Ideon Audio Absolute DAC - anyone heard it?

heihei

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As per title.
 

Golum

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LD has one - why don't you ask him...
 

heihei

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I just did - he likes it.....a lot!!
 

Golum

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I just did - he likes it.....a lot!!
He just likes Greece too much so this is then a natural development of things :)
 

jasbirnandra

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I would like LD to comment on the absolute DAC I am planning to replace it with Ypsilon 100 not that it is bad just a fresh taste of something different
 

Golum

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I would like LD to comment on the absolute DAC I am planning to replace it with Ypsilon 100 not that it is bad just a fresh taste of something different
Don't count on his reply here as he is not the member nor liking the forums much I would say ;-)
 

Alrainbow

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He is a close audio bud he raves about it. But also loves Lampi. He says it’s a very fast sound so like a TRP. He has said he is working to get me one at my place and of course I’ll pay shipping both ways. he is an honest man in my view and as a vender for severs has been to many many shows and high end rooms. He says it’s very good and kills msb lol. But it’s easy to throw rocks at the top of a mountain. I think any SS dac has a SS slush where a Lampi has tube magic
I owned a Lampi stack for years way before the SEL dac conception. They do make a very good detailed dac. But music is not an exact science so too much can be bad.
I’ll post honestly when and if it gets here
 
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Gregm

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I'm a bit of a very latecomer to this, but I actually have an Absolute at home, along with an MSB Select. I am very much enjoying the Absolute (and the Select for that matter, but much less so sound-quality wise), it outputs a lot of musical energy.
If still interested in more don't hesitate to ask. Regards
 

heihei

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I'm a bit of a very latecomer to this, but I actually have an Absolute at home, along with an MSB Select. I am very much enjoying the Absolute (and the Select for that matter, but much less so sound-quality wise), it outputs a lot of musical energy.
If still interested in more don't hesitate to ask. Regards

Yep still interested - would love to know your thoughts. I currently have one on demo to compare to my Lampi GG2. What filters did you end up using?
 
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Gregm

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Yep still interested - would love to know your thoughts. I currently have one on demo to compare to my Lampi GG2. What filters did you end up using?
In my system, the linear mode filters produce magic; my preference goes to the slow roll-offs -- i.e. slow roll-off linear mode.
Apparently the Absolute has a very clean high-frequency response (with vanishingly low distortion & noise, it seems), so we can get away using more benign/slow roll-off filters -- I hate the harshness introduced by brick wall & generally fast roll-off filters.
My Absolute is totally broken in (I don't believe in 1000hrs break-in & the like!) and clearly outperforms the other machine.
Recently I was listening to a live recording of Hotel California and, for a fleeting instant during the applause, I felt I was there... Regards
 

Ron Resnick

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Does Ideon Audio make a one box combination streamer + DAC?
 

Gregm

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Does Ideon Audio make a one box combination streamer + DAC?
As far as I know, no. I auditioned their top of the line digital front end and it consisted of a separate DAC, a streamer, and a reclocker / reviver.
 

Ron Resnick

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As far as I know, no. I auditioned their top of the line digital front end and it consisted of a separate DAC, a streamer, and a reclocker / reviver.

Thank you. Now that I have recently discovered I have the shelf space for it, I think a separate streamer and a separate DAC make the most sense for me.
 
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musicfirst1

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I thought it was time to revive this thread. The reviews, most absolute raves (which I hate) are in, it's the next greatest thing!;)
Anyone heard this beast in its various configurations?

 

Gregm

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Mar 14, 2019
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I thought it was time to revive this thread. The reviews, most absolute raves (which I hate) are in, it's the next greatest thing!;)
Anyone heard this beast in its various configurations?

I had an Absolute at home for a while (see above) in its previous iteration. I haven't read the reviews, but can attest to the fact that it clearly outperformed my own machine (at the time an MSB Select). Admittedly, I was more than surprised. I'll spare you the reviewer type poetic details (not my style) -- suffice it to say that i suddenly heard dynamics, coherence and details in recordings, stuff I thought never existed. Subjectively, there was an extra octave at the bottom end and endless energy coming out of the speakers, as if the dac was driving the speakers directly.
I couldn't spring for it at the time (financial reasons), in fact I had to sell my beloved Select -- or I would have held on to it and the Select, both. Case in point: I purchased their little model ("Ayazi" see sig).
Presumably the newer model is even better? I'm curious...
Regards
 
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K3RMIT

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At this years caf show the full stack ideon is a top player but it’s not cheap either. A good SS dac has qualities a tube dac does not. tube magic rules and as lampi progressed they have got the best of SS sound while retaining the tube magic. i use there master re clocker. i think there are better server /streamers one being the LDMS
I own one it’s very good.
 
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heihei

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I spent some time with the previous version fed by an LDMS with an Ideon reclocker, and compared to my Lampi Golden Gate 2. I thought it was an incredible DAC - very dynamic, full-sounding, with plenty of detail. In my system, it could on occasion be too much, particularly in terms of the fullness of sound, and as such, I preferred the Lampi Pacific which I've now upgraded to.
 

K3RMIT

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Sep 4, 2020
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I spent some time with the previous version fed by an LDMS with an Ideon reclocker, and compared to my Lampi Golden Gate 2. I thought it was an incredible DAC - very dynamic, full-sounding, with plenty of detail. In my system, it could on occasion be too much, particularly in terms of the fullness of sound, and as such, I preferred the Lampi Pacific which I've now upgraded to.
This can be tube magic it wins lol. but it is a fine product to me. easily competes with the dcs , msb dacs. LDMS servers rock lol
if one is used I think it’s an unfair advantage to dacs without one.
 

musicfirst1

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This can be tube magic it wins lol. but it is a fine product to me. easily competes with the dcs , msb dacs. LDMS servers rock lol
if one is used I think it’s an unfair advantage to dacs without one.
LDMS?
 

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