Introduction and background

To satisfy the requirements of the recent iFi Neo iDSD loaner tour, the following is my review of the iFi Neo iDSD. I reached out to iFi to request participation in the tour and was given 1 week to evaluate the equipment. No direct compensation is being provided for this review, although tour participants are being entered in a drawing to win a Neo iDSD by random draw.

My personal preferences and biases place a stronger emphasis on (pseudo) stereo imaging and the dynamic/transient characteristics of the equipment than the perception of ruler-flat frequency response. It is my view that the brain can significantly adapt to minor frequency-response aberrations, given enough time. There are practical limits to this, however. I also value midrange tonality such as female vocals and wind instruments more than subterranean bass or perfect treble, although the latter two are appreciated. I tend to prefer a mildly upfront midrange that doesn’t give the impression of excessive distance or detachment. My initial bias going into the review is that it might be a slight improvement over the Micro iDSD (non-black label) that I’ve owned twice before, but I didn’t expect a large improvement.


Compared equipment

Headphone:
Sennheiser HD-650 (Spider and rear-foam removal mod with 2 pieces of Sorbothane on magnets only) /w balanced cable and adapters where appropriate.

Source:
Lenovo P71 workstation laptop
Qobuz streaming.

DAC/Amp Combinations:
iDSD Neo built-in output (both)
iDSD Neo balanced XLR out + Burson Soloist 3x /w V6 Vivid
iDSD Neo single ended RCA out + Burson Fun /w SparkoS
iDSD Neo single ended RCA out + Gilmore Lite Mk. 2
Schiit Modius + Burson Soloist 3X


Impressions

Build quality and user experience:

The build quality and aesthetics, aside from being a departure from other iFi products is a nice step up from the Micro series. The design is clean and modern and conveniently sized for many desktop setups. The vertical stand allows a space-saving operational mode when needed, and the display automatically adjusts the orientation, I assume, via an internal gyroscope or similar. The rotary encoder operates very smoothly and has a unique soft-click sound and feel rather than the usual rubbery tactile bump. Unfortunately, the knob, from what I can tell, is a press-fit knob for a clean look rather than using a set screw. Like the knob on my Soloist 3X, these press-fit knobs seem to give it a slightly loose or wobbly feel compared to knobs tightened with a set screw, but this is ultimately a minor criticism.
The display is small but generally clear and easily readable, with adjustable brightness and an auto-off mode. The “high-res audio” sticker looks a little cheesy also, but I’m assuming it can probably be removed by the end user. Otherwise, I really liked the design and build-quality, a tighter-feeling knob would just be icing on the cake. A photo of the Neo with some of the other equipment compared is shown below.



Bass:

The bass-boost functionality of several other iFi products is conspicuously absent on this model, but as others suggested to me, the quantity of bass feels sufficient for me, which for some may be a touch greater than flat. The 4.4mm balanced output produces a well extended and quality bass, especially with acoustic music, but the Soloist 3X connected produces an even stronger and more authoritative bass response.

Midrange:

Depending on equipment pairing this could be a small area of weakness. Out of the 4.4mm output, the mids seem well integrated without being too dry or tonally saturated. There’s a slight upper-mid emphasis that imparts an energetic presentation to the Neo, but it seems to hold back just before getting too much. Perhaps with other headphones that overly emphasize the upper-mids, this could be a bit too much. Other users have reported excellent synergy with Focal headphones like the Clear and Elegia, that tend to have an upper-mid recession, which supports my observation.

When connecting the Soloist 3X with V6 Vivid, the true midrange recession becomes a bit too much and things sound over distant for my preferences. The V6 Vivid in the Soloist 3X has a naturally spacious sound that is a bit laid back. Tonally, the Fun with SparkoS matched better, so I suspect the SparkoS in the Soloist 3X would produce a similar positive effect.

Treble:

Treble is quite extended and clear without any major problems that jump out at me. Do keep in mind that I use the HD650 which tends toward treble roll-off and may hide problems with more treble-present headphones. One thing of note is that with the 4.4mm balanced output, there’s a positive quality to the speed of the treble which makes things such as hi-hats feel a little more realistic than with the Modius or ADI-2 DAC. Otherwise, there’s nothing else that stands out in a positive or negative way.

