ifi Neo Stream

€1,299.00

NEO Stream from iFi audio

Network audio streamer

Built by passionate enthusiasts, for passionate enthusiasts.

 

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Sweet streams…

The NEO Stream is built to deliver optimal versatility and sonic performance.

It combines the latest version of our network streaming engine with our award-winning DAC stage to deliver a level of audio previously unattainable without spending much more than its £1,299 price tag. Just add your choice of amp and speakers.

  • Adds streaming capability to your cherished system
  • Sonically upgrades your existing streamer
  • The only streamer you will ever need
NEO Stream from iFi audio

Distinctly different. Digitally disruptive.

Our use of proprietary tech makes the NEO Stream distinctly different.

No ‘bought-in’ platform. No specific control app.

Our own streaming engine. Fully optimised for seamless operation and excellent sonic performance.

Functionally and sonically, it’s the ideal streamer for passionate music lovers who want to experience their music with exceptional sound quality through their own choice of control app or music platform. Without the exorbitant price tag.

Simply seamless streaming

  • Roon Ready –  Roon Ready certification means the NEO Stream slots straight into a Roon audio environment and works seamlessly with Roon software.
  • DNLA/UPnP – Use your choice of any DLNA/UPnP compatible app – BubbleUpnP, connect, Audirvana and so on – to control the NEO Stream and access audio content from online services.
  • Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect –  Stream straight from these integrated online music services.
  • Apple Airplay 2 – Easy streaming from Apple devices.
  • NAA operation – Serious enthusiast? The NEO Stream can operate as a Network Audio Adapter. It directs packets of audio data received over Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable straight to the connected DAC without applying processing.
  • NAS drive – stream from a local storage device using the ‘Stream-iFi’ app.
NEO Stream from iFi audio

Custom DAC

The NEO Stream’s integral DAC stage takes your streaming enjoyment to another level.

  • Four-channel True Native hi-res DAC design – supports PCM 768kHz and DSD 512,
  • Powerful 16-core XMOS processor – performs full MQA decoding (to 384kHz)

Thanks to the DAC chip’s four-channel True Native design, PCM and DSD take separate pathways and remain ‘bit-perfect’ in their direct-native form, right through to analogue conversion. In the case of DSD, there is no conversion to PCM or application of multi-bit processing – this is unusual and makes the NEO Stream an excellent choice for DSD purists.

Coveted connections

Inputs

  • Dual-band Wi-Fi reception (2.4GHz and 5GHz) with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac support
  • Gigabit Ethernet (LAN) – 1x RJ45; 1x M12; 1x Optical LAN (see below for more information)
  • 2x USB-A (USB2.0 and SuperSpeed USB3.0 supported)
  • 1x USB-C system update port (OTA – Over The Air – updates also available)

Outputs

  • Analogue – 1x stereo RCA; 1x 4.4mm balanced
  • Ultra-res digital (PCM 768kHz, DSD512) – 1x HDMI-I2S; 1x USB-A (USB3.0)
  • Hi-res S/PDIF digital (PCM 192kHz) – 1x optical; 1x coaxial; 1x AES/EBU

NEO Stream from iFi audio

Unique optical LAN

Connecting to your network router via cable rather than relying on Wi-Fi?  The NEO Stream includes a unique option alongside its RJ45 and M12 ports – optical LAN. This is our own technology. Connect the OptiBox transceiver to the router, and the NEO Stream to the OptiBox via an optical cable.  Both the OptiBox and cable are included.

Benefit from the highest quality digital audio connection possible between the router and the streamer.

  • Ultra-fast data speeds of up to 10Gbps
  • Bit-perfect transmission of ultra-resolution audio
  • Minimal degradation across distances of up to 1km

The LAN signal from the router is regenerated, reclocked and rebalanced by the OptiBox; true galvanic isolation is applied, with zero parasitic capacitance and inductance.

Suits you, sir

Several different settings allow users to tailor the NEO Stream’s performance to suit their system and the way they like to stream.

Exclusive Modes are individual settings that optimise performance by focusing operation on one mode of use. There are specific settings for Roon, Tidal Masters, DLNA and NAA, as well as a general mode for multi-platform use.

