Note that this is a discontinued product. You may want to visit the brand's page here to browse their newer products.
What reviewers think
Bloggers and YouTubers have tried this product—so we've summarized their strongest opinions below. Links to full reviews follow.
Product Strengths
- Delivers a big, bold, and dynamic sound across the frequency spectrum with an immersive, three-dimensional presentation
- Presents music with energy and immediacy, creating a more 'live' feel, without being harsh or analytical
- Incredible bass, rounded, and pleasing, providing a significant presence in the room
Product Considerations
- The EOS DAC screen is very bright and cannot be dimmed
- Some users might find the limited number of connections on the DAC and the lack of Wi-Fi on the EOS Stream to be drawbacks
- The EOS Stream's control interface is accessed via a web browser, which might feel old-fashioned compared to the competition
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Chord Hugo TT2: EOS DAC offers a bigger, bolder sound with more pleasing bass and a more natural midrange, while the TT2 provides more clarity and edge definition
Takeaway: The Ideon Audio EOS stack delivers a digital audio experience that elevates music listening with its bold sound and immersive presentation. It is an impressive system that focuses on the overall music experience and could be a great choice for audiophiles seeking top-tier sound quality.
All
Eos Stream
reviews
Manufacturer details
- Supported Formats: 44.1kHz to 384kHz PCM up to 32 bits, any DSD (up to 8xDSD)
- System SSD: 240GB allocated for OS system
- Internal Storage: 4TB Standard for Music Libraries
- Digital Audio Output: 2 X USB with proprietary Re-Clocking
- Input: Ethernet & USB
- External Connectivity: 2 X USB 3.0 for external HD Music Libraries
- Power Supply: 3 X low noise linear power supplies
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 460 x 70 x 295 mm (18.1 x 2.7 x 11.6 in)
- Weight: 10 kg (~22 lbs)
Brand highlights
Taking a step back to look at reviewers' thoughts of the brand's entire lineup—not just this product—what stands out most is the following:
- Ideon Audio employs a proprietary "3R" technology, re-clocking, re-energizing, and re-driving the USB signal, aiming to minimize jitter and improve signal integrity at both the input and output stages.
- They utilize custom-coded software for their components, such as their DACs, optimizing the interplay between hardware and software for enhanced audio performance and potential future firmware upgrades.
- Ideon Audio emphasizes over-engineered, discrete, low-noise linear power supplies, often with multiple independent supplies within a single component, to provide clean and stable power to sensitive circuitry.
Select products
Ayazi MK2 DAC
- Positioning: The entry-level, affordable reference in Ideon Audio's lineup.
- Description: Offers exceptional sound quality at its price point, making it a great choice for budget-conscious audiophiles. Features a proprietary electrostatic protection circuit for its USB input, which helps maintain signal integrity by preventing noise from entering the system. Compared to the more advanced Eos DAC, focuses on delivering a broad dynamic range and low distortion, making it suitable for small rooms or setups where simplicity and cost-effectiveness are priorities.
Eos DAC
- Positioning: A mid-range offering that includes advanced technologies from Ideon's higher-end models.
- Description: Features a symmetrical analog output stage and proprietary noise elimination technology. Shares some of the advanced features found in the ION DAC, such as the triple distillation USB input, but at a more accessible price. Offers a significant upgrade over the Ayazi MK2 with enhanced soundstage and clarity.
ION DAC & Pre-Amp
- Positioning: A high-end model that serves as a reference front end, incorporating many innovations from the flagship Absolute series.
- Description: Delivers a sense of naturalness and presence, thanks to its cutting-edge analog stage and ultra-low noise power supply. Features a modular construction for future upgrades, similar to the Absolute DAC, but at a lower price point.
Absolute DAC
- Positioning: Ideon Audio's flagship model, representing the pinnacle of their digital audio technology.
- Description: Offers groundbreaking audio performance with its proprietary design and cutting-edge technologies, such as the triple distillation USB input and femto clock oscillators. Provides the highest dynamic range and soundstage among Ideon's products. Compared to the ION DAC, offers even more refined sound and future-proof modular construction.
