Digital Drive: REVIEW: Sim Audio Neo 260D CD Player/Recorder by Luminator

Model:	Neo 260D
Category:	CD Player/Recorder
Suggested Retail Price:	$3000, including DAC section
Description:	One-Box CD Player/DAC
Manufacturer URL:	Sim Audio
Model Picture:	View

Review by Luminator on July 24, 2015 at 00:11:03
IP Address: 75.25.148.228 Add Your Review
for the Neo 260D

Even in a statistically "normal" year, we don't get much rain here on the Central California coast. And during the summer, we get none at all. So it was, during the summer of 2005. But you know what? Since it's always dry, that means the weather does not prevent us from going out at night.

In that summer of '05, there was nothing like being in the car, and hearing Gwen Stefani's " Cool ." It was like Missing Persons [who were a major influence on Stefani] for the 00s.

"Cool" is from the album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. , which, for many people was/is the last CD they ever bought. Indeed, by 2005, with everyone on computers, the CD format was dead. As for home players, the only ones which sold had digital inputs, so you could use the unit as a DAC.

So that brings us to Simaudio's Neo 260D. You can get it as a CD-player-only, which retails for $2000. But that's kind of limiting. For another 50%, the Neo 260D comes with four digital inputs (2x S/PDIF, Tos-Link, and USB).

So here's how my reviews work. You click on the links below, preferably in order. They yield a wealth of information on the Neo 260D, in areas "professional" reviewers often turn a blind eye to. Thus, there's enough there, to tell you definitively to pass on or reject the Neo 260D. That will spare you the expense, time, and effort. OTOH, that same information lets you know if and why you should audition the Neo 260D.

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Before messing around with after-market powercords, stick the included OEM one on an audiodharma Cable Cooker.

My colleagues and I used identical single-ended (RCA) and balanced (XLR) Cardas Clear, Kimber KCAG, Nordost Valhalla, Wireworld Platinum Eclipse, and XLO S3-1/S-3-2 interconnects. There is very little sonic difference between the Neo 260Ds RCA and XLR analog outputs. If anything, the RCA output is slightly livelier, while the XL output is slightly smoother.

As the posts above clearly point out, the Neo 260D's two fuses wield a major influence on the unit's ultimate sonic performance.

If you are going to use the Neo 260D as a CD player, be warned that its transport rolls off the upper mids and lower treble. Thus, it tends to make too many CDs sound like Metal Church's treble-challenged Blessing In Disguise . Thus, do not use interconnects, powercords, and fuses, which also curtail this vital part of the audible spectrum.

While the Neo 260D's DAC section is clearly superior to the transport, no, it does not live up to the standard set by, for example, the dCS Puccini, Simaudio Andromeda, and Wadia 781i, all three of which I've extensively reviewed.

The Neo 260D does not resolve the rear two corners of the soundstage.

Okay, I understand that we Stereotypical Audiophiles do not usually have gatherings or parties with over 100 people. But when we do, there's nothing like Demi Lovato's " Give Your Heart A Break . It brings people to their feet, gets them singing and dancing and having the best time ever. Which is what music is supposed to do. But by reining in the recorded soundstage, the Neo 260D makes "Give Your Heart A Break" sound like it's playing for just 25 of us, not hundreds. Nevertheless, there's still enough detail and PRAT, to get us 25 going.

Yes, I am the one who has lived with and reviewed car-priced audio products. Yes, those $$$$$ products can color my perspective. No, I do not forget that $3000 is a lot of money. IMO, the Neo 260D makes sense for two scenarios. One, if you have a serious and well set-up vinyl-based system, the Neo 260D will add digital, without skewing or throwing your system out of whack. Two, if you have a "modest" high-end system with amplification and speaker in place, and want a versatile, and "safe" digital source, the Neo 260D can be a sweet fit.

The Simaudio Neo 260D is like driving at night in the city, to Gwen Stefani's "Cool," but with the windows closed. If you want to roll down the windows, and take in the urban California night, you might have to go up to the higher-priced spread.

The Audiophiles' DJ,
-Lummy The Loch Monster

Product Weakness:	segmented display is crude; fuses matter; transport rolls off the upper mids/lower treble
Product Strengths:	all 4 time modes; legible display; no heat; runs quietly; available in three color patterns; loads slightly faster than the norm; XLR output is 2V; does not take up a lot of real estate

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: various from Cambridge Audio, Krell, Mark Levinson, Proceed, Simaudio, Sonic Frontiers
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): various from Cambridge Audio, Krell, Mark Levinson, Proceed, Simaudio, Sonic Frontiers
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Mark Levinson No. 37; NuForce DAC-9; Simaudio CD-3.3X, Supernova, Andromeda, 750D
Speakers: anything from NHT SuperZero to Totem Fire
Cables/Interconnects: anything from patchcords to Nordost Odin
Music Used (Genre/Selections): rock, pop, metal, oldies, R&B, Hawaiian, showtunes
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

Amplifier:	various from Cambridge Audio, Krell, Mark Levinson, Proceed, Simaudio, Sonic Frontiers
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	various from Cambridge Audio, Krell, Mark Levinson, Proceed, Simaudio, Sonic Frontiers
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Mark Levinson No. 37; NuForce DAC-9; Simaudio CD-3.3X, Supernova, Andromeda, 750D
Speakers:	anything from NHT SuperZero to Totem Fire
Cables/Interconnects:	anything from patchcords to Nordost Odin
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	rock, pop, metal, oldies, R&B, Hawaiian, showtunes
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner