Short answer: the ISN Audio Neo 5 if sound quality matters most, the ISN Audio Neo 3 if price matters most. The ISN Audio Neo 5 ranks #857 of 1369 in-ear headphones, rated 3.4/5, at $289. The ISN Audio Neo 3 ranks #1054, rated 3.1/5, at $99, $190 cheaper.
Why pick the ISN Audio Neo 5: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 67 against the Harman target. Watch for: Treble about 4 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
What the ISN Audio Neo 3 does well: A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap. The catch: Treble about 2 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
Buy the ISN Audio Neo 5 when sound quality outweighs the price for you, and the ISN Audio Neo 3 when the price outweighs sound quality instead.
Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.
A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 67 against the Harman target.
Penon Audio $289.00 eBay
A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap.
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Specifications Side By Side
| ISN Audio Neo 5 | ISN Audio Neo 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $289.00 | 99.00 |
| Ranked | #857 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones | #1054 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 67 (median of 5 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 63 (median of 6 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.28 dB standard deviation | 2.70 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.92 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.70 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.1 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.9 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid | Hybrid (2 Dynamic + 1 Planar) |
| Drivers | 1 DD + 4 BA (1 x 10mm dynamic driver + 4 Knowles balanced armature) | 2 x 6mm dynamic drivers (1 low, 1 mid) + 1 x 5.8mm micro-planar driver (high) |
| Impedance | 26 ohms | 15 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 110 dB | 105 dB |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 20kHz | 10Hz - 20kHz |
Frequency Response Compared
Both headphones’ measurements overlaid on the Harman target. Above the target sounds louder in that range, below it quieter. Each curve is the median of several independent measurements, shifted so its 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB, so only the tuning is compared.
Measurement data: the ISN Audio Neo 5 from dl, flare, iemocean, isaiahse, soundignity, theaudiostore, tonedeafmonk and treblewellxtended; the ISN Audio Neo 3 from avishai, flare, pw, soundcheck39, theaudiostore and treblewellxtended, all via squig.link.
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