Dynamics:

Now this is where things start to get interesting. The real capability of the Neo is shown in its rendering of microdynamics and transients of medium intensity. This is a characteristic I weigh heavily in my personal preference, as this is what gives live and instrumental music it’s character, groove, and sense of “life”. It’s a characteristic the Modius also performed admirably on (although a little behind the Neo). It’s also a characteristic I thought the ADI-2 fell flat on relative to the Neo and Modius.

The 4.4mm output gives a clearly defined attack, sustain, and decay, and adds to the realism of acoustic drums and subtle piano flourishes. I don’t want to call it “class leading” because there’s a lot in its price range that I haven’t heard yet, namely the Schiit Bifrost 2. It’s certainly the most delightful strength of the Neo. The Soloist 3X with V6 Vivid seems to soften the attack a bit, but I also think the SparkoS would improve this and better communicate the strengths of the Neo.

Imaging and separation:

I don’t have too much opinion on this other than it’s satisfactory and satisfying. Similar to the ADI-2 which is strong in this area. The Modius falls behind the more expensive DACs with a more closed-in and intimate sound by comparison. There is nothing seriously objectionable going on like an overly flat or 2-D presentation. Things sound a little more airy and separated out of the 4.4mm balanced due to the perceived speed of attack and decay.

Overall musical engagement:

For me, This is primarily a function that is the sum of the dynamics, imaging, and midrange presentation, and likely the most purely subjective opinion since it involves my interpretation of my observations. I found the overall musical engagement to be superior to both the Modius and the ADI-2, although the Modius again performs very well at its price point. This is where I think the Bifrost 2 would be a fairer comparison and one I hope to do in the future, hopefully by around March.

Anecdotally, many users cite musical engagement as a strength of the Schiit Multibit DACs, and I’ve also found it to be a strength of the Neo as well. I would expect the Gungnir Multibit (which I’ve owned) to exceed the Neo in this regard, but at a much higher price and occupation of physical space. Ditto to the next level for the Yggdrasil. The musical engagement of the Neo, especially at it’s price, really impressed me. This is really the make-or-break factor for me when I evaluate gear.

Conclusion and other thoughts:

Taken all together, the Neo exceeded my initial expectations by a fair margin I and feel like it’s worth the price of admission, whether as an all-in-one for mid to high efficiency headphones, or as a pure DAC to a higher-end balanced amp like the Soloist 3X. With the HD650 in balanced mode from the 4.4mm output, the output doesn’t just feel tacked on. You may notice that I didn’t really mention much about the single-ended headphone output, and that’s because it was kind of meh. It’s not terrible, but you can do better with an external single-ended amp like the Burson Fun or Gilmore Lite Mk. 2 (Maybe an Asgard 3 also, but I haven’t heard it).

I think the balanced headphone output is more than serviceable for most headphones, and tonally well-matched to the DAC section. You’d have to spend considerably more than the cost of the aforementioned amps to improve upon the 4.4mm output. Even the single-ended amps I compared were more of side-grades with a different flavor, although I do think the Burson Fun with SparkoS edged out the built-in amp once it was fully warmed up (Burson class-A amps take a notoriously long time to warm up).

As much as I liked the Neo, I think the platform itself has a ton of potential for future improvements which I will recommend here for iFi’s consideration. Given there’s still a large price-gap between the Neo and the Pro iDSD, I think it would be wise to eventually produce an improved “special edition” not unlike what’s been done with the Black Labels and Signature. The PCB appears to have sufficient room to implement at least a discrete output-buffer circuit. An FPGA or DSP chip could be added to implement other filter options like the Pro instead of just the GTO filter. The XBass and 3D would be nice additions too, but less preferential to me than the first two.

Perhaps the current Micro iUSB power could be replaced by a Neo iUSB power station with similar form factor to serve as an improved power-supply for the Neo. If an improved Neo iDSD sold for $1000-$1100 and the optional power supply upgrade for no more than $500, that would put the total price about halfway between the current Neo iDSD and Pro iDSD. The iFi Neo is a terrific performer at its price-point, but it leaves me with the itch of “what could be”. It makes me very curious of what the Pro iDSD is capable of, but unfortunately, that is well beyond my financial comfort zone for a while. I would definitely like to see what more can be squeezed out of this platform in the future.