Four user-selectable digital filters, each of which has a subtle but clearly discernible effect on sound, can be switched according to personal taste and music choice:

  • Bit-Perfect
  • GTO (Gibbs Transient Optimised)
  • Minimum Phase
  • Standard
NEO Stream from iFi audio

Come on, heal the noise

The NEO Stream has been painstakingly engineered to remove noise and distortion from the audio signal:

  • USB ports use our ANC II active noise cancellation technology
  • S/PDIF outputs incorporate iPurifier technology
  • The digital signal is  regulated by our femto-precision GMT (Global Master Timing) clock to eradicate jitter
  • The retina-grade TFT display boasts SilentLine design so no electrical noise interferes with the audio signal
  • Circuit components with low ESR, high linearity and low noise mean great sound quality

Voltage regulators with high PSRR (Power Supply Rejection Ratio), low idle current and low dropout equal low power supply noise and a synchronous 1.2MHz high-speed power supply controller to improve filtering efficiency mean power supply noise is vanishingly low.

The NEO Stream has more clarity and texture, and a more dynamic and engaging performance – quite simply, you hear more of the music, just as the artist intended.

The XMOS 16-Core chip processes the audio data received via the USB digital input.

This new low-latency XMOS microcontroller has greatly enhanced processing power. Compared to the current generation of eight-core chips, this new 16-core IC delivers double the clock speed (2000MIPS) and four times the memory (512KB), as well as the latest SuperSpeed USB standard.

iFi’s in-house digital development team has programmed the XMOS firmware to optimise sound quality and ensure a perfect partnership with the Burr-Brown chipset used in the NEO Stream.

Hi-res audio support is state-of-the-art with True Native® playback. It handles PCM data to 32-bit/768kHz, DSD up to DSD512 and single and double speed DXD.

Thanks to the Burr-Brown DAC chip’s four-channel True Native design, PCM and DSD take separate pathways – this enables DSD, as well as PCM, to remain ‘bit-perfect’ in its native form right through to analogue conversion. This is not the case with all DAC devices from other brands – even if DSD compatibility is stated, many such DACs convert DSD signals to PCM.

Roon Ready network devices have Roon’s streaming technology built in and are certified by Roon Labs to provide the highest level of quality and performance in network streaming.

Find our more about iFi and Roon here.

MQA (Master Quality Authenticated)

MQA is an award-winning British technology that delivers the sound of the original master recording. The master MQA file is fully authenticated and is small enough to stream or download. The NEO Stream adopts MQA technology to receive and decode MQA audio and provide master-level sound.

Visit mqa.co.uk for more information.

The NEO Stream’s analogue circuitry features balanced design with a symmetrical twin-channel output stage.

This topology, usually reserved for larger and more expensive amplifiers owing to its cost and complexity, reduces noise and crosstalk in the signal path by fully separating the left and right channels.

Extensive jitter-eradication technologies are applied to the digital stage, including our GMT (Global Master Timing) femto-precision clock and intelligent memory buffer. This represents a total ‘out-of-the-box’ systematic digital solution that solves jitter once and for all.

TDK C0G (Class 1 ceramic) capacitors offer high stability and low losses for resonant circuit applications.

Getting ever closer to the theoretical ideal of pure, frequency-constant capacitance, these capacitors reduce capacitor-induced distortion to vanishingly low levels.

They are pricey but are a perfect addition to our products.

Panasonic OS-CON caps totaling 5,410uF give very-low Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR), excellent noise reduction capability and frequency response characteristics. In addition, OS-CONs have a long-life span and its ESR changes little even at low temperatures since the electrolyte is solid.

They are not often found in products costing <US$1000.

Tantalum capacitors are another example of the top-notch components we prefer. These polarised electrolytic capacitors have superior frequency and stability characteristics, giving them a super high volumetric efficiency.

muRata control-type, low-ESR high-Q multi-layer capacitors. The ‘ESR control’ aspect of the Murata is something special. Their noise suppression abilities are impressive.

Texas Instruments low-noise ICs offer great unity-gain bandwidth, very low noise and distortion, high output drive capability, Common-mode and Power Supply Rejection Ratios of over 100 dB, wide maximum-output-swing bandwidths and high slew rates.

