Reviews by Beh0lder
I’d like to thank @Zachik for adding me to the tour. What follows are my thoughts on Westone’s newly released IEM, the Mach60.
Having had the Westone W30 for 8+ years, I began to wonder when Westone would release some new IEMs. Over the years, only the B30/B50 and various W80 versions have been released. 2.5 years ago a company called Lucid acquired Westone and hopes for something to happen reached a new high. With the successful resurgence of Sennheiser IEMs, one of the OG IEM makers alongside Westone, expectations were high. And I was more than happy to test my benchmarking ideology.
Two IEMs I chose were the Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 and Sennheiser IE900, representing well established all BA and single DD IEMs of the same and higher price tag. Both have metal shells which blow Mach series’ cheap feeling plastic out of the water, no contest. Westone Wx0 series had much sturdier feeling plastic. The comfort is a tie with the Andromeda (which is quite comfy to my ears) and at least two steps below the Sennheisers. You can’t really beat that stealth form factor.
First song is a classic, Rock You Like a Hurricane by The Scorpions. Two standouts of this song, the guitars and the vocals, do not play well with the Mach60. Klaus Meine sounds dull, two dimensional and veiled, making it hard to enjoy his performance fully. Guitars lack energy and sound very off timbre-wise. IE900 confirms what I’m hearing with clean power injected into both guitar and vocal tracks, with added sense of soundstage placement which was amiss in the Mach60. Moving on, the bass performance is lackluster as well as both the initial drumkick and the bassline are dull and blunt. Sennheisers come out on top with great rumble and decay. Treble is really troublesome to compare since it’s very rolled off on the Mach, I barely could make out any details on the hi-hats and cymbals. They just drown amidst everything else during the greater part of the song.
Can't Nobody Hold Me Down by Diddy is the soundtrack for a battle with the Andromeda 2020. First and foremost, the bass offered by both IEMs differs greatly. While Andromeda’s bass performance has always been its weakest link, I’ve found it to have some enjoyable qualities that offer some redemption. In this song, the greener IEM’s bass is slightly rumbly, warm but precise. Not really something to behold but doesn’t ruin the song making you wish you had a dynamic driver inside. The Mach60 bass is dull and boomy, not really fit for displaying bass tipical to this genre. Even though it tries to go for quantity at least, it’s not the desirable type. Neither is it basshead worthy, nor is it free of bleeding all over other frequencies. The worst of both worlds I guess. Moving on, another thing I concentrated on are the shuffly sounds on the right and clicky ones on the left. Both of them sound “kinda there” on the Mach to the point I had trouble differentiating one from the other even though I’ve heard this tune plenty of times. Andromeda renders these sounds in a precise manner that makes it easy to hear them so they become neat additions to the bassline. The Mach60 is capable of playing them but they make for annoying distraction, especially the left sound.
Next up, three brief impressions of other tracks I’ve found to show what the Mach60 is about. First up, Do I Wanna Know by The Arctic Monkeys. While not that shy with its details, the whole presentation is very veiled and lacks clarity. Bass is boomy with lack of texture and rumble. Guitars sound passable until the vocalist joins the mix, from that moment it all blends together and both of them occupy the same space making it hard to make out the details. Parts of the drumset are rolled off and sound funnily puffy so to speak. Everytime We Touch by Maggie Reilly continues the trend of bass and mids related woes. The former is blunt, something akin to the effect of keeping the driver diaphragm with a finger. It’s as if something was interfering with the bass performance, dampening it. The latter in the form of guitars don’t fit the song as they should, it all plays out like someone told the guitarists to be the background to the vocalist with spontaneous unpracticed jamming. The last one, Frontier by Doctor Vox, is one of the few that work quite well with the Mach. While the bass isn’t as club-like as the artist envisioned, it doesn’t sound as off as it does with other songs. Even though it is not well controlled and likes to interfere with everything in the mix, some additional detail scattered here and there is audible and not totally drowned out. Overall feeling of congestion and lack of clarity is not as evident, although the stage still is fairly shallow and almost 2D in the center. EDM is the one genre I found the Mach60 to be capable of aspiring towards satisfactory performance, although at $1099, is it really all it can accomplish?
Compared to Mach40, the Mach60 boasts a soundstage with a wonky depth and height, unlike the M40 which is almost two dimensional. But I’m not very sold on M60’s soundstage as it’s of the weirdest shape I’ve ever heard. It reminded me of a horizontally oriented hourglass, being moderately high and wide with a hint of depth in the outer parts. The real mess is the centre stage, where there is no depth, height is also not very prominent. This leads to a very 2D sound presentation. The whole image feels off, uncanny. I’d be more than happy to accept M40’s 2D soundstage if it weren’t for its ultimate lack of a calling card across all frequencies. It feels like the M60 sans bass quantity and soundstage, as wonky as they are, so you end up with just a mediocre IEM without much to keep your attention.
