Potato score: 91.01

91%

Zidoo NEO S #1
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Zidoo NEO S

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NEO S is a new product which is all-round, high-performance and cost-effective Provide excellent audio and video quality to users NEO S is an all-in-one device with functions like HiFi music digital decoding, streaming playback, headphone amplifier functions and movie playback NEO S inherits NEO X's craftsmanship with aluminum thickened chassis and 5-inch OLED Built in with SSD, dual ES9068 DAC, dual digital/analog power supply modules and toroidal power supply Product Design Wonderful craftsmanship Large OLED screen Solid chassis with aluminum alloy CNC structure 5-inch OLED HD display with touch screen Anti-vibration design Technological aesthetics Resonance suppressing stiffener structure Shock-absorbing foot pads Beautiful modular professional circuit design Unique shielding treatment High Speed SSD NEO S is equipped with a 256G high speed SSD for local music playback. High-quality music files can be easily stored, data reading is stable and fast. Heating and noise problem of traditional mechanical hard disk can be avoided OLED Touch Screen The 5-inch OLED high-definition colorful touch screen is beautiful embedded full-screen design. Practical operations can be done with the collaboration of knobs, such as audio source switching, volume adjustment, system setting and playback status display Fever grade dual ES9068 DAC NEO S firstly uses two ES9068 DAC as the core of audio decoding. Two-channel audio is decoded independently to avoid interference and get better SNR and dynamic range. Supporting up to DSD512, PCM768@32bit and three-layer 8 times expanded MQA encoding format hardware decoding Dual Discrete Power Supplies Separate digital and analog power supplies to eliminate interference which significantly improves the sound purity Linear power supply designed for analog audio circuits which is composed of multi-winding large toroidal transformers Switching power supply with lower ripple and magnetic leakage interference Multiple digital inputs Multiple ports including USB DAC, Optical, Coaxial and AES/EBU input Support various devices like turntables and CD players Perfect sound quality by the dual high-performance DAC Asynchronous USB DAC NEO S is just a good solution for PC HiFi enthusiasts USB DAC input supports asynchronous digital signal processing Which can be used as a sound card when connected to PC Also a professional USB DAC for IOS/Android phones or tablets via OTG High-performance headphone amplifier Monitor amp module is built in NEO S, 4.4 balance and 6.35 headphone jacks are available. Fully-balanced voltage design and graded amplified current provide high current thrust. Two gain modes correspond to different impedance ranges of headphone. The ultimate sound quality is comparable to desktop headphone amplifier XMOS and Dual Clock NEO S is equipped with XMOS chip and supports asynchronous transmission Support up to DSD512 with native DSD, DXD and 768kHz/ 32bit PCM Dual high-precision clock oscillators for 44.1KHz and 48KHz multiplier sampling which effectively suppresses jitter and ensures more accurate audio decoding Fully Balanced Circuit NEO S circuit adopts fully balanced design with better noise immunity and low distortion filtering technology. Channel separation is improved and signal is stable by eliminating the common return circuit. Buffering and amplification of multi-level operational amplifiers completely simulate signal processing path and bring natural sound quality HiFi Components In order to achieve the monitor-level HiFi sound quality, NEO S adopts good circuit design, immersion gold main board, 6 operational amplifiers and selected HiFi components such as NICHCON, WIMA and ELNA MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) 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 NEO S adopts MQA technology to receive and decode MQA audio and provide master-level sound Visit mqa.co.uk for more information Master Tape Music Playback NEO S is a powerful music player supporting CD-quality lossless formats Like FLAC, WAV, APE, DTS, etc. Advanced master tape music MQA, DSD512 (SACD ISO/DFF/DSF/DSD) And various sampling formats seamless playback Intelligent Music Library NEO S is good at managing music resource Music files from network drives and local hard drive can be added conveniently Matching and generating music library databases automatically Just enjoy music collection, management and playback in a easy way Multiple Music Streaming Services NEO S supports rich network streaming music services like Airplay/DLNA/Roon; Music in smart phones, computers and tablets can be simply pushed to NEO S Roon is an incredibly rich and engaging way to browse and organize your music. It runs on most Mac, Windows, and Linux PCs, or on other products which include Roon Core. Being Roon Ready means that ZIDOO network players transparently discover and connect to Roon without any configuration, and bit-perfect audio is delivered from Roon to your network player. Together, Roon and ZIDOO deliver the power, flexibility, and performance of networked audio, with the easiest setup and highest reliability available. Learn more about Roon partner programs Bluetooth APTX HD We can easily enjoy music by connecting NEO S with cell phone via Bluetooth. Qualcomm flagship CSR8675 module supports APTX and LDAC lossless audio compression technology, which can overcome bandwidth barriers in standard technology. Even if audio is transmitted via Bluetooth, CD-level sound quality can be achieved CD Ripping and Playback NEO S supports CD ripping and playback when connecting with CD-ROM via USB port Names of albums/songs can be smartly matched by the ID of CD via special HASH Ripped files can be collected and managed in ZIDOO Music Player 4K UHD Image Quality NEO S adopts RTD1619 DR hexa-core 64-bit A55 processor. In addition to efficient and stable system, it has also equipped with 4K UHD decoding and processing technology. BD UHD Blu-ray disc and self-made media files are supported, and up to 3840 x 2160 60Hz, HDR and BT.2020 wide range HDR Technology NEO S not only supports ordinary high dynamic range HDR10 and HLG, but also advanced technology HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. Dolby Vision metadata processing technology can provide 4000nit peak brightness and 12Bit (around 68 billion) output. Stunning brightness, contrast and natural colors bring excellent image quality Wide Color Range NEO S can output up to 4K 60P Automatic resolution switching and precise frame rate (23.976) output RGB, YVU4:4:4, 4:2:2 and 4:2:0 and other color range are supported Network Protocols Multiple network protocols NFS, SMB v1/v2/v3 and UPnP work well. Files in NAS or network drives can be accessed effectively and stably via gigabit LAN. Meanwhile, SMB sharing is supported to share files from local hard disk to other devices Mobile Controller App NEO S can be controlled by mobile phone and tablet APP. Besides, mobile phone APP can display Poster Wall, Music Player and system setting. Program search and system setting can be done in the background without affecting movie playback
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Overall Score 91/100

