Before I jump in, shout out to the iFi audio team for sending over this product for review.
Build Quality + Ease of setup: In terms of quality, as soon as you hold this product in your hands... you feel the quality of the build without question. The NEO Stream has some weight to it despite its neat compact form. Even the OptiBox has the same thick aluminum body as the NEO Stream and has a similar design.
The ports are stable, and nothing feels loose (no wiggles here)... which is great for a nice solid connection, and I love the clickiness of the knob when you turn it (feels almost like a really nice combination lock on a safe).
You're able to position the NEO Stream in two ways, flat down with the rubber feet that came packaged with the product, or... standing up by way of placing it on the sturdy aluminum base. In terms of the quality, I believe the iFi Audio team takes pride in the product quality + presentation and even placed this thick rubber wedge over the wifi antennae port to avoid it being compromised because of damage.
The same applies to the SilentLine retina-grade TFT screen, it has a screen protector on it, and as you'll see in the unboxing below... the padding is even thick and durable in the package... so your product is safe and sound en route (unless something just supernaturally crazy happens during shipment).
The quality doesn't stop there, because the power supply is also solid. This particular plug is the iFi iPower X low-noise power supply that removes electrical noise due to the potential interference from other devices. You'd be surprised of the type of interference you can get from one device to the next, and extreme audiophiles can tell.
I won't lie, in terms of the setup... the OptiBox would've thrown me for a bit of a loop without the instructions, so I'm including them in this review for you. iFi did a great job with the step-by-step instructions not only for the ethernet setup but also the wifi setup... and they're both super easy.
As you see, the back of the iFi NEO Stream, you notice the various options for connection. Below is the video to Wi-Fi Setup (my connection status is white), which I'm currently using with a temporary RCA connection. I'm going to totally switch up my connection once I find or order additional cables. So the current setup is just temporary. I'm wavering between using a 4.4mm cable or AES (for a long-term connection). No need to follow my desired setup if you grab this product, go with the connection that works best for you.
On the digital side, I connected via the USB output to USB-C. You can switch back and forth in the settings.
It's great to have the wifi option, because if you don't have the option of going hardwired... or you simply need that port for another device, you're good to go. If you prefer 5GHz, just make sure that your device isn't that far away from the wifi. For those who don't know: 5GHz delivers faster speeds, but... it doesn't have the reach of the 2.4GHz connection.
Sound: In terms of sound, you get some really nice sound separation without the meshing of sounds (I will give more on this in the next section). Hi-Res audio isn't necessarily a concrete term, because there are no specific defining standards, but... most products labeled as Hi-Res Audio often deliver quality that exceeds cd-quality audio.
CD quality is 16-bit with a 44.1kHz sample rate.
Hi-Res audio is 24-bit or higher (i.e. 32-bit w/ a 384 kHz sample rate). The NEO Stream supports 32-bit/768kHz PCM.
I'm not an extreme audiophile, but... I have a deep appreciation for great audio, and I think a good portion of people are the same way. They might be able to shrug off the output from a decent pair of headphones or shelf speakers, but... when the sound is hitting in a high-quality way... you get a different reaction because the enjoyment is on another level (the audio is clean).
Loud and rich are two different things. Live in concert won't give you the same feel as the studio, but there's nothing wrong with the experience for what it's worth... it just doesn't sound as good most of the time. At times the speakers are just on full blast at some concerts, and you can't really appreciate the various aspects of the music being performed. This is a similar feeling I have when the volume is high and the quality is low or... average at best from speakers or headphones.
Gerald Albright - What You See Is What You Get
Blu + You Podcast Episodes
Listening to episodes of the Blu + You Podcast through the NEO Stream, sounded like I was listening to a live recording taking place. That was freaking cool, and while listening to Gerald Albright's track... I got an even deeper appreciation for his talent on sax and in addition to the other instruments being used in the studio (how can I describe it other than being... clean?). I'm excited to replace the RCA cables... and I'm probably going to go with a 4.4mm cable. Wait until I get into the specs, I found out the why behind it the great audio.
When it comes to the lows, mids, and highs... nothing jumped out as far as bringing more oomph (the bass didn't swallow up any of the other sounds), there was a balance. When it comes to the actual music streaming, you can use various options like... Tidal, YouTube Music, Qobuz, Signalyst, Roon (which works with Tidal, and Qobuz), DLNA, AIO (which is the setting I have), iFi Audio app, and Spotify... which is what I used to play the podcast & music. In the image, you see here, I have the music playing through "SDGT-IFI'S STREAMER".