Money For Nothing by The Dire Straits has M40’s stage shown as narrower and with almost no depth at all. Separation is scarce and different instruments blend into each other. Lots of details throughout the sound are muffled. The vocalist is even more veiled than on M60. Andromeda by Dance With the Dead confirms my suspicion - the M60 is partially free of the compression heard in other tracks that have non synthesized instruments used. However, the bass is still blunt and hard to appreciate. On the other hand the M40 is still held back by its tuning and the sound lacks clarity and detail. The bass is even less suitable for this genre, barely a thump and nothing else. This set is really 2D in terms of soundstage. For Victory or Death by Amon Amarth played by the M40 lets you guess that this pushy sound lingering in the back is in fact a drum kick, but I am not sure if I would’ve guessed it myself if this was my first time hearing the song. The percussive sets also rely heavily on memory, 1:15 onwards the crashes are very rolled off and the timbre is so far off they sound almost like a weird abused triangle. Keep in mind I am aware this song is not really a masterpiece of mastering and clarity, but the weaknesses of the Mach40 strongly exacerbate these errors. M60 has less problems with the drum kick (still a far cry compared to a DD though), the cymbals are actually audible and are truer to the real deal in timbre, but all in all the mix appears to be the vocalist with a molasses of different instruments.
After many years of absence on the scene, Westone has finally released a series of new IEMs. Sadly, the market has evolved both in what mid-tier sets can accomplish and what is expected from something that costs $1099. In both of those areas, Westone Mach60 struggle as they are both outperformed by cheaper sets and put into place by competitors of similar price point.
Having had the Westone W30 for 8+ years, I began to wonder when Westone would release some new IEMs. Over the years, only the B30/B50 and various W80 versions have been released. 2.5 years ago a company called Lucid acquired Westone and hopes for something to happen reached a new high. With the successful resurgence of Sennheiser IEMs, one of the OG IEM makers alongside Westone, expectations were high. And I was more than happy to test my benchmarking ideology.
Two IEMs I chose were the Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 and Sennheiser IE900, representing well established all BA and single DD IEMs of the same and higher price tag. Both have metal shells which blow Mach series’ cheap feeling plastic out of the water, no contest. Westone Wx0 series had much sturdier feeling plastic. The comfort is a tie with the Andromeda (which is quite comfy to my ears) and at least two steps below the Sennheisers. You can’t really beat that stealth form factor.
First song is a classic, Rock You Like a Hurricane by The Scorpions. Two standouts of this song, the guitars and the vocals, do not play well with the Mach60. Klaus Meine sounds dull, two dimensional and veiled, making it hard to enjoy his performance fully. Guitars lack energy and sound very off timbre-wise. IE900 confirms what I’m hearing with clean power injected into both guitar and vocal tracks, with added sense of soundstage placement which was amiss in the Mach60. Moving on, the bass performance is lackluster as well as both the initial drumkick and the bassline are dull and blunt. Sennheisers come out on top with great rumble and decay. Treble is really troublesome to compare since it’s very rolled off on the Mach, I barely could make out any details on the hi-hats and cymbals. They just drown amidst everything else during the greater part of the song.
Can't Nobody Hold Me Down by Diddy is the soundtrack for a battle with the Andromeda 2020. First and foremost, the bass offered by both IEMs differs greatly. While Andromeda’s bass performance has always been its weakest link, I’ve found it to have some enjoyable qualities that offer some redemption. In this song, the greener IEM’s bass is slightly rumbly, warm but precise. Not really something to behold but doesn’t ruin the song making you wish you had a dynamic driver inside. The Mach60 bass is dull and boomy, not really fit for displaying bass tipical to this genre. Even though it tries to go for quantity at least, it’s not the desirable type. Neither is it basshead worthy, nor is it free of bleeding all over other frequencies. The worst of both worlds I guess. Moving on, another thing I concentrated on are the shuffly sounds on the right and clicky ones on the left. Both of them sound “kinda there” on the Mach to the point I had trouble differentiating one from the other even though I’ve heard this tune plenty of times. Andromeda renders these sounds in a precise manner that makes it easy to hear them so they become neat additions to the bassline. The Mach60 is capable of playing them but they make for annoying distraction, especially the left sound.