Rating for [object Object]

Deliciously Crispy

Zidoo NEO S — precision-focused media player and DAC

The Zidoo NEO S delivers class-leading sonics from a purpose-built chassis: machined aircraft-grade aluminum, a 5-inch OLED touch display and a linear analog power stage. Its dual ESS9068 DACs, ultra-low noise figures and measured SNR produce a "jet-black background" that highlights exquisite microdetail, expansive three-dimensional imaging and punchy macrodynamics. The built-in headphone amp drives demanding planars with ease, while extensive I/O—balanced XLR, USB Audio IN, AES/EBU, Bluetooth (aptX/LDAC), Roon Ready and 4K/60 HDMI output—makes it a versatile hub for hi‑fi and home-theater systems. Reviewers including Gordon Brockhouse praised its sound and build, though they noted software and network/streaming stability issues that affect everyday usability.

soundstagesimplifi.com

"I loved every note I heard from the Zidoo Neo S, but I found the user experience disappointing."

Pros

  • Exceptional sonic clarity, microdetail and wide, three-dimensional imaging supported by low noise and high SNR measurements.
  • Robust analog implementation and premium build—aircraft‑grade aluminum chassis, toroidal linear supply and measured low THD+N on outputs.
  • Feature-rich connectivity: balanced XLR and RCA preouts, 4.4mm/6.3mm headphone outputs, USB DAC IN, AES/EBU, Bluetooth with high‑res codecs, internal SSD and 4K HDMI output.

&

Cons

  • Unreliable software/firmware and network streaming behavior (Roon/AirPlay/app connectivity), which can disrupt playback and library management.
  • Built-in Music Player and remote/app navigation showed inconsistent metadata handling and occasional responsiveness problems during the review period.

Sound Quality

91/100

The review highlights strong macrodynamic performance and punch — e.g., the unit 'effortlessly delivered' aggressive guitar and frenzied drumming and transients were described as 'delectable'. Measured specs and robust analog power stages (toroidal for analog) align with the amp's lively, responsive presentation. Dynamics remain engaging with both acoustic detail and impact.

Noise Floor

91/100

The reviewer describes a 'jet-black background' and inaudible background noise beyond an extremely close listening position; measured noise figures are very low (1.7–3.5 µVrms on headphone outs, SNR ~118–120dB). Those specs and comments indicate a very quiet noise floor suitable for most sensitive headphones and IEMs. A faint hiss was noted only at an unrealistically close distance to a speaker tweeter, not in normal headphone use.

Headphone Compatibility

89/100

The Neo S supports a wide impedance range (16–300 Ω), offers two gain modes, and delivers substantial power (e.g., balanced ~310 mW/32 Ω in low-gain), and the reviewer specifically reports it drove HiFiMan planars easily. These facts indicate good compatibility from efficient IEMs to many demanding planars, though extreme, multi-watt planars may still demand more headroom. Output-impedance figures are not explicitly stated, and only two gain steps limit fine-grained matching for very low-sensitivity or very low-impedance IEMs.

Build Quality

92/100

The chassis is machined from aircraft-grade aluminum alloy and the unit uses a linear power supply with a toroidal transformer for analog circuitry — the reviewer called the build materials 'very impressive'. Measured analog performance (low THD+N, high crosstalk rejection) supports the impression of careful implementation. Overall construction and component choices feel premium for the segment.

Features Connectivity

91/100

Feature set is extensive: dual ESS9068 DACs, USB DAC IN, AES/EBU, coaxial/optical, balanced XLR pre-outs, RCA outs, 4.4mm balanced and 6.3mm single-ended headphone jacks, Bluetooth (aptX/aptX HD/LDAC), Roon Ready, HDMI video output, and built-in SSD storage. These capabilities place it near the top of the connectivity band, but the review explicitly warns of buggy software that undermines networked/local-music playback usability ('I cannot recommend the Neo S until Zidoo fixes its buggy software'), so practical access to some features may be impaired until firmware fixes. Score reflects both very rich hardware connectivity and current software/usability caveats.

Value for Money

89/100

The reviewer notes strong value relative to competitors (e.g., 'costs $1250 less than the iDSD did... and offers more features'), praising the bundled feature set and measured performance. The software/firmware reliability issues, however, reduce real-world value for those relying on the networked/streaming features. Contextually, the hardware and sound deliver solid value if the buyer prioritizes features and measured performance, but software caveats temper that endorsement.

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