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Neutron HiFi DAC V1 Review

Rate this portable DAC & HP Amp:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 10 5.7%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 67 38.3%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 98 56.0%

  • Total voters
    175
That’s a lot more cumbersome and frustrating than dedicated audio hardware that just works.
JCally JM20 for around 15 euro and Poweramp on Android or EQAPO on Windows works more than fine, no need to get a big expensive Neutron doing the same thing ;)
 
Putting eq in the dac makes 2 things possible that can't otherwise be done at all with a phone:

1) eq can be applied to all output. On android the eq apps only support a very limited range of input applications.e.g qobuz, YouTube etc.

2) you can't output bitperfect from a phone with eq due to os resampling. In audibility terms it's rather moot but having the eq in an external device means you can use players that can circumnavigate os resampling (such as usb player) to output bitperfect to the dac.
But you can use USB Player Pro to EQ
 
JCally JM20 for around 15 euro and Poweramp on Android or EQAPO on Windows works more than fine, no need to get a big expensive Neutron doing the same thing ;)
Parametric?
 
Parametric?
Yup, though it costs a few euro to get it for Poweramp. No need to use the subpar USB Audio Player and you can instead use whatever player you want.
 
Can you explain why USB Audio Player is sub par? It's a bit unhelpful making a comment like that with no explanation.
Was going to query that but it's somewhat off topic in a review thread.
 
Parametric?
Neutron music player on Android is a mere £8.
It has everything built-in, including PEQ.
What it lacks, are two areas, otherwise it is as good as it gets:
1- Network shared-drive discovery is limited to SMB V1 (UAPP is better)
2- No included streaming services, such as Prime, or Qubuz etc. (UAPP can do Tidal & Qubuz)
I have used it for years, what it is capable of, I have not discovered them all!
 
Looks like a great thing for anyone wants to use peq with reasonably sensitive headphones on the go.
 
Can you explain why USB Audio Player is sub par? It's a bit unhelpful making a comment like that with no explanation.
Was some time ago since I used it so I can't remeber exact details other than that the UI was clunky, not especially customisable and just plain ugly. That Neutrons looks even worse from what I can see of the screenshots inside the Google Play Store. I prefer having some external DSP software so I can use whatever player that works and looks better better, like GMMP, Blackplayer EX or just plain old Spotify.
That looks like a very small price to pay to be able to use Spotify or whatever local music player of your liking.
 
Was some time ago since I used it so I can't remeber exact details other than that the UI was clunky, not especially customisable and just plain ugly. That Neutrons looks even worse from what I can see of the screenshots inside the Google Play Store. I prefer having some external DSP software so I can use whatever player that works and looks better better, like GMMP, Blackplayer EX or just plain old Spotify.

That looks like a very small price to pay to be able to use Spotify or whatever local music player of your liking.
USB Audio Player Pro is fine to use, and you claimed any other product was better which just plain isn't true as very few offer parametric EQ.
 
I wouldn't know.
Not an iphone guy, but I know they exist.

I have multiple headphone profiles, setup on my phone with Neutron media player, that I can dial in with a couple of taps. They use no more than 4 bands each!
But I do get it that EQ has become more of a toy, a must-have, for headphone users, than an actual tool.
Systemwide EQ control for iOS does not exist unless it is built in to an external device. Apple does not allow it. Perhaps it’s possible on a jailbroken phone, but that’s not the vast majority of devices.
 
Systemwide EQ control for iOS does not exist unless it is built in to an external device. Apple does not allow it. Perhaps it’s possible on a jailbroken phone, but that’s not the vast majority of devices.
And just in the US, iOS is like 50-60% of the smartphone market (not judging, just saying…:p). Definitely large enough of a market for HW-based EQ dongles such as this one.
 
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A v2 version that could output 4v in a balanced jack could become the definitive DAC, portable for when you are on the go and dockable for when you need power out of an amp.
 
USB Audio Player Pro is fine to use, and you claimed any other product was better which just plain isn't true as very few offer parametric EQ.
... which is why I suggested PowerAmp EQ as a compliment so you get the best of all worlds :)
 
Parametric?
Neutron music player on Android is a mere £8.
It has everything built-in, including PEQ.
What it lacks, are two areas, otherwise it is as good as it gets:
1- Network shared-drive discovery is limited to SMB V1 (UAPP is better)
2- No included streaming services, such as Prime, or Qubuz etc. (UAPP can do Tidal & Qubuz)
I have used it for years, what it is capable of, I have not discovered them all!
But not parametric. Only graphic and it is much less precise and less qualitative
 
But not parametric. Only graphic and it is much less precise and less qualitative
You are wrong.

Screenshot_20240831_161251_com.neutroncode.mp.jpg
Screenshot_20240831_161731_com.neutroncode.mp.jpg
Screenshot_20240831_161241_com.neutroncode.mp.jpg
 
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