Next up, three brief impressions of other tracks I’ve found to show what the Mach60 is about. First up, Do I Wanna Know by The Arctic Monkeys. While not that shy with its details, the whole presentation is very veiled and lacks clarity. Bass is boomy with lack of texture and rumble. Guitars sound passable until the vocalist joins the mix, from that moment it all blends together and both of them occupy the same space making it hard to make out the details. Parts of the drumset are rolled off and sound funnily puffy so to speak. Everytime We Touch by Maggie Reilly continues the trend of bass and mids related woes. The former is blunt, something akin to the effect of keeping the driver diaphragm with a finger. It’s as if something was interfering with the bass performance, dampening it. The latter in the form of guitars don’t fit the song as they should, it all plays out like someone told the guitarists to be the background to the vocalist with spontaneous unpracticed jamming. The last one, Frontier by Doctor Vox, is one of the few that work quite well with the Mach. While the bass isn’t as club-like as the artist envisioned, it doesn’t sound as off as it does with other songs. Even though it is not well controlled and likes to interfere with everything in the mix, some additional detail scattered here and there is audible and not totally drowned out. Overall feeling of congestion and lack of clarity is not as evident, although the stage still is fairly shallow and almost 2D in the center. EDM is the one genre I found the Mach60 to be capable of aspiring towards satisfactory performance, although at $1099, is it really all it can accomplish?
Compared to Mach40, the Mach60 boasts a soundstage with a wonky depth and height, unlike the M40 which is almost two dimensional. But I’m not very sold on M60’s soundstage as it’s of the weirdest shape I’ve ever heard. It reminded me of a horizontally oriented hourglass, being moderately high and wide with a hint of depth in the outer parts. The real mess is the centre stage, where there is no depth, height is also not very prominent. This leads to a very 2D sound presentation. The whole image feels off, uncanny. I’d be more than happy to accept M40’s 2D soundstage if it weren’t for its ultimate lack of a calling card across all frequencies. It feels like the M60 sans bass quantity and soundstage, as wonky as they are, so you end up with just a mediocre IEM without much to keep your attention.
Money For Nothing by The Dire Straits has M40’s stage shown as narrower and with almost no depth at all. Separation is scarce and different instruments blend into each other. Lots of details throughout the sound are muffled. The vocalist is even more veiled than on M60. Andromeda by Dance With the Dead confirms my suspicion - the M60 is partially free of the compression heard in other tracks that have non synthesized instruments used. However, the bass is still blunt and hard to appreciate. On the other hand the M40 is still held back by its tuning and the sound lacks clarity and detail. The bass is even less suitable for this genre, barely a thump and nothing else. This set is really 2D in terms of soundstage. For Victory or Death by Amon Amarth played by the M40 lets you guess that this pushy sound lingering in the back is in fact a drum kick, but I am not sure if I would’ve guessed it myself if this was my first time hearing the song. The percussive sets also rely heavily on memory, 1:15 onwards the crashes are very rolled off and the timbre is so far off they sound almost like a weird abused triangle. Keep in mind I am aware this song is not really a masterpiece of mastering and clarity, but the weaknesses of the Mach40 strongly exacerbate these errors. M60 has less problems with the drum kick (still a far cry compared to a DD though), the cymbals are actually audible and are truer to the real deal in timbre, but all in all the mix appears to be the vocalist with a molasses of different instruments.
After many years of absence on the scene, Westone has finally released a series of new IEMs. Sadly, the market has evolved both in what mid-tier sets can accomplish and what is expected from something that costs $1099. In both of those areas, Westone Mach60 struggle as they are both outperformed by cheaper sets and put into place by competitors of similar price point.
For starters I would like to thank @Jedrula1 for sending me a demo unit, which was returned after writing this review.
The Heart and the Soul
The Craft Ears Aurum is arguably the hottest release among Polish IEM boutiques. Partially because of being a tribrid (1 DD, 4 BAs, 2 Estats). But also because after premiering with its Two, Four and Six line of IEMs, Craft Ears earned plenty of awards and set the bar pretty high for their next release.
The first thing they score an A for is the design. It’s been stellar since their previous numbered releases, but this time around the Genesis series signature designs really hit it out the park. Aurum’s own just oozes elegance. White universal shells are a rare sight, moreso adorned with golden flakes. Oh, and just to make a statement, the logo was moved to the top so as not to disturb the elegance of the faceplate. Truly worthy of being a bespoke, premium option in a custom design.
Craft Ears followed latest cable trends as well and bundled a premium CM Cable Bright ended in a single ended jack. Its quality is on par with other bundle cables like the PW no.8 which comes with the Lime Ears Pneuma. One thing missing is a chin slider. I’ve come to accept nonbasic cables being added to IEMs - as long as they are not of bankbreaking cost.
Aurum’s sound signature is a very pleasant and masterfully executed W. The bass hits the right spot in authority and quality, but doesn’t overshadow the rest. I might say it takes a little bit of a backseat. I guess this is the byproduct of the tuning requirements when estats are deployed. And boy, is this implementation good - the highs are free of being wispy. Cymbal notes have punch and the decay is above average. Apart from being a drumhead’s delight, this also adds to the air and instrument separation. The mids do not fall behind, either. Female voices are a little closer than male, both are textured and emotional. However, when compared to bass and highs, mids are definitely the weakest link in terms of execution, with guitars sounding a little less refined and missing that final touch of spiciness. All of this sums up to a versatile monitor suitable for plenty of genres like rock, d’n’b, soundtracks and classical in my case.
