NECO SOUNDLABS PORTABLE V.2 AMP

[amcananey]

I should add that the batteries in both the O2 and the v.2 Neco amp are user-replaceable, so it's probably not the biggest deal in the world if you occassionally overcharge.

 

[imackler]

Quote:

The Neco that I had worked with anything I threw at it.
 
Unless I'm mistaken, both the O2 and the v.2 Neco amp will keep charging the batteries until you unplug the charger. I don't think it is necessarily dangerous, but it will reduce the battery life over time. I suspect that is one of the reasons for the poor battery life in the O2. Either you are conservative and wind up unplugging the amp before the batteries are fully charged, or you forget you have it plugged in and wind up overcharging.
 
Best regards,
Adam

That makes sense. Exactly what I'm doing now... Not wanting to unplug it in case I ever run out of juice when it is unplugged. Doh.

 

[amcananey]

With my old Neco amp and my O2, I usually charged them for 1-2 hours, then used them unplugged until the battery failed, then repeated the process. Since you don't have to wait for the batteries to be fully charged for the amps to be usable (they are usable as soon as you plug them in again, while the battery recharges) I didn't find this to be a significant inconvenience....except that I occassionally forgot to unplug the amps when I was done.

 

[FlySweep]

Re: amcananey mentioning the V2 being impressive enough for him to sell his HA160.
 
The HA160 is, arguably, my favorite (sounding) amp.  I was searching for a portable amp that possessed the Burson's unique blend of neutrality, natural sound, depth, and airiness.. and as much of it's technical prowess as possible.  A tall order, indeed!
 
I eventually found upon the Neco V3 amp (after reading rave reviews on other forums about his V2 and MOSFET amps).  Neco's MOSFET desktop amps are said to be very neutral while possessing a slight 'valve' (tube) touch.  I figured his portable would be tuned along the same vein, but probably leaning to the more neutral side of things.
 
I then found amcananey here at HF who had (thankfully) owned both the HA160 & V2.. we spoke quite a bit & I was amazed to hear he was so enamored with the V2 that it prompted him to sell the Burson.  There certainly appeared to be more than a few similarities between the two amps.. so after exchanging a few emails with Neco (to customize the amp for more effectively driving the HE-500 as well as very sensitive IEMs), I ordered the V3.
 
After receiving the V3 & spending an ample amount of time with it, I can confidently say if you like the HA160's sound, you'll be quite happy with what the V3 has to offer.  I can certainly understand why amcananey had sold the Burson too.. I hear a lot of its sound and abilities in the V3.  Which is, frankly, quite astonishing.  
 
Is it as technically capable as the Burson?  Probably not.. but it's (arguably) more musical and for a fifth of the price, I don't think there's anything that gets closer in sound & technicalities.. in a portable, no less!
 
I'll reiterate amcananey's statement that the V3 sounds GORGEOUS with the HE-500.  Being that I have the Arrow & the O2 (which I've relegated to my desktop w/ the TubeDAC-11), I originally sought out the V2 to pair with my HE-500.  I wanted a portable amp that would drive the HE-500 (which has a voracious appetite for power despite the specs) not just loud, but well.  The V3 passed that test with flying colors.  A match made in (portable) audio heaven!

 

[Twinster]

There is no danger with the O2 & Neco V.2 charging circuit. The reason the new V.3 has a cutoff circuit is probably to reduce the risk of fire with the Lithium batteries. Just do a quick Google.
 
I really loved the Neco V.2. It drove my T1 very well and I'm a bit sad to let it go but I didn't use it enough to justify keeping it. My O2 will be soon upgrade with the ODAC so no longer will it be portable 

 ( It's really more a transportable). 
 
I'm sure the V.3 sound as good as the V.2 and Neco is really a nice person. Shame that his product got low interest here but I know that from other forum he's doing better.
 
Enjoy!
 
Quote:

The Neco that I had worked with anything I threw at it.
 
Unless I'm mistaken, both the O2 and the v.2 Neco amp will keep charging the batteries until you unplug the charger. I don't think it is necessarily dangerous, but it will reduce the battery life over time. I suspect that is one of the reasons for the poor battery life in the O2. Either you are conservative and wind up unplugging the amp before the batteries are fully charged, or you forget you have it plugged in and wind up overcharging.
 
Best regards,
Adam

 

[imackler]

What are you using for your portable amp?
 
Quote:

There is no danger with the O2 & Neco V.2 charging circuit. The reason the new V.3 has a cutoff circuit is probably to reduce the risk of fire with the Lithium batteries. Just do a quick Google.
 
I really loved the Neco V.2. It drove my T1 very well and I'm a bit sad to let it go but I didn't use it enough to justify keeping it. My O2 will be soon upgrade with the ODAC so no longer will it be portable 

 ( It's really more a transportable). 
 
I'm sure the V.3 sound as good as the V.2 and Neco is really a nice person. Shame that his product got low interest here but I know that from other forum he's doing better.
 
Enjoy!
 

 

[Twinster]

An iBasso PB1 (Balanced).

 

[amcananey]

I received the e-mail below from a friend who recently purchased one of Neco's v.3 amps and who has a nice collection of high-end gear:
 
"What a marvellous little device. It works supremely well with my Halide DAC, and with the PS500's I just keep listening and listening. I am astonished at how well it handles the Sennheisers. And it gets better after burn in! Looks like I'm good to go with my portable rig."

 

[BrainFood]

Hi
 
I'm interested in the v3, especially being UK based. There are some nice US portables but customs is a killer.
 
Anyone know the weight of the v3? I don't mind the bulk at all, but hope it isn't that heavy.
 
 
Cheers...