Introduction and background


Burson Audio contacted me with an opportunity to review the Burson Playmate Amp/DAC combo. Although I originally had no intention of trying any recent Burson products, I decided to oblige because I'm always up for trying out new equipment. I've previously owned a Burson Soloist several years ago which was a favorable experience, but had since moved on to various tube and hybrid amps. Recently I've returned to a more solid-state emphasis with focus on balancing subjective performance with value. I went into this review with an initial slight bias against the newer Burson equipment because it appeared to be such a departure from their older design principles. However, I ended up pleasantly surprised with the Playmate.

The review-loaner unit did not include any discrete or other op-amps, so I was not able to compare op-amp changes. Also, the RCA pre-amp outputs were defective, so I was not able to evaluate it's pre-amp outputs.

I try to keep my profile generally up-to-date with past equipment owned for the context of my equipment experience. I've been in the hobby almost 10 years, having joined Head-Fi in 2011 and have attended several meets over the years to audition various equipment.


Compared equipment


Headphone:

Sennheiser HD-650 (Spider and rear-foam removal mod with 2 pieces of Sorbothane on magnets only)

Source:

Lenovo P71 workstation laptop
Qobuz streaming.

DAC/Amp Combinations:

Grace M9xx
iFi iDSD Micro (Silver)
RME ADI-2 DAC FS (4493) Headphone output
ADI-2 DAC + Headamp Gilmore Lite Mk. 2
ADI-2 DAC + Monoprice/Cavalli Liquid Platinum

Photos:





Impressions

I'm admittedly not the most talented with eloquent qualitative descriptions, so much of my review will deal in explaining what I personally preferred while attempting to articulate why I preferred it. First, I thought the Playmate clearly outclassed both the iDSD Micro and Grace M9xx for my preferences. The Playmate renders a spatial dimensionality to music that neither DAC/amp combo are capable of, resulting in what I find to be a more accurate rendition of music across effectively all genres. To be honest, I spent very little time comparing these two to the Playmate because I universally preferred the Playmate to both.

Adding the ADI-2 DAC to the mix is where things started to get interesting. The ADI-2 DAC retails for $1149, so it may not seem like a fair comparison to the Playmate. Comparing the two as DAC/Amps directly, the RME seems to have a superior sense of space, separation, and black background. Adding the Liquid Platinum to the RME extends the sense of space even further with deep bass extension, and adding the Gilmore Lite Mk. 2 adds precision transient definition, power, and even blacker background.

In many of the typical subjective descriptors of audio, the Playmate falls behind the more expensive combos, except for two critical areas. The precision and cohesion of the sound image, and the presence of the true midrange (i.e. female vocals). The soundstage isn't particularly large. In fact, it's much more of an "in your head" sound. However, it manages to pull off the very rare feat of presenting a lucid spherical image of sound within the mind. Yes, I realize that language sounds a bit flowery, but that's the best way I can think to describe the effect. Female vocals in particular are exquisitely presented, with just enough presence and body, being neither overly warm or too cold sounding.

This is not to say that the sound is flawless. At times, the sound can have a digital-hash/tension to the treble. My old iFi USB purifier (original model) mitigated this considerably, which is interesting because I usually find it does more harm than good with well implemented USB sections. This could indicate poor RF-noise filtering on the USB input. This is also supported by the observation that it seems to sound better later at night when the power grid typically has less load and noise. Additionally, I found the "low" PLL setting to sound preferable to high, where the latter seems to suppress some pace and microdynamics. While the bass is generally punchy, it doesn't seems to extend as low as even the RME headphone output without EQ.

With the COVID-19 pandemic as of this writing, I think I've been given more time than originally planned to review. I've gotten to spend about a month with it now. What I'm finding is that I keep wanting to go back to listening to it, even with my "fancier" equipment. This is telling, although I do think there's a strong personal preference at play here. I find the combination of lucid sound-imaging and balanced midrange presence to be addicting. I've never been one to like to overhype things, but I think I'm genuinely enjoying music more out of the Playmate than out of my other Combos. If it weren't for the fact that I've become attached to the features of the RME, I'd probably just buy a Conductor 3x just to see what it's capable of. Also of note is that all of this evaluation has strictly been with the stock 5532 op-amp. I haven't even gotten to delve into Op-amp rolling yet.

