little longer than most other phones I've had.  Anyways, the V4 does deliver plenty of excellent low bass performance, now.  As I've noted earlier, The stereo separation is just superb.
 

  Thanks FlySweep, I just got the same jist from Neco himself today. This is normal because of course the channels operate independently. And the charging time seems to have dropped from 14 down to 10 hours. Now I would love it, from a tweek's point of view, if we had my V4 with the AD627 op amps and yours with the 4627s side by side for a shootout! Yeah baby. Listening for differences with acoustic mainstream jazz is what I'm about, dude. Problem is I'm in New Zealand and you're in Washington state!   As for the Grado impulse I think I'm going to invest in a new super pair of shorter 1/4" ended cables and just walk about with these old HD420s. Now I have to figure out what player as I only have an OLD 20gig iPod in, gasp, M3 flavor. So what do you suggest? A 16 gig nano loaded with re formatted "lossless"? Fewer tunes (small library) but much better fidelity? With this amp something in front needs to be of quality. Wish I could afford a HiFi man dac player....? Any suggestions?
Cheers, alejandro

I wouldn't be the best person to go to for DAP suggestions, alejandro.. I've never really owned an 'audiophile DAP'.. aside from the iPhone 4 (which is one of the best portable DAPs, I guess, based on distortion specs, crosstalk, low output impedance, flat freq. response, etc.) and Galaxy S3.  Most all of my music is stored on the cloud or delivered via streaming subscription services (MOG, Google Play, etc.) or apps (SoundCloud), so I don't really have a need for a dedicated, disk based-DAP.
 
My iPhone 4 (running iOS7) and Galaxy S3 (running TouchWiz) can both output digital audio via USB.. so I use an ultra-compact DAC (Stoner Acoustics UD110 or ODAC) w/ the Neco V4 w/ my S3 phone (or my iPhone 4, which I use as my "DAP").  I find it to be a much more economical way than to toss boat loads of cash at the hifi DAP du jour.. most of which seem to be 'obsolete' within a few months of their release.  I'm also on the Kickstarter campaign for the Light Harmonic GEEK (which has been confirmed to work with the iOS & Android when used with a CCK/OTG cable/adapter).  The Geek has gotten very positive feedback from some (discerning) trusted friends of mine (who attended RMAF).  The GEEK has a built in (Class A!) amp and LH has a tremendous pedigree for DACs (see the Da Vinci DAC), so I'm confident they'll come with something special with the diminutive GEEK's DAC.

 

[alejandro7]

The Geek looks nice and simple. It has an amp and looks to work best with underpowered lap tops and the like. But since I now have the V4 and a local made Cmoy Altoid tin amp, either of which can go portable, I now would like a portable DAC or DAP (without an amp) to which I can strap the V4 and roll around on the NZ trains or Air NZ. BTW when I use my Asus sound card on my beeg computer, playing regular or DSD CDs and run the V4 into the hp out, the sound is amazing with detail I haven't experienced on my main system (Meridian 24 bit player to Plinius amp and preamp to ProAc Response 2.5s). Don't use cell phone...but I may just get a 16 gig Nano and strap that. Perhaps I can write Geek and ask them about a portable amp-less DAP.
Appreciate your input! Alex

 

[gattari]

Flysweep
I ordered the v4 today, same configuration as your v4:
ada4627 and gain 1.5 max 4.5.
If I don't like it ..... I'll cut off your ears
Ciao

 

[alejandro7]

Yipes Fly what have we started here!? Well I guess if he don't like it you can still use IEMs

  alejandro

 

[imackler]

FlySweep: What gain do you use for your ciems?

 

[FlySweep]

 

Flysweep
I ordered the v4 today, same configuration as your v4:
ada4627 and gain 1.5 max 4.5.
If I don't like it ..... I'll cut off your ears

Ciao

 
LOL !
 

  FlySweep: What gain do you use for your ciems?

 
I had Neco drop the gain to the lowest he could (1.5x/4.5x).  I leave the V4 on 1.5x.. even when I'm using the HE-500.. I don't go past 1/3 turn of the pot before reaching my threshold for hearing pain.  It's funny.. I continually forget this amp has two gain modes (slightly understandable since the gain jumpers are internal), but from a listening standpoint, I never need more power than what the low gain delivers.. even with orthos.

 

[gattari]

@FlySweep I have an ephifany odac .
I see also you have one, it is a good match with neco v4?
Thank

 

[FlySweep]

 

  @FlySweep I have an ephifany odac .
I see also you have one, it is a good match with neco v4?
Thank

 
Sure.. the ODAC is a great match w/ the V4.  It's designed to be as uncolored & transparent as possible (measurement-wise), so don't expect a warm (or cool) tilt from the ODAC.  I typically prefer to have as transparent a DAC as possible.. so any (desired) coloration takes place at the amp (i.e. tube amp) or headphone (i.e. HE-500) level.  When I want as transparent a chain as possible, I'd grab the ODAC/Neco/UERM.

 

[gikigill]

Subbed

 

[gattari]

Any otner opinion on Neco V4?
I think tomorrow will arrive mine.
Ciao

 

[hifimiami]

  Any otner opinion on Neco V4?
I think tomorrow will arrive mine.
Ciao

The V4 sound is superb, it is very powerful with incredible separation and pinpoint instrument location. It is like having a portable high performance home desktop headphone amplifier.