Ideon EOS DAC

[skinnyfla]

... so I am looking out for a new DAC to pair with my Antipodes K22 G4... before I start listening I tried to do some reading on averall sound signature and tonal balance.

I ended with a list of potential candidates in my price range and the Ideos EOS seems to be the perfect fit.

In have not put much love into my digital setup, started by upgrading source to the Antipodes K22 (boy did that male a change) and now a DAC should follow that is a big step up from my current on board DAC with n the McIntosh C52.

Does anyone have any listening experience with the EOS?

Interested in peoples findings,

cheers and best,

Christoph

 

[Synaxis]

... so I am looking out for a new DAC to pair with my Antipodes K22 G4... before I start listening I tried to do some reading on averall sound signature and tonal balance.

I ended with a list of potential candidates in my price range and the Ideos EOS seems to be the perfect fit.

In have not put much love into my digital setup, started by upgrading source to the Antipodes K22 (boy did that male a change) and now a DAC should follow that is a big step up from my current on board DAC with n the McIntosh C52.

Does anyone have any listening experience with the EOS?

Interested in peoples findings,

cheers and best,

Christoph

I've been unable to get a listen (although I've tried) on the Ideon.

I have extensive time with the Antipodes K22 and K41 and vs. some others. Feel free to PM me and I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.

 

[Tiltedfault]

... so I am looking out for a new DAC to pair with my Antipodes K22 G4... before I start listening I tried to do some reading on averall sound signature and tonal balance.

I ended with a list of potential candidates in my price range and the Ideos EOS seems to be the perfect fit.

In have not put much love into my digital setup, started by upgrading source to the Antipodes K22 (boy did that male a change) and now a DAC should follow that is a big step up from my current on board DAC with n the McIntosh C52.

Does anyone have any listening experience with the EOS?

Interested in peoples findings,

cheers and best,

Christoph

Hi Cristoph, I have not heard the EOS, but I do own the ION which is directly above it and compared it to the Absolute Epsilon which is their top of the line. I’m pretty sure all the Ideon dacs share a similar sound signature. This was certainly the case between the ION and the Absolute Epsilon, and I can’t imagine the EOS would be any different. You just get more of the good things as you move up the line.

The most striking sound qualities of the Ideon dacs for me are their clarity and dynamic expressiveness, without any hint of tonal thinness. This gives your playback a feeling of natural liveliness which is seductive.

Another nice aspect to the Ideon dacs is they offer several usb reclockers, one of which is specific to the EOS, so if you don’t mind an extra box and would like to upgrade your sound someday that option is available.

As always, it’s best to audition the EOS in your own system, as there is a fair amount of competition at this price point. Best of luck.

Matt

 

[OLADRA]

Emotion Audio, Antipodes distribution in New Zealand, is a distributor for Ideon Audio, currently awaiting Ideon Audio DAC stock, Europeans are about to start back up after the holiday season and should be able to report back in a few weeks once stock lands.
Our German distributor for Antipodes, CM-Audio is also an Ideon distributor, they report stunning performance with all Ideon DACs and Antipodes servers.

 

[Synaxis]

Emotion Audio, Antipodes distribution in New Zealand, is a distributor for Ideon Audio, currently awaiting Ideon Audio DAC stock, Europeans are about to start back up after the holiday season and should be able to report back in a few weeks once stock lands.
Our German distributor for Antipodes, CM-Audio is also an Ideon distributor, they report stunning performance with all Ideon DACs and Antipodes servers.

I bet it would be an incredible sounding match.

 

[Gregm]

The most striking sound qualities of the Ideon dacs for me are their clarity and dynamic expressiveness, without any hint of tonal thinness. This gives your playback a feeling of natural liveliness which is seductive.

My current digital front end compsies the Absolute Epsilon + Time + an inexpensive (battery powred) USB isolator - so my comments are based on experience.
That said, I fully agree with the assessment above. I would add that I notice low level detail that I hadn't paid attention to before. The dynamics in my small room are stunning.

Another nice aspect to the Ideon dacs is they offer several usb reclockers, one of which is specific to the EOS, so if you don’t mind an extra box and would like to upgrade your sound someday that option is available.

The is an absolute necessity in my book. It's a reasonably priced and significant sonic upgrade.
If you don't wish to go for the EOS reclocker (I urge you, you can daisy-chain two small 3Rs and you will be surprised at the improvement! However, the EOS specific device, on its own, is better (for the record, I listened to both combos at home on behalf of a friend - he ended up getting the EOS dac-reclocker combo).