Still, I don't think this is going to be for everyone. If you have experience with past Burson Products like the Soloist and thought the treble was too harsh or Bright, you probably won't like the Playmate. It's still consistent with my past experience with the Burson house sound. I for one like the presentation, but everyone's tastes are different. I don't think it's too bad in that regard, but it's not really smoothed over either. People who prefer the sound of something like the Violectric V200 (I don't) may not like the Burson. I don't have an unlimited tolerance for treble nastiness, although my current use of the HD-650 may mask treble aggressiveness. My Hifiman HE-4xx have been collecting dust for awhile because I really dislike their treble presentation.

Overall, I'm so enamored with the Playmate, that I plan to acquire a Burson Fun for use with the RME ADI-2 DAC. I feel compelled to narrow down if the "magic" I was experiencing is related to the amp section or the DAC. I am hoping it is the former. Considering that Burson has had flagship amplifiers (without a DAC) in the past, I suspect they will eventually release something in their current Reference or Performance range (hopefully fully balanced). If the Fun and said theoretical future amp retain the positive qualities of the Playmate, I could genuinely see the latter being "endgame" for my preferences. If you're shopping for an AMP/DAC combo in the $500 range, or even up to $1,000, I suggest putting the Playmate on your shortlist, with the caveat that I think it would really benefit from some kind of USB filtering like those from iFi or similar. ~$400 USD plus shipping ~$100 for the USB iPurifier still represents are strongly competitive value for under $600.


Other (non-sound) gripes:

I've expressed this personally to Burson, but for good measure, I find the implementation of the rotary encoder used for volume control to be poorly designed or implemented. When adjusting the volume, the selection will often be confused as to whether it is reading an up, down, or it won't read a notch at all. I might have written this off as a fluke with my unit, but I've read similar reports of other units, to include the Conductor, having the same problem. In contrast, the RME has a similar-feeling notched rotary-encoder for volume control, but it's implementation is smooth, natural, and otherwise flawless. It's implementation actually enhances the user experience rather than detracting from it.

Some users have reported that it doesn't bother them too much, but I personally find it very annoying and disruptive to the user experience. I hope that this will be improved up with future models. This is really my biggest nitpick out of the whole review, so if you're most concerned with sound-quality value, and this isn't a dealbreaker, then I highly recommend it. Because I like the sound presentation so much, I would probably be willing to deal with it, simply because I don't know if I could find an acceptable alternative in another brand. On the other hand, the Fun uses an Alps potentiometer, so if I acquire one of those, then this would be a moot point anyways.

First of all, special thanks to Todd at TTVJ Audio for the opportunity to participate in this loaner program.

Introduction:

The Sangaku is the first Apex Hifi product I have had the opportunity to audition. It is one of, if not the first headphone amps to utilize the new Korg Nutube, which is a miniaturized vacuum tube based on previous Vacuum Fluorescent Display. It uses much less power and generates less heat than traditional tubes. But what is especially unique about the Nutube is that it is technically a directly heated triode. So, the Sangaku is unique in that it is a DHT hybrid headphone amp. Yet it retains the smaller footprint of traditional solid state headphone amps.

For comparison, I have owned a few comparable amps in price and performance over the past few years. Namely the DIY Torpedo III amp, the Trafomatic Head 2, and the Eddie Current Super 7.

Setup:

Chord Mojo as DAC using a generic 3.5mm to RCA cable from Amazon. Focal Elear and modded Sennheiser HD-650 as headphones. Mostly used the Elear though. Macbook Pro using Vox player and PC using JRiver MC 22.

Build:

Build quality seems pretty standard all black Apex style. Nothing fancy. The relay switched inputs and gain with LEDs are a nice touch. Unfortunately, the Nutube is inherently microphonic by nature of being a DHT which never really gets “hot”. Switching inputs or plugging in a headphone results in an audible “Ping!”

Sound:

The sound of the amp is difficult to describe without sounding paradoxical. The midrange is clean and clear, yet has a sweet slight warmth. Treble is extended and more present than a lot of amps, and in combination with the midrange creates a certain lucidity to the imaging that is slightly reminiscent of (though not the same as) top SET DHT amps. The greatest strength though IMO, is it has an excellent sense of rhythmic drive. This is most apparent with small ensemble Jazz with a lot of rhythmic stuff going on.

