Greg - Great video thanks! The Ideon products are amazing and best bass I have ever heard. Please try to get both the USB Isolator and LAN Optimizer as well. The USB Isolator has further increased the performance of the Ideon Absolute Stream, especially in the bass and the LAN (still breaking in) has dropped the noise floor even lower and I'm not hearing things I have never heard before. Just amazing products!
Thanks! I have written to Ideon and opened the question of a personal audition of both the Ideon Σigma Wave USB audio isolator and the Alpha Wave LAN optimizer. We shall have to see what they say... 😉
I picked up my Sigma Wave after it returned from a factory update at no cost to me. Since I bought it as a demo(with a nice discount), I didn't bother to audition. It's connected to a Holo-Audio Red and even though the break-in period is supposedly two months, it kicks butt! Greg, could you request Ideon's USB cables for audition? Howard.
Superb, this is getting me extremely thrilled for the unit which should be arriving sometime this week I went through the upgrade path myself too from the absolute, simply at this point the best Delta Sigma I’ve come across period Spending almost a couple of weeks with the horizon360 from lampizator this month, I felt as though the absolute was going toe to toe with this latest addition, setting aside the tube characteristics and drooling down to the technicality It will be fascinating to see where the unit has gone from absolute to this 🐅
Meta2024 So the upgraded unit from the absolute came back on Friday, first couple of hours I yelled at myself, what the hell have you done? Walked away from the system for six hours Unit warmed up pleased with initial impressions left the system again for another 24 hours Meta2024 The upgraded unit from the Absolute returned on Friday. Initially, I was underwhelmed and questioned my decision. left the system for six hours. However, after warming up, I was pleased with the initial impressions and left the system for another 24 hours. Now, we are cooking. The background is significantly darker, and I feel as though the timbre might be slightly better in the midrange and base response. The travel region appears to require some improvement and a break-in period. The unit feels more powerful than the Absolute. I have not spent much time with the time alignment clock yet, but my initial impressions were even more dynamic, with a better special presentation and resolution. As usual, there is a trade-off in timbre when implementing the time alignment. This is a significant upgrade from the Absolute, although not a drastic one. Every percentage matters at this level. I believe I am set for the reference DAC for a while. The Horizon 360 will be the opposite end of the spectrum, and the unit should be back for a comprehensive in-depth review at my desk, hopefully by the end of December. In the meantime, the META is slightly better than the Absolute, with a significantly darker background that is very pleasing. The slow roll of minimum phase is my filter, and in my experience, it sounds the best even now. Now we are cooking, background is far blacker, I feel as though timbre might be slightly better in the midrange and base response, treble region seems like it needs a little more work more break in is necessary. Feels as though the unit is kicking harder than the absolute, I’ve not spent too long with the time alignment clock yet with it, initial impressions of that was even more dynamic better spatial presentation better resolution, but as usual, you tend to lose a little of the timbre when implementing. It’s a jump from the absolute not a significant one but every percentage matters at this level, I think I am set for the reference DAC for a while, the horizon 360 will be the opposite end of the spectrum that unit should be back for a full in-depth review at my Desk hopefully by the end of December but for now yes the META is a touch better than the absolute that blackground is very black and is very pleasing Slow roll off minimum phase is my filter and in my experience sounds the best even now
Honestly, save for the NADAC C and D, which I've commented on in E185: Master Fidelity's NADAC C Clock & NADAC D DAC (ua-cam.com/video/i_IIg1poJXg/v-deo.html), nothing from dCS, MSB, or anyone else in this price range has impressed me anywhere as much... Sorry...
Greg, did you evaluate this DAC using the Ideon Master Clock (inserted in/out for reference). I’m at the crossroads trying to rationalize the purchase of a Rubidium (over OCXO) MC 10MHz with my dual AKM 4497 ‘s. Thx!
Thanks, Henry. Yes, I'm getting in Thursday night, but am booked solid throughout the weekend. I am doing one of my after-hours curated LP sessions Saturday @ 8:00 PM in the Potomac room! Be there or be square! 🤣😉😇
To be fair, I'm unwilling to offer an absolute (sorry, no pun intended) assessment until I hear the NADAC C and D here... I will say, at this point, that the NADAC system is - overall - the most relevantly resolving and engaging sounding digital system I've heard anywhere OTHER than in my own rig... But again, that is as much as I can say with any certainty...
For 46k euros, it better sound good... i would rather choose audio note dac for 2k, and put the rest 44k for better amplifier. but if you have half a mil to spend.......
While I totally understand your position, if you have followed the channel, you'll be aware that my primary interests, and reviewing endeavors, lie in the hyper-audio realm. See my current system at www.theaudioanalyst.com/reference-system/ For comparison, my rig comes in at just under the one million dollar mark... I DO cover over-achieving gear at lower price points, but my interests lie in pushing the limits musical reproduction in the home... Thanks.
@@theaudioanalyst Impressive system indeed. Mine, carefully selected, diy speakers, costed me $1,400 of worthless dollars, or 40 oz silver, incl. two amplifiers, dsp and dac. Sound is better than big Focals at $25k. Probably only worse in soundstage vs yours
@@theaudioanalyst Interesting, your Ideon DAC and TLA amps are both made in Athens, Greece. Balkans are home to some of the top audio designers. NAT, RAAL, Aries Cerat, Pilium
Quite simply, always nice when an update IS a true upgrade.
Stella looking gorgeous as always.
Hey, buddy! It TRULY is a serious step forward, not just a slight advance. And, I'll let Stella know her walk-ons are appreciated! 🤣😉
How old is she?