Our take on the brand
Look inside the brand
Our interview with the brand
What are two key technological innovations or strong opinions that differ you from other brands?
We love and pursue purity. That’s why our analog output doesn’t choke dynamics with multiple stages, it lets them breathe, preserving the extraordinary SNR of our DAC engine without introducing artifacts or limitations. We’ve developed our own proprietary parallelized DAC conversion engine, complete with over 4,000 lines of custom firmware. Why? To meet our standards for emotional realism. We wrote our own rules—and our own code—to bridge the gap between technical performance and musical truth.
That’s what sets us apart: every circuit, every line of code, every concept is ours.
From our advanced re-clocking systems to our zero-noise rectification bridges—everything is conceived, designed, and executed in-house.
Even our power supply architecture is proprietary: parallelized, ultra-low-noise designs, paired with custom active bridges that eliminate diode-generated noise at rectification.
This isn’t tweaking - this is redefining what’s possible in digital playback. Timing correction is applied at both ends - input and output - with our sequential re-clocking and re-driving architecture. Each device is equipped with multiple femto-level clocks, operating in cascading stages, ensuring absolute signal phase integrity and vanishingly low jitter.
This is a fully upgradeable platform - because we’re always thinking ahead. All of this adds up to something more than specs, more than numbers. It results in sound with unimaginable resolution, breathtaking dynamics, and a texture that’s almost tactile. Whether through USB or SPDIF, our re-clocking and re-driving platforms deliver a musical experience that isn’t just accurate, it’s alive. Music deserves nothing less.
USB Input
More than 90% of DACs today use the same two generic USB chipsets. We don’t. Instead, we created our own proprietary USB input architecture, hardware and firmware designed together, paired with top-class femto-level clocks. It’s called the Ideon Triple Distillation USB input - a three-stage circuit that eradicates digital noise before the signal even reaches the DAC chip. What reaches the conversion stage is unflavored, untainted, and utterly transparent. A clean slate - ready to be reborn as music. This is our declaration of war on both linear and non-linear distortion. We simply eliminate noise.
Analog Stage
We take a similarly radical approach: one single stage. No coupling capacitors in the signal path. No power FETs or multiple output stages to artificially inflate current or “enhance” dynamics, because we found a better way. Our ultra-low-noise, symmetrical power supplies feed a uniquely designed topology that maintains signal integrity at an unmatched level. The result? Explosive dynamics, natural textures, intense detail—yet nothing is forced, nothing hyped. It just sounds real.
What's your approach to customer support?
Our approach to customer support is structured, customer centric, yet highly responsive. The first level of support is handled by our distributors in each country where we are represented. For territories without a local distributor, customers can contact our technical team directly. In fact, many customers reach out to us even when a distributor is present, especially for specific technical questions. We maintain a dedicated support email and pride ourselves on responding quickly and effectively to every inquiry. Customer satisfaction is at the core of everything we do. We’ve consistently been praised by both customers and partners for our fast, reliable, after-sales support. Whatever the issue, our goal is to resolve it swiftly and professionally. Additionally, all Ideon Audio products are designed with a modular architecture. This means servicing is straightforward and quick, as individual modules can be easily replaced when needed. This way we minimize downtime, ensuring continued performance. We are committed to making sure every customer is satisfied. In fact, we aim for, and maintain a zero unhappy customer record.
What are your favorite tracks for showcasing the strength of your products?
- Sway, Diana Krall
- Jacques Loussier Erik Satie Gnossienne No. 4
- Daft Punk, the Game of Love
- And many others
What other products pair best with yours?
This list is big, as we try to listen to synergies with many different products from a lot of brands. To name a few: Wilson, Estellon, JMF, Elac, Gamut, VTL, Aesthetix, etc.
Used
Ideon Audio
What if you spend more?