Inputs Wi-Fi
Ethernet (M12 X-code 8-pin/RJ45/Optical)
USB-A and USB-C (front panel) (USB DISK, HDD etc.)
Formats DSD: up to 512 / 22.6MHz
PCM: up to 768kHz
MQA: Full Decoder
Analogue output Balanced 4.4mm 4V RMS / UnBAL RCA 2V RMS
Digital output USB-C (front panel)
USB3.0 Type-A Socket x2 (USB2.0 compatible)
S/PDIF Optical (PCM up to 192kHz, 24-bit)
S/PDIF Coaxial (PCM up to 192kHz, 24-bit)
AES/EBU (XLR – single link, PCM up to 192kHz)
I2S via HDMI connector Pinout:
1) Data –
2) Gnd
3) Data +
4) Bck +
5) Gnd
6) Bck
7) Wck –
8) Gnd
9) Wck +
10) Mck +
11) Gnd
12) Mck
13,14,15,16) DSD Enable; L=PCM, H=DSD
17) Gnd
18) 5V Power Enable Output; L=O, H=On
19) N/C
20,21,22,23) GND
Output Impedance Balanced: ≤74Ω
UnBAL: ≤37Ω
SNR <-106dB(A) @ 0dBFS (BAL/UnBAL)
THD + N <0.0025% @ 0dBFS (BAL/UnBAL)
Power supply requirement DC 9V/2.0A, 12V/1.8A, 15V/1.2A* (centre pin +)
Power consumption <0.5W idle, 14W max.
Dimensions 214 x 151 x 41 mm (8.4″ x 5.9″ x 1.6″)
Net weight 1.0 kg (2.26 Ibs)
Limited Warranty 12 months**
*A power supply unit must be able to deliver minimum rated repetitive current
**12 months typical or as permitted/required by local reseller laws.
***Specifations are subject to change without notice.

 

User Manual
Quick Start Guide
Simple Connection Guide
Connection Guide Front
Connection Guide Rear
Tutorials
PCB Guide
What’s in the Box?

EISA Award for NEO Stream

“Functioning both as an outboard DAC and digital transport, iFi Audio’s NEO Stream impresses with its versatility before beguiling with its sonic performance. Onboard conversion handles files to 768kHz PCM and DSD512, whether streamed from a home network, integrated service or connected hard drive, while digital outs range from optical to I2S. Such broad capabilities, plus app control and filter selection, make the NEO Stream irresistible to music lovers looking for an easy-to-use system add-on, as well as restless hi-fi tinkerers. A compact, futuristic design, which supports vertical or horizontal installation, adds to the appeal of a device that outstrips many costlier rivals.”

EISA

(Click name to read original review)

“Its versatility is incredible!”

“The NEO Stream is the best product that has come to this channel! Its versatility is incredible! The audio quality is second to none! It is very well built.”

Moisés Daniel Díaz

(Click name to read original review)

“The company has created a device that is a Jack of all trades”

“iFi Audio is a company that specializes in various types of audio gear, such as: home audio, portable audio, power, cables, and accessories. The company has created a device that is a Jack of all trades, and is very good for those who want a highly capable music streamer. This music streamer is called the NEO Stream”

Head-Fi

(Click name to read original review)

AudioVideo Award for NEO Stream (review in Polish)

Ignacy Rogon

(Click name to read original review)

“I heartily recommend the NEO Stream”

“In a day when you can get quality DACs for $100, at $1299 the NEO Stream certainly isn’t cheap. However, at well under $2000, it’s a great value and adept at fitting in with much more expensive audio equipment like the Pass Labs amplification and the Usher ML-802 loudspeakers that I use, for example, in delivering an excellent, well balanced soundscape with a great balance of detail, texture, and musicality—and it does so with a forgiving warmth, eschewing etched hyper detail (which is fatiguing), resulting in a very listenable music experience that you can enjoy for hours.”

“Moreover, the NEO Stream is small and compact, taking up very little space, and has a catchy modern minimalist design that can easily be tucked away in a media cabinet or—alternatively—sit naked, out in the open atop a credenza or media console, and pose minimal threat of offending a picky domestic partner’s aesthetic tastes which—let’s face it—is a very real concern for some of us when sharing living space (trust me, I know)!”

“Functionally and sonically, it’s the ideal streamer for passionate music lovers who want to experience their music with exceptional sound quality through their own choice of control app or music platform,” their website says, “Without the exorbitant price tag.” I would concur.

“For that, I heartily recommend the NEO Stream if you are considering purchasing a quality network streamer/DAC under $5,000.”

 

Juan C. Ayllon

(Click name to read original review)

NEO Stream review by Dennis Burger

“When a product does nothing wrong, sonically speaking, it’s hard to find much to say about it, except: “Yep, this is what it’s s’posed to sound like.” The Neo Stream is such a product. Ignoring the exceedingly subtle distinctions between its selectable reconstruction filters, it simply takes in packetized information over your home network and renders it as digital audio. And, should you wish, the Neo Stream can convert the audio to analog with unimpeachable results. It may not make for compelling audio journalism, but it makes for truly delightful listening.”

Dennis Burger

(Click name to read original review)

“The iFi NEO Stream sounds very, very good!”