The iFi Audio app gives you access to a slew... of different radio stations, your own server, music you have on your phone, connected storage, etc. It still needs some work, it's a rigid app, and but when you check out the radio... you will be surprised of all the categories there are. There's even anime radio, and comedy.
By the way, anything you play on the NEO Stream... will appear on the screen. As you see, there's a thumbnail of the Rock Antenna radio station. (I wasn't listening to Nickleback, but it's all good.)
In the box + Features: This unboxing will show you everything you will receive in this product.
Ultra-Res Wi-Fi/Ethernet network audio streamer with integrated DAC
- By the way, DAC is an acronym for Digital (to) Analog Convertor... which allows you to enjoy your MP3 files + digital vids through analog (wired speakers + wired headphones).
Open-source architecture - works with multiple control apps, constantly evolving platform support
- I want Amazon Music to be an option because I use the app more so than other platforms, followed by Spotify (which is compatible).
Stream the way you want - Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, Roon Ready, AirPlay, DLNA/UPnP, NAA and more.
- DLNA also provides plenty of options via certified products/services that allow you to playback recorded audio and music files. Get familiar with these types of services before you jump in to set anything up... because it will ensure a win over the assumption that the product doesn't work.
Supports 32-bit/768kHz PCM and DSD512 - not just via USB/LAN cables but Wi-Fi too*
Full MQA decoding and true-native DSD
- When it comes to MQA decoders, they don't rely on anything else to unpack a file to a certain bit or kHz, but some will (literally) argue that you need an MQA compatible product. Other's will argue back that "full" MQA decoders don't need any help from a secondary device (I'm standing back at this point).
I'm not giving any input of my own on this one, but... I do have something to touch on before we wrap up the review. Before that, let's see what MQA actually has to say about this:
MQA reveals the original master recording. How sweet is that? My first thought was... "daammnnnn", but I listened first before getting into the details.
How does MQA make this possible? They describe it as 'Music Origami'. The music file is folded into 3 parts to make it small enough to stream, during playback the full MQA does the full unfold. The MQA core decoder does 1 unfold, combined with the MQA renderer that unfolds the other 2 parts of the file.
The iFi Audio NEO Stream is a full MQA decoder with the true-native DSD(512).
True-Native DSD delivers hi-res master studio quality sound that allows you to enjoy not only stereo, surround, binaural and all that good stuff (I.e. ASMR binaural experiences). Underhood, you get the True Native DSD Bit-Perfect DXD/PCM thanks to the Burr-Brown chipset that some of the biggest audiophiles prefer.
Custom-designed hardware and software - built for exceptional sound
Fully balanced analog circuitry delivers maximum sonic purity
Four user-selectable digital filters - tailor the sound to suit your music
'Exclusive' streaming modes - dedicated Tidal, Roon, NAA and DLNA modes for optimised performance
USB and S/PDIF interfaces regulated by femto-precision clock to eradicate jitter
Active Noice Cancellation and iPurifier technologies remove distortion from the audio signal
Optical LAN input isolation technology - enhanced sound quality over cabled network connection
Silent Line retina-grade TFT screen with album art display
LAN optical isolation technology - superior sound over Gigabit Ethernet connection
- Enter... the OptiBox.
Ultra-low noise power supply and LAN optical transmitter/receiver
- *Full-strength 5GHz signal required for 385kHz/DSD256 or above over Wi-Fi
Limited 1 Year Warranty
Price: Pricewise, the NEO Stream comes in at $1299, which... for the average person might be quite pricy. For audiophiles craving the highest quality sound, the cost will be a goal to save up for. I understand because while some people are willing to spend big on a PC rig, or more so a TV, audiophiles seek the best audio. There are MQA Core Decoders that far exceed the price of this device, doesn't make them bad... but I don't promote breaking the bank to pay more for less.
I must say that if you're getting your hands on something like a hi-res audio streamer like the iFi Audio NEO Stream, make it make sense by using hi-res headphones or speakers in order to truly hear what the artists created in the freaking studio. A pair of $10 headphones from el Cheapos might sound a tad better than they did before connecting them to this audio streamer, but... you that doesn't give the audio justice. Overall, make your investment worth it... and rock on!
Build Quality + Ease of setup 5
Sound 5
In the box + Features 5
Price 5
5 out of 5 Cool Points
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