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Our summary
Product Strengths
- The CPU core is optimized for audio signal processing and uses Roon (bridge) software for files management
- The device can decode virtually any type of signal, PCM up to 32 bits and 384 kHz, and DSD from 2.8 MHz (DSD64) to 22.4 MHz (DSD512), and supports all streaming services
- It uses a classic linear power supply with a custom-made, high-power toroidal transformer and many low ESR capacitors
- The CNC-milled chassis takes 15 hours to fabricate
Product Considerations
- The manual indicates that its operation is very simple, but only if everything works as it should, as the control program did not always 'see' the transport
- The transport itself did not always turn on and sometimes had to be turned on several times before it actually started
- The reviewer did not manage to 'force' it to play DSD512 files from a USB flash drive, and with DSD256 files being played the DAC's display showed 'PCM 384' format
- The Ideon often choked on WAV files
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- The Ideon Audio system offered an equivalent sound when compared with CDs, Master CD-Rs and SACDs and their corresponding files
- Compared to the Ayon Audio player, the Ayon Audio player represents timbre, space, and the structure of recordings similarly to analog tape, while the Ideon Audio player is considered an equivalent to a top turntable
Takeaway: The Ideon Absolute Suite is one of the best-built audio sources, with a modular design and proprietary solutions. It draws you into its world through dense colors and saturation with information, and the amazing sound is worth experiencing
Video review
Our take on the brand
Product Strengths
- Significant improvement over the standard Statement, with more dynamic range, quieter backgrounds, higher resolution, and more fine detail
- Enhanced bass performance, with more power, visceral impact, and improved control
- Larger spatial sizing and more vivid presentation of virtual sound sources
- Excellent musicality with a hash-free and low-noise sound
- The Innuos Sense app is stable, easy to navigate, and considered one of the best streamer software options available
- The Next-Gen only outputs via USB, not offering other digital outputs like SPDIF
Product Considerations
- A two-box system, which may require significant shelf space
- The upgrade to the Next-Gen version involves reworking both Statement enclosures and must be done by Innuos
- All changes from one model to another are internal, so diving inside their bonnets is mandatory to tell them apart
- The standard Statement is already excellent, so potential buyers need to evaluate if the upgrade to Next-Gen is worth it for them
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- The Next-Gen provides greater dynamics, a more 3D-like presentation, and improved realism in voices and instruments, compared to the standard Innuos Statement
- It pushes aside the Melco N10 with a combination of rhythmic intensity and staging elegance
- It surpasses the Fidata HFAS1-S10U on agility, openness, expansiveness, propulsion—and doesn't sound mechanical because of that
- The Statement has better adaptive skills than the ZENith Mk3, allowing it to portray artists' intentions more accurately
Takeaway: The Innuos Statement Next-Gen takes an already outstanding music server to the next level with significant improvements in sound quality and detail. It offers an exceptional listening experience.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our summary
Product Strengths
- Delivers music with a lack of digital artifacts, sounding closer to the original recording and venue than other digital sources
- Highly detailed construction with CNC machined chassis using a hybrid of copper, aluminum, and Panzerholz wood to mitigate RFI and vibration
- Dual Intel Xeon CPU design isolates Roon processes from audio processing tasks, improving performance
- Offers high-quality support, with Taiko providing remote assistance for setup and troubleshooting
- Optimizes both locally stored files and streamed music with equal performance
Product Considerations
- Custom USB board requires specific drivers to align with the DAC being used
- Native server software, TAS, offers better sound quality than Roon, but has a less user-friendly interface
- Windows servers might need constant support compared to LINUX servers
- High price point may be prohibitive for some buyers
- Massive size and weight (99 pounds) may pose logistical challenges
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Compared to Melco Zs or Innuos Statement, the Extreme represents a significant step up in performance
- Compared to Tidal Arkas, when playing files, the Taiko probably has the sonic edge, and ergonomically, is the more natural choice
Takeaway: The Taiko Audio SGM Extreme is a high-end music server that delivers exceptional sound quality and a more 'analog' listening experience. For those seeking the best sound from digital files and streaming services, this could be the right choice.
Video review
Our take on the brand
The Oladra is designed to be the world's best music server-streamer, in the way that music can move you. Precision-machined from a solid block of premium alloy, its physical beauty matches the beauty of its music.
Our summary
Product Strengths
- Deep tonal saturation, lushness, liquidity, and organic flow.