Being as young as Craft Ears is, how does the Aurum fare against some of the GOATs or heavy - hitters? Let’s start with Campfire Audio’s Andromeda. While playing Red Hot’s “Snow (Hey Oh)”, Aurum’s bass rendition is warmer, fuller, with very satisfying decay. Andromeda 2020 tries its best but bass lines like in this track are just not its forte. Also, cymbals are easier to spot in the left channel after 1:47 mark with Craft Ears’ creation. Thus, my current champion of details is showing cracks in its emerald facade, being beat in engagement factor as well. The Aurum is also hiss-free, but requires current which could power several Andromedas concurrently. But soundstage comparison is no contest with the Andromeda being noticeably more holographic.
Another one is versus the ThieAudio Monarch (green and blue custom color) - arguably one of the most anticipated comparisons, since the Monarch and the other 3 ThieAudio tribrids launched this particular driver configuration into the stratosphere . Compared to it, the Aurum is less bassy in quantity, but makes it up in its details. This blends nicely with tracks like “Money for Nothing” by the Dire Straits, where I like to keep an eye on the bassist's performance rather than be embraced by Monarch’s sheer amount of bass. The reverse happens with D’n’B or pop tracks, where the former’s bass boost goes hand in hand with the party. Hans Zimmer’s Time allows Aurum’s air and separation shine, whereas the Monarch shows signs of congestion and feels quite claustrophobic in comparison. I can’t shake the feeling the Aurum has all it takes to be the Monarch 2.0, with less dryness in vocals, more defined cymbal hits and mature bass favouring texture over Monarch’s flat but plentiful approach. Overall both are very detailed but if soundstage and airiness are of importance the Aurum is the go-to. The Monarch still is one of the IEMs to beat in its price range, and the Aurum upgrade comes at almost double the price. But if I were looking for a “bigger, better, more badass” Monarch, Craft Ears’ newest flagship would be the one to audition.
The Bad
The stock cable, while of premium quality, has a 3,5mm single ended termination. As such, not every source will be able to drive the Aurum properly as it requires a little more current than usual due to electrostats inside. My iBasso DX300 managed just fine (even if pushed a lot more than while driving my HifiMan Sundara), but the Lotoo Paw S1 was reaching max volume dangerously quick. My Samsung S8+ at top volume was passable but nowhere near being driven properly. Dongle users beware. They are also very chonky (again, the downside of its internals) and universal fit may not suit every ear, partially because the part that goes directly into the ear canal is quite elongated.
The Weird
Soundstage quirks deserve a mention in this section. While shallower than expected at flagship level, something else bothers me. On some tracks, higher notes seem to have a weird inverse rotation to them, distorting their overall placement. As a result, there are times when sounds seem to have a concave shape when positioned behind you, like a part of them was missing. Not a dealbreaker, but I can’t shake off the feeling of this “negative depth” as I’d like to call it.
The End
Following your own success is never easy, moreso for the new kid on the block. After my time with the Aurum, I think the record has been set. With a fun, universal tuning topped with great details, this IEM has what it takes to be at the top. If you have a source powerful enough to make its cogs turn, it’s worth taking the Aurum for a spin - you might be in for a surprise.
The Heart and the Soul
The Craft Ears Aurum is arguably the hottest release among Polish IEM boutiques. Partially because of being a tribrid (1 DD, 4 BAs, 2 Estats). But also because after premiering with its Two, Four and Six line of IEMs, Craft Ears earned plenty of awards and set the bar pretty high for their next release.
The first thing they score an A for is the design. It’s been stellar since their previous numbered releases, but this time around the Genesis series signature designs really hit it out the park. Aurum’s own just oozes elegance. White universal shells are a rare sight, moreso adorned with golden flakes. Oh, and just to make a statement, the logo was moved to the top so as not to disturb the elegance of the faceplate. Truly worthy of being a bespoke, premium option in a custom design.
Craft Ears followed latest cable trends as well and bundled a premium CM Cable Bright ended in a single ended jack. Its quality is on par with other bundle cables like the PW no.8 which comes with the Lime Ears Pneuma. One thing missing is a chin slider. I’ve come to accept nonbasic cables being added to IEMs - as long as they are not of bankbreaking cost.
Aurum’s sound signature is a very pleasant and masterfully executed W. The bass hits the right spot in authority and quality, but doesn’t overshadow the rest. I might say it takes a little bit of a backseat. I guess this is the byproduct of the tuning requirements when estats are deployed. And boy, is this implementation good - the highs are free of being wispy. Cymbal notes have punch and the decay is above average. Apart from being a drumhead’s delight, this also adds to the air and instrument separation. The mids do not fall behind, either. Female voices are a little closer than male, both are textured and emotional. However, when compared to bass and highs, mids are definitely the weakest link in terms of execution, with guitars sounding a little less refined and missing that final touch of spiciness. All of this sums up to a versatile monitor suitable for plenty of genres like rock, d’n’b, soundtracks and classical in my case.
Being as young as Craft Ears is, how does the Aurum fare against some of the GOATs or heavy - hitters? Let’s start with Campfire Audio’s Andromeda. While playing Red Hot’s “Snow (Hey Oh)”, Aurum’s bass rendition is warmer, fuller, with very satisfying decay. Andromeda 2020 tries its best but bass lines like in this track are just not its forte. Also, cymbals are easier to spot in the left channel after 1:47 mark with Craft Ears’ creation. Thus, my current champion of details is showing cracks in its emerald facade, being beat in engagement factor as well. The Aurum is also hiss-free, but requires current which could power several Andromedas concurrently. But soundstage comparison is no contest with the Andromeda being noticeably more holographic.
Another one is versus the ThieAudio Monarch (green and blue custom color) - arguably one of the most anticipated comparisons, since the Monarch and the other 3 ThieAudio tribrids launched this particular driver configuration into the stratosphere . Compared to it, the Aurum is less bassy in quantity, but makes it up in its details. This blends nicely with tracks like “Money for Nothing” by the Dire Straits, where I like to keep an eye on the bassist's performance rather than be embraced by Monarch’s sheer amount of bass. The reverse happens with D’n’B or pop tracks, where the former’s bass boost goes hand in hand with the party. Hans Zimmer’s Time allows Aurum’s air and separation shine, whereas the Monarch shows signs of congestion and feels quite claustrophobic in comparison. I can’t shake the feeling the Aurum has all it takes to be the Monarch 2.0, with less dryness in vocals, more defined cymbal hits and mature bass favouring texture over Monarch’s flat but plentiful approach. Overall both are very detailed but if soundstage and airiness are of importance the Aurum is the go-to. The Monarch still is one of the IEMs to beat in its price range, and the Aurum upgrade comes at almost double the price. But if I were looking for a “bigger, better, more badass” Monarch, Craft Ears’ newest flagship would be the one to audition.
The Bad
The stock cable, while of premium quality, has a 3,5mm single ended termination. As such, not every source will be able to drive the Aurum properly as it requires a little more current than usual due to electrostats inside. My iBasso DX300 managed just fine (even if pushed a lot more than while driving my HifiMan Sundara), but the Lotoo Paw S1 was reaching max volume dangerously quick. My Samsung S8+ at top volume was passable but nowhere near being driven properly. Dongle users beware. They are also very chonky (again, the downside of its internals) and universal fit may not suit every ear, partially because the part that goes directly into the ear canal is quite elongated.
The Weird
Soundstage quirks deserve a mention in this section. While shallower than expected at flagship level, something else bothers me. On some tracks, higher notes seem to have a weird inverse rotation to them, distorting their overall placement. As a result, there are times when sounds seem to have a concave shape when positioned behind you, like a part of them was missing. Not a dealbreaker, but I can’t shake off the feeling of this “negative depth” as I’d like to call it.
The End
Following your own success is never easy, moreso for the new kid on the block. After my time with the Aurum, I think the record has been set. With a fun, universal tuning topped with great details, this IEM has what it takes to be at the top. If you have a source powerful enough to make its cogs turn, it’s worth taking the Aurum for a spin - you might be in for a surprise.
Beh0lder
@fabio19 I will expand on this thought when my customs return, but right now I feel that some sounds don't appear as a sphere as usual (or a circle when there is little depth) but rather collapse back into itself. It's not something that ruins everything, but sometimes is the cause of slight weirdness, especially in the treble.
EarphoneTony
Great review. IMO Aurums are one of the most complete IEMs in the industry right now. For me - TOTL on worldwide lvl.
I want to mention a few things, as some have changed from what I see. Now Craft Ears adds 2.5mm balanced CM Cables Bright cable, as Aurums works way better via the balanced connection.
Never noticed a weird inversion in sound - maybe it is some kind of issue that your set has? Maybe you should send them to CE for service? I am sure they will help you.
I want to mention a few things, as some have changed from what I see. Now Craft Ears adds 2.5mm balanced CM Cables Bright cable, as Aurums works way better via the balanced connection.
Never noticed a weird inversion in sound - maybe it is some kind of issue that your set has? Maybe you should send them to CE for service? I am sure they will help you.
iFi NEO iDSD
I’ve been caught red handed. I must confess I’ve never had the pleasure to test drive a desktop setup for anything audio. My personal preference on portability pushed me to delve deep into DAP and IEM territory, almost forgetting about the other side of the coin. Thankfully, planar headphones and Bluetooth/ANC enabled cans were able to pull me back from IEM’s embrace, briefly at least. Now, courtesy of iFi Audio and it’s newly released NEO iDSD DAC, I can get a taste of all the goodies desktop solutions have to offer.
