April 24, 2015

  • Simaudio Neo 260D, Part 3

    In the mid-90s, I had the Theta Data Basic CD transport and DS Pro Prime IIA DAC. They had identical widths, so when they were stacked one on top of the other, they presented a unified front. ACS, who used to work at Victoria's Secret, complained that, every time she put on weight, none of it went to her boobs. She would cup her breasts, squeeze them together, and lament, "Damn, I wish I were stacked."
    IMG_1843
    The Simaudio Neo 260D measures 16.9" wide x 3.4" high x 13.1" deep. In comparison, the Evolution series models measure 18.75" wide. So if you place a Neo series product on top of the larger Evolution model, they do no match. Nevertheless, ACS shrugged, "Even in matching sets, bras and panties are not the same size, don't cover the same amount of skin. Why do audio [components] all have to be the same size?"

    Back in the mid-90s, ACS observed that, in general, no two audio components, even if from the same brand, had identical dimensions. Since audiophiles tended to mix and match brands, chances were, components had different dimensions. ACS was fine with that. The way she put it was: "If you took two lovers, would they have identical body shapes and sizes? Even if they were [identical] twins, no." She then pointed out that, when having sex, those different-sized lovers had no problem stacking. So as long as you find a flat surface on top of the Evolution model, why not stack the Neo 260D on top?

    In November 1995, I bought the Classe' CA-100 power amp, which was taller than the average hi-fi component. ACS reached behind the rack and CA-100, and helped me hook up and swap cables. Perhaps because the front panel was in Soft Shadow silver, ACS referred to the CA-100's bright and glowing front as a "full moon." Correspondingly, she referred to the CA-100's black-colored rear as the "dark side of the moon."
    IMG_1835
    Regardless of front panel color(s), the Neo 260D's rear is black. Note that, if you look at all six sides, nowhere will you find the word, "Neo."
    IMG_1836
    Okay, let's take a closer look at the rear. Starting from your left, you'll find the analog outputs. Note the spacing. There should be enough room for thick interconnects, or those with locking-barrel RCAs.

    The Neo 260D does not appear to be truly dual-differential. Perhaps because of this, the output voltage from both RCA and XLR is 2V. I do have other sources, which have an XLR output of 4V. Versus these, the Neo 260D is indeed about 6dB lower. Yes, that buys you an important 6dB of volume control play on your preamp. Hooray!

    Also note that the balanced XLR is configured with pin-2 positive, which is what most domestic audio products use. Hooray! By using test CDs, I've determined that the Neo 260D is indeed polarity correct. Hooray!

    Using identical interconnects to test RCA versus XLR, I find very little sonic difference between the two. The RCA output might have slightly better PRAT. The XLR output might sound slightly more open and relaxed. If you do not have a preamp with XLR input, no sweat. By using the Neo 260D's RCA analog outputs, you're not losing anything. Hooray!