“At the connectivity level, the device is extremely flexible! A fairly well-manufactured component. The iFi NEO Stream sounds very, very good! Extremely capable, extremely versatile, it sounds great, it’s a very complete device.”

Francisco Del Pozo Sánchez

(Click name to read original review)

NEO Stream on Stereonet

Rafael Todes

(Click name to read original review)

Neo Stream review on Hifi Chicken

“The clarity is superb and is right on par with listening to an actual CD, meaning you are not compromising listening to a streaming service”

Hifi Chicken

(Click name to read original review)

Joe Currao talks about NEO Stream

“It’s clear that iFi wanted to produce a good sounding product, and they executed that extremely well”

Joe Currao

(Click name to read original review)

“Highly recommended on a job well done.”

“The iFi Neo Stream ($1299) has accomplished what it wanted. Small, light, and versatile, while only requiring an amp and speakers, it will attract many digital audio users with a limited budget. It exhibits high-quality sound at a low price, with many options and creative use of modern technology. Highly recommended on a job well done.”

Karl Sigman

(Click name to read original review)

“A device that, if within budget, would uplift any listening setup.”

“What the iFi Audio NEO Stream provides as a package can be a mouthful to enumerate but at the end of the day, the company has proved that its streaming capability is top-notch. What is more, since it also has an elegant style and a rich tonality, it becomes a device that, if within budget, would uplift any listening setup.”

Headfonics

(Click name to read original review)

Josep Busquets about NEO Stream

“The features of this product are so many and some of them very technical. No expert would spend their money with a streamer with few connections, Neo Stream has them all! There are other very interesting features, such as the 4 pre-programmed filters to improve the sound in each particular case. The response speed in general is very fast”

Josep Busquets

(Click name to read original review)

“Light fantastic”

“No one-box streamer I’ve tested anywhere near the price manages to sound so effortlessly engaging and natural with such a wide spread of formats and styles”

Ed Selley

(Click name to read original review)

“If you are looking for the best sounding network audio player at (or near) the price point, it’s this one”

“If you are looking for the best sounding network audio player at (or near) the price point, it’s this one”

Ed Selley

(Click name to read original review)

“Neo Stream discreetly puts music streams into our lives in style.”

“With such a form factor to fit everywhere, on the rack or in the office, Neo Stream discreetly puts music streams into our lives in style.”

Petros Laskis

(Click name to read original review)

“Clever engineering and pin-point audio tuning…”

“Not only is it an absolute bargain for the money, its clever engineering and pin-point audio tuning give it the wherewithal to embarrass many a pricier – and bulkier – streaming solution.”

Andrew Everard

(Click name to read original review)

iFi Audio NEO Stream

Built into the same chassis as the NEO iDSD, with the same DAC onboard, this new version loses the headphone amp in favour of a bespoke, app-driven streaming platform.

Jamie Biesemans

(Click name to read original review)

“It is a very good option for a streamer that has a very powerful built-in dac!”

“iFi’s philosophy is not to provide a problem, it’s to provide a solution! It is interesting to see everything that this streamer gives you. There is very little difference between sound quality in streaming vs physical format. It is a very good option for a streamer that has a very powerful built-in dac!”

Fernando Meza

(Click name to read original review)

This iFi really sounds beautiful!

“I love iFi because they come out with some really cool hifi products that are not crazy expensive but they are very well engineered and very well designed. What’s cool about this streamer is that you don’t have to download any specific app.This iFi really sounds beautiful!, It decodes MQA, it’s got the processing power to do so, for the price point of this, that’s pretty incredible!” 

Steve Huff

(Click name to read original review)

Pedro Diaz talks about NEO Stream: “It’s an incredible thing”

“It’s an incredible thing, it took me by surprise! You can’t afford not to try it! It’s a product that works well from the first time you plug it in. The sound is excellent, it’s a clean sound.”

Pedro Diaz

(Click name to read original review)

NEO Stream “Draws you into the music in a very addictive manner!”

“iFi audio actually listens to its clients and builds audio gear we as customers want to see in the market. The ifi team made sure that none of its elements are afterthought, this is a well-executed product!One thing is missing is espresso maker hahahahaha. Draws you into the music in a very addictive manner!”

Tomasz Zdzeich

(Click name to read original review)

“In one word – terrific!”

“It really, really is quite impressive.”

Gavin seems blown away by our NEO Stream.

Gavin’s Gadgets

(Click name to read original review)

“freaking cool” 5/5

“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?).”

Super Duper Gamer Team Entertainment

(Click name to read original review)

Marques