The NEO iDSD was loaned to me as part of a tour.
iFi’s deal with the NEO seems to be an all in one solution. Starting with classic MQA streaming, followed by Bluetooth capability to spice up your connection, console compatibility and power amp/active speaker outputs. In my review I’ll focus on all of those except speakers, those are scary. Oh well.
The NEO comes in a sleek box with the device secured in foam and accessories in cardboard compartments. Dedicated stand feels sturdy and should hold the DAC in place, avoiding Playstation 2-era headaches. There is a remote control as well, which proved useful in remote operation.
The Heart and Soul
Since the NEO is more of an all in one solution than a typical music-only device, I decided to approach this review from another angle. It didn’t take me long to realise I have not watched a single movie using any of my earphones. Moreover, in a truly scientific manner I decided to brave yet another frontier I have never explored - Bluetooth! Mind you, I was as intrigued by whatever may result from this experiment as I was happy to go the easy route. No cables (not that I possess any long enough to cross my living room), simple pairing and I should be ready to go, as long as the tech will do so. And imagine my bliss when everything went smoothly! My Sony TV automatically connected to the NEO every time it was powered on bar the second time after initial pairing. Even my WH-1000XM3’s seem picky in that matter. Ease of operation made me forget my initial audio quality worries. Not that there is much to worry about. Justice League was able to provide a fix for my cinema cravings with all the details going on all around me. Marvel’s TV miniseries was a bliss to watch, both during dialogue-heavy parts and whatever action unfolded. One thing surprised me, I did not expect my HiFiman Sundara to be so much better a performer than my IEMs. Headstage was easily an order of magnitude larger, even in comparison to the Andromedas. Details were easier to locate, and voices sounded a lot more lifelike, all of which are attributes of Campfire Audio emerald creations, rather than Sundara’s. Perhaps planar magic was able to manifest itself during movie playback? I just couldn’t put the HiFimans down after comparing them to any of my IEMs. To sum up, TV playback is easy to set up, lag free and with plenty of detail (keep in mind TV’s audio performance also matters here).
Boy, this is really not at all about music, is it? Fear not, there is more! In a true all-in-one fashion I hooked the NEO to my PC purely with gaming in mind. Happily, both my test titles - Apex Legends and Valheim - did not require any extra setup and were ready to play as is. Both were played with Sundaras, with ModMic addon for voice chat purposes. Sound in both games was spacious with lots of detail. In Apex, I could hear enemy squads from quite far beyond the buildings I was in. This applied to height as well, I could easily identify how many players and where they were above me, being able to discern different levels when they decided to jump down from a building. Accuracy of my observation was confirmed with my quick demise soon afterwards. Mixing game audio with voice chat was also quite good but required a little more fiddling in terms of volume than I’d like compared to dedicated gaming headset solutions. During my adventure in Valheim, I was happy to use audio queues for fauna location - hunting necks and deer for materials was a piece of cake compared to running around looking for them. When epic audio themes started to rock in my cans during breakthrough moments of the game, I was really in them. Keep in mind that the NEO is only a part of the equation, and a lot depends on what headphones/IEMs you connect to them for gaming. Also, I did not compare this wired setup to my usual SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless headset since it can’t possibly power the Sundara, and switching between NEO and Arctis base would take too much time to be of value.
Finally, the music. Going through my usual Tidal playlist as well as my whole library at random, I found the NEO to be quite the performer. I enjoy the width it possesses, as well as the ability to precisely place instruments and sounds on the stage. However, depth is average. Paired with the sound as a whole being oriented rather close with a small amount of air between separate layers, it’s hard to put oneself inside of music, to be fully aware of every part of the composition. Mind you, it’s not impossible to do, but it’s no iBasso DX300. Then again, the NEO is versatile enough to be altered with additional amps to suit different tastes.
Last paragraph might sound a little less stellar compared to movie and gaming ones. But in my opinion, the NEO exists to assemble the Audio Infinity Gauntlet (music, movies, gaming) and it really does make me snap my fingers no matter what kind of audio it was playing.
The Weird
The USB cable is so short I can barely have the NEO face me while connected to my laptop's side USB port. Desktop operation will be a nightmare without changing it for a longer one. While I get short USB C cables provided with e.g. TWS IEMs, of which there is abundance, USB A to USB B is not nearly as common a cable termination to skimp on length hoping for a user's rich inventory. While the NEO is ready to play out of the box, initial driver update and streaming setup is veery IT heavy (official youtube tutorials are very helpful, happily). I haven’t updated my PC’s drivers manually via the control panel in a long time. Dropping a file onto my Lotoo S1/DX300 is as far as I consider user-friendly. Of course, daily usage is as plug and play as a dongle. Sadly, dongle comparisons don’t stop there - it also won’t turn off on its own, even if the source did. But dongles don’t get remote controls so there is that. I am not sold on the screen as well - it does little more than providing input, volume, Hz and bits. Settings require button combos anyway. All of this could also be achieved by having simple LEDs change color depending on data. I hope the NEO+ has a larger, color screen to change settings on-device. Some additional eye candy wouldn’t hurt as well - like EQ settings, artwork display.