@@tabl10s Stella turned 4 in late July this year... She is a beauty, isn't she! Such a little stinker... 🤗
Greg - Great video thanks! The Ideon products are amazing and best bass I have ever heard. Please try to get both the USB Isolator and LAN Optimizer as well. The USB Isolator has further increased the performance of the Ideon Absolute Stream, especially in the bass and the LAN (still breaking in) has dropped the noise floor even lower and I'm not hearing things I have never heard before. Just amazing products!
Thanks! I have written to Ideon and opened the question of a personal audition of both the Ideon Σigma Wave USB audio isolator and the Alpha Wave LAN optimizer. We shall have to see what they say... 😉
I picked up my Sigma Wave after it returned from a factory update at no cost to me. Since I bought it as a demo(with a nice discount), I didn't bother to audition. It's connected to a Holo-Audio Red and even though the break-in period is supposedly two months, it kicks butt!
Greg, could you request Ideon's USB cables for audition?
Howard.
Superb, this is getting me extremely thrilled for the unit which should be arriving sometime this week
I went through the upgrade path myself too from the absolute, simply at this point the best Delta Sigma I’ve come across period
Spending almost a couple of weeks with the horizon360 from lampizator this month, I felt as though the absolute was going toe to toe with this latest addition, setting aside the tube characteristics and drooling down to the technicality
It will be fascinating to see where the unit has gone from absolute to this
🐅
Enjoy, and be sure to share your impressions with us here once you have formulated them!
I follow you, also.
@@tabl10s deeply appreciated
Meta2024
So the upgraded unit from the absolute came back on Friday, first couple of hours I yelled at myself, what the hell have you done? Walked away from the system for six hours
Unit warmed up pleased with initial impressions left the system again for another 24 hours
Meta2024
The upgraded unit from the Absolute returned on Friday. Initially, I was underwhelmed and questioned my decision. left the system for six hours. However, after warming up, I was pleased with the initial impressions and left the system for another 24 hours.
Now, we are cooking. The background is significantly darker, and I feel as though the timbre might be slightly better in the midrange and base response. The travel region appears to require some improvement and a break-in period.
The unit feels more powerful than the Absolute. I have not spent much time with the time alignment clock yet, but my initial impressions were even more dynamic, with a better special presentation and resolution. As usual, there is a trade-off in timbre when implementing the time alignment.
This is a significant upgrade from the Absolute, although not a drastic one. Every percentage matters at this level. I believe I am set for the reference DAC for a while. The Horizon 360 will be the opposite end of the spectrum, and the unit should be back for a comprehensive in-depth review at my desk, hopefully by the end of December. In the meantime, the META is slightly better than the Absolute, with a significantly darker background that is very pleasing.
The slow roll of minimum phase is my filter, and in my experience, it sounds the best even now.
Now we are cooking, background is far blacker, I feel as though timbre might be slightly better in the midrange and base response, treble region seems like it needs a little more work more break in is necessary.
Feels as though the unit is kicking harder than the absolute, I’ve not spent too long with the time alignment clock yet with it, initial impressions of that was even more dynamic better spatial presentation better resolution, but as usual, you tend to lose a little of the timbre when implementing.
It’s a jump from the absolute not a significant one but every percentage matters at this level, I think I am set for the reference DAC for a while, the horizon 360 will be the opposite end of the spectrum that unit should be back for a full in-depth review at my Desk hopefully by the end of December but for now yes the META is a touch better than the absolute that blackground is very black and is very pleasing
Slow roll off minimum phase is my filter and in my experience sounds the best even now
amazing!!
Some comparisons to similar priced DACs would have been nice.
Honestly, save for the NADAC C and D, which I've commented on in E185: Master Fidelity's NADAC C Clock & NADAC D DAC (ua-cam.com/video/i_IIg1poJXg/v-deo.html), nothing from dCS, MSB, or anyone else in this price range has impressed me anywhere as much... Sorry...
@@theaudioanalyst APL or Abbas DAC 3.21 SE perhabs?
Greg, did you evaluate this DAC using the Ideon Master Clock (inserted in/out for reference). I’m at the crossroads trying to rationalize the purchase of a Rubidium (over OCXO) MC 10MHz with my dual AKM 4497 ‘s. Thx!
Nice review, see you at the Capital Audio Fest?
Thanks, Henry. Yes, I'm getting in Thursday night, but am booked solid throughout the weekend. I am doing one of my after-hours curated LP sessions Saturday @ 8:00 PM in the Potomac room! Be there or be square! 🤣😉😇
Greg- how would you describe the new Ideon dac to the Master Fidelity Nadac?
To be fair, I'm unwilling to offer an absolute (sorry, no pun intended) assessment until I hear the NADAC C and D here... I will say, at this point, that the NADAC system is - overall - the most relevantly resolving and engaging sounding digital system I've heard anywhere OTHER than in my own rig... But again, that is as much as I can say with any certainty...
For 46k euros, it better sound good... i would rather choose audio note dac for 2k, and put the rest 44k for better amplifier. but if you have half a mil to spend.......
While I totally understand your position, if you have followed the channel, you'll be aware that my primary interests, and reviewing endeavors, lie in the hyper-audio realm. See my current system at www.theaudioanalyst.com/reference-system/ For comparison, my rig comes in at just under the one million dollar mark... I DO cover over-achieving gear at lower price points, but my interests lie in pushing the limits musical reproduction in the home... Thanks.
what?? Really? 🤐
Ferrari wheels on a Prius?
@@theaudioanalyst Impressive system indeed. Mine, carefully selected, diy speakers, costed me $1,400 of worthless dollars, or 40 oz silver, incl. two amplifiers, dsp and dac. Sound is better than big Focals at $25k. Probably only worse in soundstage vs yours
@@theaudioanalyst Interesting, your Ideon DAC and TLA amps are both made in Athens, Greece. Balkans are home to some of the top audio designers. NAT, RAAL, Aries Cerat, Pilium