Please keep comments civil. Comments with links will be deleted. Comments that add to the conversation are welcome ✅The Neo Stream on Amazon amzn.to/3UwQ551
Thanks for the review. I have a IFi Zen Stream. I will never buy another IFi product again because their software is diabolical. works only after repeated attempts to get the connection right. This happens repeatedly. Once it works then that session of listening is fine. But dare you disconnect and try connecting again…. Prepare yourself for connection hassles…
i had 2 IFI Zen Streams, both went back after repeated connection issues. my hopes where that ifi would have sorted their software issues out by now with this new product. since than i have bought a Bluesound Node 2i and have had no problems with playback.
I looked at this Neo unit, but having owned the Zen Stream, which I sent back due to the terrible software on that thing... I seriously looked at the Neo, the optical intrigued me, as I have optical in my network. But the memories, the BAD memories of the Zen... I went with the Pi2 Mercury V2 streamer. The Neo, which in my experience, using Volumio is not good. More buggy software, thanks ifi, especially if you attempt to bridge. I just tried Volumio's latest and greatest. I lived with it for about a day before tearing my hair out and erasing Volumio for good off of my Pi2 Mercury V2 streamer. I pulled the SD card that the Volumio was on and erased it, loaded up the latest RoPieeeXL and have not looked back. The RoPieeeXL is rock solid, bridges easily, plays everything I have thrown at it. It works with Roon, JRiver, Audirvana, Apple Music, Qobuz, Amazon, etc. I have two networks with two separate ISP services, one is hardwired, the other is via wifi, the Mercury V2 with RoPieeeXL works flawlessly on both networks. I can use it on all of my iPhones and iPads too... if you are looking for a competent fantastic sounding streamer with endless capabilities, check out the Pi2 Mercury V2 streamer and load up the RoPieeeXL OS and enjoy the music. RoPieee and RoPieeeXL are free, but send the developer a donation, as he did, and still does, an incredible job maintaining this software.
Any chance you will review the Cambridge cxn v2 , Lindemann limetree bridge 2 or limetree network 2 to compare with the neo stream? Similar price range
@@TheBoomerConsumer Good to hear, the throw back design I like, ive always been using avr for many years for my muisc fix, its time for me to go intergrated!
That is volumio based. Curently I have the project s2 ultra stream box that I was looking to upgrade. To be fair I don't like the inclusion of the DAC in this. It is a waste of money and punishes customers who already got their products. I would have liked a BNC connection out instead of the DAC. Most of us will use this with a way better DAC then that and many of them have BNC in stead of the RCA, on the other hand the dac will most likely never be used. 2nd. The easiest way to setup is to connect it via cable in to your lan, you will immediately see it in ip scan, and access it via web interface and set the wifi. After that you can move it in to your rack. It takes less then 5 min and no app is needed.
I use a Bluesound Node using Audioquest Vodka optical out into a Ifi Purifier 2, Vodka optical out to my Pioneer Elite reciever with a Saber dac,with pretty damn good results streaming Qobuz high rez. I am able to use the Bluesound app using a PC laptop. I detest controlling these things with tablets and phones. Add a Saber dac, and PC app and i might try one of these. Also no Chromecast yet...? Most people don't want to pay for Roon.
I'm thinking of getting one of these as a network bridge to partner my chord qutest. At present I use the aurelic aries mini as a Bridge but don't like the aurelic lightningds software. It's so unreliable. As a bridge the ifi would be totally passive. As is the aries. Have you tried this streamer with a high quality bespoke DAC. Chord use bespoke chips rather than off the shelf ones. Great video. Thanks
It uses Volumio software... I have tried Volumio, it was a nightmare like the Zen Stream. Buggy, terrible as a bridge. Lots of drops and does not play well with networks. I used it on the Mercury V2 streamer, hard wired network, would not play well at all. Forget using it over wifi. I would recommend the Pi2 Mercury V2 streamer and load up a free copy of RoPieeeXL. Rock solid, plays well with the network and wifi, true plug, play and forget. I have my Mercury V2 tucked up behind the TV, out of sight, out of mind.
@@iamme3513 You are quite welcome. And I would give the Mercury V2 a serious look. It is not pretty in the least, but the sound out of it is clean and very dynamic. I have it running my Venus II 12th DAC.
Interesting product. It scanned 3599 tracks and 1091 albums present in the source, that seems off to me. Most CDs have approx. 8 to 20 tracks. Or are there many albums digitized into one or two tracks in the collection? Or maybe scanning was still ongoing?
I think part of that is having Apple Music manage the library. If you buy just 1 song it creates a folder with the song, and my guess is that each folder is considered an album. Also I have a ton of Aerosmith Cd's many of which have maybe 3 or 4 tracks tops.
Theres no way I will pay £1200 for a product that doesnt even have a control app. Some of us have proper Hifi. Tidal and streaming services are not proper hifi. Its low quality.
Please keep comments civil. Comments with links will be deleted. Comments that add to the conversation are welcome
✅The Neo Stream on Amazon amzn.to/3UwQ551
Your best
I m from india
Thanks for the review. I have a IFi Zen Stream. I will never buy another IFi product again because their software is diabolical. works only after repeated attempts to get the connection right. This happens repeatedly. Once it works then that session of listening is fine. But dare you disconnect and try connecting again…. Prepare yourself for connection hassles…
i had 2 IFI Zen Streams, both went back after repeated connection issues. my hopes where that ifi would have sorted their software issues out by now with this new product. since than i have bought a Bluesound Node 2i and have had no problems with playback.
I looked at this Neo unit, but having owned the Zen Stream, which I sent back due to the terrible software on that thing... I seriously looked at the Neo, the optical intrigued me, as I have optical in my network. But the memories, the BAD memories of the Zen... I went with the Pi2 Mercury V2 streamer.
The Neo, which in my experience, using Volumio is not good. More buggy software, thanks ifi, especially if you attempt to bridge. I just tried Volumio's latest and greatest. I lived with it for about a day before tearing my hair out and erasing Volumio for good off of my Pi2 Mercury V2 streamer.
I pulled the SD card that the Volumio was on and erased it, loaded up the latest RoPieeeXL and have not looked back.
The RoPieeeXL is rock solid, bridges easily, plays everything I have thrown at it. It works with Roon, JRiver, Audirvana, Apple Music, Qobuz, Amazon, etc. I have two networks with two separate ISP services, one is hardwired, the other is via wifi, the Mercury V2 with RoPieeeXL works flawlessly on both networks. I can use it on all of my iPhones and iPads too...
if you are looking for a competent fantastic sounding streamer with endless capabilities, check out the Pi2 Mercury V2 streamer and load up the RoPieeeXL OS and enjoy the music. RoPieee and RoPieeeXL are free, but send the developer a donation, as he did, and still does, an incredible job maintaining this software.
Any chance you will review the Cambridge cxn v2 , Lindemann limetree bridge 2 or limetree network 2 to compare with the neo stream? Similar price range
Nice setup, glad you brought up the dac, i gotta try that, been using the wiim, its great. How's the new yamaha setup?
Thanks. Loving the A-S501 great build, plenty of power
@@TheBoomerConsumer Good to hear, the throw back design I like, ive always been using avr for many years for my muisc fix, its time for me to go intergrated!
That is volumio based. Curently I have the project s2 ultra stream box that I was looking to upgrade. To be fair I don't like the inclusion of the DAC in this. It is a waste of money and punishes customers who already got their products. I would have liked a BNC connection out instead of the DAC. Most of us will use this with a way better DAC then that and many of them have BNC in stead of the RCA, on the other hand the dac will most likely never be used.
2nd. The easiest way to setup is to connect it via cable in to your lan, you will immediately see it in ip scan, and access it via web interface and set the wifi. After that you can move it in to your rack. It takes less then 5 min and no app is needed.
I use a Bluesound Node using Audioquest Vodka optical out into a Ifi Purifier 2, Vodka optical out to my Pioneer Elite reciever with a Saber dac,with pretty damn good results streaming Qobuz high rez. I am able to use the Bluesound app using a PC laptop. I detest controlling these things with tablets and phones. Add a Saber dac, and PC app and i might try one of these. Also no Chromecast yet...? Most people don't want to pay for Roon.
Great video Bruce
I have been thinking about it .
It sounds fantastic
I'm thinking of getting one of these as a network bridge to partner my chord qutest. At present I use the aurelic aries mini as a Bridge but don't like the aurelic lightningds software. It's so unreliable.
As a bridge the ifi would be totally passive. As is the aries.
Have you tried this streamer with a high quality bespoke DAC. Chord use bespoke chips rather than off the shelf ones.
Great video. Thanks
It uses Volumio software... I have tried Volumio, it was a nightmare like the Zen Stream. Buggy, terrible as a bridge. Lots of drops and does not play well with networks. I used it on the Mercury V2 streamer, hard wired network, would not play well at all. Forget using it over wifi. I would recommend the Pi2 Mercury V2 streamer and load up a free copy of RoPieeeXL. Rock solid, plays well with the network and wifi, true plug, play and forget. I have my Mercury V2 tucked up behind the TV, out of sight, out of mind.
@@michaelwright1602 that's brilliant advice. Many thanks
@@iamme3513 You are quite welcome. And I would give the Mercury V2 a serious look. It is not pretty in the least, but the sound out of it is clean and very dynamic. I have it running my Venus II 12th DAC.
Interesting product. It scanned 3599 tracks and 1091 albums present in the source, that seems off to me. Most CDs have approx. 8 to 20 tracks. Or are there many albums digitized into one or two tracks in the collection? Or maybe scanning was still ongoing?
I think part of that is having Apple Music manage the library. If you buy just 1 song it creates a folder with the song, and my guess is that each folder is considered an album. Also I have a ton of Aerosmith Cd's many of which have maybe 3 or 4 tracks tops.
@@TheBoomerConsumer That explains it. Thanks! 👍
Will you be adding this streamer to your setup?
Not sure, there are several others I need to try first. I'm also always trying out new dacs and amps
Does the screen rotate if you lay it down?
Yes look at the thumbnail
Theres no way I will pay £1200 for a product that doesnt even have a control app. Some of us have proper Hifi. Tidal and streaming services are not proper hifi. Its low quality.