Bluetooth range is enough for an apartment, but I could not connect on the outside being roughly 2m away, behind a quite thick outer wall. Inside, range ended on the staircase when the signal had to cross a more 3D path. Sadly, Bluetooth is limited to input, with no output capabilities. Not unexpected with NEO’s screen estate (device pairing would be near impossible), but my PC wished for something more ambitious to stream Bluetooth with than an off the shelf dongle.
The Bad
For a brand known partly for their hissing solutions in the form of IEMatch, NEO is far from being hiss free. And we are talking not Andromeda levels, but sadly all of my gear found something to hiss about. Mainly while idling, becoming less audible during playback, but it’s there. Perhaps USB is to blame, since that was my only available input? There is a wall brick included but it seems to have on effect on hiss, being there probably to provide power to powerless inputs? If nano iDSD Black Label has the tech inside, why didn’t the NEO? Tested with three different PCs, mobiles etc., using different USB ports. Nada. Unbalanced port is in serious standard - 6.3mm - but might provide not enough current for serious headphones.
The End
All things considered I did enjoy the iFi NEO iDSD for what it is - a versatile all-performer. Wherever I decided to add it to the chain, be it everyday music listening, movie night or gaming sessions, something was gained. Finding different use cases was fun. It even found its use in audio mixing, where it was detected by various Native Instruments apps. TV could play with a bit more air compared to inbuilt speakers. Gaming usage proved that audio headphones are as capable in music as they are in action filled shooters. Moreso, there is a whole world of speakers to be explored. To sum up, the NEO could work as a single brain for all audio sources in the house. Are there better units for single use-cases? Of course, nothing beats dedication. But what if one would like to enhance one’s audio in a simple way? The NEO is worth the test drive.
I’ve been caught red handed. I must confess I’ve never had the pleasure to test drive a desktop setup for anything audio. My personal preference on portability pushed me to delve deep into DAP and IEM territory, almost forgetting about the other side of the coin. Thankfully, planar headphones and Bluetooth/ANC enabled cans were able to pull me back from IEM’s embrace, briefly at least. Now, courtesy of iFi Audio and it’s newly released NEO iDSD DAC, I can get a taste of all the goodies desktop solutions have to offer.
The NEO iDSD was loaned to me as part of a tour.
iFi’s deal with the NEO seems to be an all in one solution. Starting with classic MQA streaming, followed by Bluetooth capability to spice up your connection, console compatibility and power amp/active speaker outputs. In my review I’ll focus on all of those except speakers, those are scary. Oh well.
The NEO comes in a sleek box with the device secured in foam and accessories in cardboard compartments. Dedicated stand feels sturdy and should hold the DAC in place, avoiding Playstation 2-era headaches. There is a remote control as well, which proved useful in remote operation.
The Heart and Soul
Since the NEO is more of an all in one solution than a typical music-only device, I decided to approach this review from another angle. It didn’t take me long to realise I have not watched a single movie using any of my earphones. Moreover, in a truly scientific manner I decided to brave yet another frontier I have never explored - Bluetooth! Mind you, I was as intrigued by whatever may result from this experiment as I was happy to go the easy route. No cables (not that I possess any long enough to cross my living room), simple pairing and I should be ready to go, as long as the tech will do so. And imagine my bliss when everything went smoothly! My Sony TV automatically connected to the NEO every time it was powered on bar the second time after initial pairing. Even my WH-1000XM3’s seem picky in that matter. Ease of operation made me forget my initial audio quality worries. Not that there is much to worry about. Justice League was able to provide a fix for my cinema cravings with all the details going on all around me. Marvel’s TV miniseries was a bliss to watch, both during dialogue-heavy parts and whatever action unfolded. One thing surprised me, I did not expect my HiFiman Sundara to be so much better a performer than my IEMs. Headstage was easily an order of magnitude larger, even in comparison to the Andromedas. Details were easier to locate, and voices sounded a lot more lifelike, all of which are attributes of Campfire Audio emerald creations, rather than Sundara’s. Perhaps planar magic was able to manifest itself during movie playback? I just couldn’t put the HiFimans down after comparing them to any of my IEMs. To sum up, TV playback is easy to set up, lag free and with plenty of detail (keep in mind TV’s audio performance also matters here).
