IFI NEO STREAM MUSIC STREAMER AND DAC The NEO Stream is the second device to join the NEO Series, iFi’s mid-level mains-powered range for home use, sitting between the ZEN Series and Pro Series. The name ‘NEO’ was chosen because the first device in the series, the NEO iDSD, featured an all-new design and several features new to its product category. The NEO iDSD, a DAC/headphone amp with USB, S/PDIF and Bluetooth connectivity remains current. The NEO Stream’s desktop-size chassis and aluminium casework clearly resemble the NEO iDSD. But while its circuitry builds on existing iFi designs, its internal architecture and attributes are different. OPEN-SOURCE ARCHITECTURE Many audio streaming devices lock users into a specific platform. iFi has developed its own streaming engine, purpose-built to deliver flexibility and performance. Its open-source nature, built on a quad-core ARM Cortex processor and Linux-based operating system, enables it to evolve over time, whilst ensuring users are not locked into a specific platform. iFi’s streaming engine has been designed from the ground up for the sole purpose of high-quality audio streaming. The firmware at the heart of this bespoke streaming engine was first utilised in the ZEN Stream and has evolved significantly since. The iFi NEO Stream combines the latest version of this firmware with enhanced hardware. ROON READY There are multiple ways in which the NEO Stream can interface with online streaming services or music stored on your local network, and these will expand over time. Here are some of the options provided at launch: - The NEO Stream has Roon Ready certification, which means it’s ready to slot straight into a Roon audio environment and work seamlessly with Roon software. - Any DLNA/UPnP-compatible streaming app (for example: BubbleUPnP, mconnect, Audirvana and so on) can be used to control the NEO Stream and access audio content from online services and DLNA-certified network storage devices. - Integrated Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect. Users of these popular online music services can stream directly from the Tidal and Spotify apps. - Integrated Airplay ensures easy streaming from Apple devices. The NEO Stream can operate as an NAA (Network Audio Adapter) in conjunction with Sygnalist HQPlayer software. This means it can direct packets of audio data received over Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable straight to the connected DAC without applying processing. Streaming from local storage with Stream-iFi app. iFi’s ‘Stream-iFi’ app is a simple tool to aid the initial set-up of the NEO Stream and initiate streaming from local storage devices. NETWORK BRIDGE The NEO Stream can be used in two ways: connect to an amp and speakers via the onboard DAC stage and analogue outputs, or connect one of the available digital outputs to an external DAC. In the latter mode, the NEO Stream acts as a ‘streaming transport’ or ‘network bridge’, like the ZEN Stream but with a higher level of performance. Whether the onboard DAC is engaged or not, the NEO Stream’s hi-res audio support covers PCM data to 32-bit/768kHz, all levels of DSD up to DSD512, and single- and double-speed DXD. This level of hi-res audio is not only supported over the LAN and USB cable inputs but over Wi-Fi too. (A stable, full-strength 5GHz Wi-Fi signal is required for 384kHz PCM, DSD256 and above.) MQA MQA, the hi-res streaming technology, as used by Tidal’s ‘HiFi Plus’ tier is comprehensively supported, with full decoding of MQA files up to 384kHz. This means that the full ‘three unfold’ decoding process can be performed internally, as opposed to only the final unfold in the manner of an MQA ‘renderer’. When the digital outputs are used to connect an external MQA-supporting DAC, both MQA passthrough and ‘first unfold’ are supported. CUSTOM DAC STAGE The NEO Stream’s integral DAC stage is based around a Burr-Brown chipset that iFi uses extensively, selected for its natural-sounding ‘musicality’ and True Native architecture. The NEO Stream incorporates a 16-core XMOS microcontroller, programmed by iFi’s in-house team to optimise sound quality and ensure a perfect partnership with the Burr-Brown DAC. 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. IFI NEO STREAM CONNECTIVITY 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 ...