 

[Tiltedfault]

The is an absolute necessity in my book. It's a reasonably priced and significant sonic upgrade.
If you don't wish to go for the EOS reclocker (I urge you, you can daisy-chain two small 3Rs and you will be surprised at the improvement! However, the EOS specific device, on its own, is better (for the record, I listened to both combos at home on behalf of a friend - he ended up getting the EOS dac-reclocker combo).

Yes, this is absolutely right and excellent advice Gregm. I just didn’t want to give the impression to the OP that in getting the EOS by itself he wouldn’t be getting great sound. The reclockers are something an Ideon owner should always aspire to.

I myself went a little crazy in this regard upgrading my clock to the Absolute Signature V at the suggestion of my dealer. I was skeptical to say the least, but I tried it and it bested the standard Absolute Time, so now I have a clock which is more expensive than my dac. This seemed a little excessive to me at first, but the proof was in the listening.

The Ideon reclockers improve spatial definition, dynamics, transparency, and that sense of natural flow, which are qualities the stand alone dacs already excel in. My logical next step is to upgrade to the Absolute Epsilon dac at some point. A prospect which my wallet responds to with a Kierkegaardian sense of fear and trembling.

 

[Gregm]

I myself went a little crazy in this regard upgrading my clock to the Absolute Signature V at the suggestion of my dealer.

I envy you!

I was skeptical to say the least, but I tried it and it bested the standard Absolute Time, so now I have a clock which is more expensive than my dac. This seemed a little excessive to me at first, but the proof was in the listening.

As an owner of the standard Absolute Time, I can subjectively confirm there is a not-subtle difference between the two.
I thoroughly recommend you try a USB isolator before the Time - a $100 will do. Ideally, power it with a $20 power bank (i.e. battery) rather than the USB.
Regards

 

[Tabl10s]

I envy you!

As an owner of the standard Absolute Time, I can subjectively confirm there is a not-subtle difference between the two.
I thoroughly recommend you try a USB isolator before the Time - a $100 will do. Ideally, power it with a $20 power bank (i.e. battery) rather than the USB.
Regards

I got the Sigma Wave two days ago and in the words of my friend,... "It's awesome. Most impressive".

I also have the EOS and Absolute Time.

 

[Gregm]

I got the Sigma Wave two days ago and in the words of my friend,... "It's awesome. Most impressive".

That was an enviably good move!
The difference the Sigma makes in my system is very significant (more clarity, better dynamics, musical details which had not drawn my attention before...) - it transformed my musical enjoyment...

 

[Tabl10s]

That was an enviably good move!
The difference the Sigma makes in my system is very significant (more clarity, better dynamics, musical details which had not drawn my attention before...) - it transformed my musical enjoyment...

I wonder what aftermarket fuses will do?

 

[Tabl10s]

How did the sound change from new to full break-in? Are you going to try SR fuses?

 

[Gregm]

The sound got much clearer - i.e. resolution increased.
No, I'm not ready to experiment with fuses. Regards

 

[Tiltedfault]

The sound got much clearer - i.e. resolution increased.
No, I'm not ready to experiment with fuses. Regards

Ouch! And here I thought I might get away with a $100 usb isolator. Are the improvements you hear with the Sigma Wave very similar to those of the Time?

 

[Tabl10s]

Ouch! And here I thought I might get away with a $100 usb isolator. Are the improvements you hear with the Sigma Wave very similar to those of the Time?

Yes.

 

[matthias]

@Gregm
@Tabl10s
Please, can you elaborate further on the SQ differences between the Sigma Wave and the Time.
Thanks

 

[Gregm]

Please, can you elaborate further on the SQ differences between the Sigma Wave and the Time.
Thanks

I don't want to hijack the question, just a quick note to say that these two devices complement each other -
In my case, the improvement I got from the Sigma was very significant - but the deterioration I heard when I removed the Time (just as a silly test) was untenable

 

[Tabl10s]

I don't want to hijack the question, just a quick note to say that these two devices complement each other -
In my case, the improvement I got from the Sigma was very significant - but the deterioration I heard when I removed the Time (just as a silly test) was untenable

Did you slap your hand for doing so? What Power cable are you using?

 

[Tabl10s]

Mine is

@Gregm
@Tabl10s
Please, can you elaborate further on the SQ differences between the Sigma Wave and the Time.
Thanks

Mine is still on it's two-month burn-in. Greg is the expert on that question. BTW, I read the S'phile review on the basic dac which said it was Class B. When used with the company's Black Star clock, it's Class A+!

 

[matthias]

I don't want to hijack the question, just a quick note to say that these two devices complement each other -
In my case, the improvement I got from the Sigma was very significant - but the deterioration I heard when I removed the Time (just as a silly test) was untenable

Haha, with Ideon audio all devices complement each other...you end up with 100k
Some people want to spend less...so a somewhat more precise answer would be helpful