Boy, this is really not at all about music, is it? Fear not, there is more! In a true all-in-one fashion I hooked the NEO to my PC purely with gaming in mind. Happily, both my test titles - Apex Legends and Valheim - did not require any extra setup and were ready to play as is. Both were played with Sundaras, with ModMic addon for voice chat purposes. Sound in both games was spacious with lots of detail. In Apex, I could hear enemy squads from quite far beyond the buildings I was in. This applied to height as well, I could easily identify how many players and where they were above me, being able to discern different levels when they decided to jump down from a building. Accuracy of my observation was confirmed with my quick demise soon afterwards. Mixing game audio with voice chat was also quite good but required a little more fiddling in terms of volume than I’d like compared to dedicated gaming headset solutions. During my adventure in Valheim, I was happy to use audio queues for fauna location - hunting necks and deer for materials was a piece of cake compared to running around looking for them. When epic audio themes started to rock in my cans during breakthrough moments of the game, I was really in them. Keep in mind that the NEO is only a part of the equation, and a lot depends on what headphones/IEMs you connect to them for gaming. Also, I did not compare this wired setup to my usual SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless headset since it can’t possibly power the Sundara, and switching between NEO and Arctis base would take too much time to be of value.
Finally, the music. Going through my usual Tidal playlist as well as my whole library at random, I found the NEO to be quite the performer. I enjoy the width it possesses, as well as the ability to precisely place instruments and sounds on the stage. However, depth is average. Paired with the sound as a whole being oriented rather close with a small amount of air between separate layers, it’s hard to put oneself inside of music, to be fully aware of every part of the composition. Mind you, it’s not impossible to do, but it’s no iBasso DX300. Then again, the NEO is versatile enough to be altered with additional amps to suit different tastes.
Last paragraph might sound a little less stellar compared to movie and gaming ones. But in my opinion, the NEO exists to assemble the Audio Infinity Gauntlet (music, movies, gaming) and it really does make me snap my fingers no matter what kind of audio it was playing.
The Weird
The USB cable is so short I can barely have the NEO face me while connected to my laptop's side USB port. Desktop operation will be a nightmare without changing it for a longer one. While I get short USB C cables provided with e.g. TWS IEMs, of which there is abundance, USB A to USB B is not nearly as common a cable termination to skimp on length hoping for a user's rich inventory. While the NEO is ready to play out of the box, initial driver update and streaming setup is veery IT heavy (official youtube tutorials are very helpful, happily). I haven’t updated my PC’s drivers manually via the control panel in a long time. Dropping a file onto my Lotoo S1/DX300 is as far as I consider user-friendly. Of course, daily usage is as plug and play as a dongle. Sadly, dongle comparisons don’t stop there - it also won’t turn off on its own, even if the source did. But dongles don’t get remote controls so there is that. I am not sold on the screen as well - it does little more than providing input, volume, Hz and bits. Settings require button combos anyway. All of this could also be achieved by having simple LEDs change color depending on data. I hope the NEO+ has a larger, color screen to change settings on-device. Some additional eye candy wouldn’t hurt as well - like EQ settings, artwork display.
Bluetooth range is enough for an apartment, but I could not connect on the outside being roughly 2m away, behind a quite thick outer wall. Inside, range ended on the staircase when the signal had to cross a more 3D path. Sadly, Bluetooth is limited to input, with no output capabilities. Not unexpected with NEO’s screen estate (device pairing would be near impossible), but my PC wished for something more ambitious to stream Bluetooth with than an off the shelf dongle.
The Bad
For a brand known partly for their hissing solutions in the form of IEMatch, NEO is far from being hiss free. And we are talking not Andromeda levels, but sadly all of my gear found something to hiss about. Mainly while idling, becoming less audible during playback, but it’s there. Perhaps USB is to blame, since that was my only available input? There is a wall brick included but it seems to have on effect on hiss, being there probably to provide power to powerless inputs? If nano iDSD Black Label has the tech inside, why didn’t the NEO? Tested with three different PCs, mobiles etc., using different USB ports. Nada. Unbalanced port is in serious standard - 6.3mm - but might provide not enough current for serious headphones.
The End
All things considered I did enjoy the iFi NEO iDSD for what it is - a versatile all-performer. Wherever I decided to add it to the chain, be it everyday music listening, movie night or gaming sessions, something was gained. Finding different use cases was fun. It even found its use in audio mixing, where it was detected by various Native Instruments apps. TV could play with a bit more air compared to inbuilt speakers. Gaming usage proved that audio headphones are as capable in music as they are in action filled shooters. Moreso, there is a whole world of speakers to be explored. To sum up, the NEO could work as a single brain for all audio sources in the house. Are there better units for single use-cases? Of course, nothing beats dedication. But what if one would like to enhance one’s audio in a simple way? The NEO is worth the test drive.
iFi audio
Lovely work, thanks!
Would be interesting to try it out to see if it is amazing or cursed.