One thing that must be taken into account when reading this review, is that I find this amp to be very transparent to source. So much so, that I almost was going to give it a lukewarm review, but discovered my nitpicks were with my source. I recently applied a tweak to my Mojo of adding a large RFI ferrite suppression choke to my USB which made a noticeable improvement to the DAC, and the improvement was readily audible through the Sangaku. The clear and open midrange and treble does not do any favors to digital hash present in the source. Having previously owned the Schiit Yggdrasil and Gungnir Multibit, I can imagine they would pair well with the Sangaku. The amp seems thoroughly resolving enough to take advantage of what the Yggdrasil has to offer.

Therefore, I’m hesitant to try to nail down the sound description in too much detail. Simply because it lets the source shine through. However, it’s not a “wire with gain” so to speak. It does apply it’s own tube harmonics in a tasteful way. And maybe not the tightest bass I’ve ever heard. I deliberately haven’t commented on the bass, because I think it’s just carrying over some of the Mojo, but maybe a touch looser. Again, I think the Gungnir Multibit might be a better match. I thought the Torpedo III had better bass, but I had the Gungnir when I had the Torpedo III.

My only regret with this review, is that I don’t currently have more equipment to try with it. I would love to try the HD800 with it, having owned it twice. I also have no balanced headphone cables at the moment to try with it. I don’t think the amp is fully balanced, but it may have a differential output. I’m not sure though, I’d have to ask the designer.

I do think this amp can really keep up with some of the best out there, but source matters. It brings it’s own unique and addicting flavor to the mix, without spoiling the original sound. If I had to sum it up I’d say airy yet rhythmic. Not the absolute tightest across the frequency spectrum, but still clean and clear. Looseness probably isn’t the best descriptor, but rather it’s the harmonic decay that gives it some nuance and detail to trailing edges of music. This also helps to convey rhythmic information.

Value:

This is a tough one for me, and an area I am personally really nitpicky. On sound alone, it competes well against similarly priced amps, despite stiff competition. But when you compare it to the previous Peak/Volcano combo at the same price, it’s clear this amp is more cost effective to manufacture. The copious use of op amps and simple case work, psychologically make it harder to swallow at the price point. I’m guessing that they really just don’t want to have to build a ton of them to keep up with the demand of a lower price, so they are intentionally lower volume, perhaps. It probably has to have a certain margin for it to even be worth Pete Millett taking his time to design. That kind of stuff is time consuming, especially when it’s not your day job.

This doesn’t mean it’s a poor value by any means, it just means there is probably a healthy margin. But probably less so than a lot of big name manufacturers. If anything, this is a testament to Pete Millett’s design chops, that he can take generally pedestrian parts, and make a stellar sounding amp out of it. I really don’t have any problems with the choice of power op amps in the output stage. There is nothing inherently wrong with them, just less flexibility in integrating into a design. But they are implemented well in the Sangaku.

First off, special thanks to Todd at TTVJ for allowing me to take part in the HE-1000 loaner program.

This will be short and sweet, as I realized I'm not as good at coming up with reviews as I thought I might be.

I primarily compared this to my Sennheiser HD800. Utilizing a Schiit Yggdrasil as DAC and Trafomatic head 2 on 4 Pin XLR out.

The HE-1000 has an unmistakable planar signature, such as it's lightning fast transient speeds, and ability to really dig into the bass. Unlike many planar headphones I've listened to, it also does quite well in presenting a convincing soundstage, though it's not quite as expansive as the HD800. Micro detail retrieval is also right up with the best. Tone, texture, and separation are it's greatest strengths.

The tonal balance is very pleasing, less fatiguing than the HD800, and strikes a good balance between the more "earthy" sound of some Audeze's and the more "ethereal" sound of the HD800.

I also liked the comfort and shape of the earpads. the upside-down teardrop shape is reminiscent of the Sennheiser HD-590, my very first "audiophile" headphone from 2005.

Fit and finish seem worthy of the asking price, much better than past Hifiman products.

In all honesty, I found myself wanting to listen to these more than my HD800, which is rare, as I really, really like my HD800. My biggest complaint of the HE-1000 is simply the MSRP. I think $1500-$1700 would have been more appropriate for this top tier headphone. At $3k, it becomes difficult to recommend over competitors, when price is a consideration. However, if your pockets are deep, then definitely put the HE-1000 on your must try list. I have gone through several top tier headphones on my Journey to the HD800 and this is the first to truly challenge it IMO. Of course, at double the MSRP. I still have not heard, as of this writing, the Enigmacoustics Dharma, or Abyss, the latter I probably never will.