 
EDIT: Neco says the amp weighs 250 gram approx and the Li-ion battery upgrade is less heavy than the stock one.

 

[wallace]

Hi,
   I have had my v3 for a couple of weeks now.Like you i got fed up with silly import charges.I have the 8610 version and am amazed at the clear 3D sound,the best sounding amp i have owned in twenty years of listening to phones,beats £1500 worth of Naim Headline/Hicap by a long chalk.It is just so engaging,makes you listen to it and forget what you are supposed to be doing.Not sure about the weight,but i only take it to the patio since i retired

I am using KRK8400's and SR325is's with it,the best they have ever sounded. Not much point in the PSU,i just plug it into the usb port every other day while i am looking at my emails. 
I have an 02 on back order,but am thinking of cancelling it..
 

 

[amcananey]

Wallace: Unless you have a use for two amps, cancel the O2. Don't get me wrong, the O2 is an excellent amp. But the Neco is better and I really don't see any reason to buy the O2 if you already have the Neco. In case you're wondering, I used to have an O2. I used it in parallel with my older Neco amp for a while, but it just became clear that the O2 lagged the Neco slightly, so I sold the O2 and bought a v3 Neco.
 
Brainfood: My v3 Neco is usable even with IEMs. And it sings with the HE-500s. No worries there. As for weight, mine isn't heavy, but I went for the upgraded battery. Not sure if the two 9V batteries are heavier, but I suspect they are. As for your PSU, send Neco a message through eBay and I'm sure he can tell you. He's a great guy to deal with and very helpful.
 
By the way, I bought my first Neco amp when I was living in London. Since I've returned to the US, I've bought two further amps from him. His amps deliver amazing performance at an unbeatable price, even if you don't have to deal with customs issues. In other words: even if you could get US amps at the same price as in the US, I'd still recommend the Neco amps as better performers and a better value.
 
Best regards,
Adam

 

[FlySweep]

Excellent take.. I'm a good 40 years from retirement (lol) but 100% agree with your impressions.  I've got the 8610 opamps (and lithium battery) as well and it's a spectacularly addictive amp to use.  It's built like an elegant tank and has the sound to match.  It drives my HE-500 with authority and provides excellent dynamics.. while remaining very neutral and uncolored.
 
I've been prepping my V3 review for some time and will post it ASAP.  I'm waiting to clock a good 100-150 hours on it before finishing and posting it.. but, I'll tell you right now.. it's going to be very favorable.
 
Care to share some impressions on how it sounds with the 8400?  That was one of my favorite phones & I regret selling them.. incredible detail and clarity.  Heck, I might look into buying them again.  I'd think the V3's spacious soundstage and bass boost would be welcome additions when paired with the 8400.
 
Speaking of the bass boost.. it's got to be the best implementation of it that' I've heard to date in a portable.. it spanks the Arrow 3G's bass boost features in my opinion.  It's far more subtle & tighter (focusing much more on the sub bass frequencies than mid/lower bass).. and it doesn't bleed whatsoever into the other neighboring frequencies.  The bass boost is very musical and almost felt more than heard.. which is the way it should be, IMO.  I never use these types of coloration features in my amps (the Arrow has all switches set to the lowest/off setting) cause they're usually poorly implemented.. but not so with the V3.
 
Hope this amp gets more attention cause it's a truly slept on masterpiece offered at an incredible price.  Plus, Neco's customer service is world class.

 

[BrainFood]

Good stuff!  Will probably just go for 8610 and do some opamp rolling at at later date. 

 

[musicbased]

Anyone compared this to a matrix m stage?-I am looking at getting the m stage for my AKG k701 (desktop setup).I currently use the neco v2.
This thread is making me wonder how much of an improvement it will be though!
Maybe i got used to the amazing sound of the neco..

 

[wallace]

Quote:

Wallace: Unless you have a use for two amps, cancel the O2. Don't get me wrong, the O2 is an excellent amp. But the Neco is better and I really don't see any reason to buy the O2 if you already have the Neco. In case you're wondering, I used to have an O2. I used it in parallel with my older Neco amp for a while, but it just became clear that the O2 lagged the Neco slightly, so I sold the O2 and bought a v3 Neco.
 
Brainfood: My v3 Neco is usable even with IEMs. And it sings with the HE-500s. No worries there. As for weight, mine isn't heavy, but I went for the upgraded battery. Not sure if the two 9V batteries are heavier, but I suspect they are. As for your PSU, send Neco a message through eBay and I'm sure he can tell you. He's a great guy to deal with and very helpful.
 
By the way, I bought my first Neco amp when I was living in London. Since I've returned to the US, I've bought two further amps from him. His amps deliver amazing performance at an unbeatable price, even if you don't have to deal with customs issues. In other words: even if you could get US amps at the same price as in the US, I'd still recommend the Neco amps as better performers and a better value.
 
Best regards,
Adam

Hey,Took your advise and cancelled my pre-ordered 02 today.This v3 just gets better everyday,talk about detail,i looked round earlier today,thought it was the wife coughing,but it was one of Steve Wonder's backing singers.

I pre-ordered an O/DAC instead so i can listen to spotify on the laptop when the walkman goes flat.
Flysweep
    This amp could be made for the 8400's they both do detail very well.Seem to find myself picking up these first most day's,the 325's only get used once a week to justify their existance

.Nearly everything i listen to sounds a bit different ,could be that this was how it was meant to sound in the first place,who knows.
I did try the bassboost for a bit ,but while i agree with you it is very subtle,i can't bring myself to use it as i have not had any tone controls on my amps for twenty five years now,and tend to think they are only provided on gear that isn't good enough in the first place.You will get set in your ways one day,take it from me..Anyway this amp don't need any adjustments.