- More articulate, crisper, expressive, airier, and highly resolving than previous Antipodes models.
- Operates in an unforced manner that makes for immediate surrender on the listener's behalf.
- Incredibly refined and liquid, as well as lifelike in its expression and dynamics.
- Milled from a solid block of aluminum, with sleek and simple—yet subtly curved—lines
Product Considerations
- It is difficult for a reviewer to really tear into a music server the same way they would tear into a pair of speakers or a power amplifier
- Setting up the Antipodes Oladra music server isn't easy, and time will need to be spent getting used to it
- CD ripping is perhaps better described as painstaking rather than swift, the company opting for accuracy rather than speed
- Built like a very expensive amplifier
- Must be 'driven' via browser software running on a PC or, more ideally, a tablet
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Antipodes K50, the Oladra offers a more exciting, incisive, and expressive rendition
- Vs Antipodes K50, the Oladra had more detail and more distinct detail due to the overall very quiet background
- Vs Pink Faun, Pink Faun is tighter, more precise and analytical, Antipodes more relaxed and organic
Takeaway: The Oladra offers exceptional sound quality, is a versatile music server, and will sound much better than just a laptop, creating a better music listening experience. The Oladra lets the music be its unadulterated self, is relaxed, and will never sound lean, gray, or analytical.
Video review
Our take on the brand
What competes at this price?
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- The A20 is a full-fledged, high-performance server, streamer, preamplifier, DAC, and headphone amplifier
- Excellent DAC with a natural, detailed, clean, and neutral sound
- Impressive storage capabilities with slots for user-installable SSD or HDD drives and limitless storage options by integrating content from a NAS or external USB drive
- The Aurender Conductor App is highly user-friendly, with an intuitive interface and is easy to navigate
Product Considerations
- The A20 is not compatible with Roon
- The A20 does not have built-in CD ripping functionality
- The A20's sound signature might not immediately impress
- There is a learning curve for maximum functionality
Takeaway: The Aurender A20 is a great option for audiophiles seeking a digital hub that covers both headphone and loudspeaker listening and whose music collection is already digitized. It has excellent sound quality, hardware, software, and customer service.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Integrates the functions of a music server, a content streamer, and a LAN port, consolidating multiple devices into one for simpler setup
- Has two internal, hard-drive storage bays, which allow users to customize on-board music storage according to their needs (up to 16TB with SSDs)
- Employs an all-digital, phase-locked-loop subsystem (ADPLL) with an oven-controlled crystal oscillator (OCXO) to reduce jitter, improving the musical presentation
- Supports various digital file codecs, including native DSD512, handled by a dedicated Intel Quad-Core CPU
- Exceptional build quality, with a minimalistic, stylish design and a large, high-resolution (1920 x 480 pixels) AMOLED display for album art and information
- Outstanding customer service is available
Product Considerations
- Does not have a built-in DAC, requiring an external DAC for audio output
- Roon is not fully supported as a RAAT device, only as an Airplay device
- The Android version of the control app may not be as user-friendly as the iOS version
- HDDs/SSDs not included, so the cost of storage is not part of the overall price
- The Aurender N20 does not offer a hardware remote, which might be a problem for some users
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Aurender A20: The N20 is a superior streamer for upscale rigs due to its dedicated functionality and higher parts quality, whereas the A20 is an excellent choice as a streamlined hifi
- Vs Aurender W20SE: The reviewer believes the sweet spot in the Aurender lineup is the N20 unless dual AES output is needed, in which case—the W20SE would be better
- Vs Small Green Computer CAPS 20.1: The Aurender N20 is a state-of-the-art server with great sound quality for plug and play, while CAPS 20.1 needs maintenance
- Vs Linn Klimax DSM/3: Unlike the Linn Klimax DSM/3, the N20 comes with two internal hard-drive storage bays
Takeaway: The Aurender N20 is a well-designed music server/streamer with high-quality sound that offers a streamlined user experience and integration of various digital audio functions. It is a solid choice for audiophiles seeking simplicity, stability, and excellent sound quality in a digital source component.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Robust and solid build quality
- Excellent sound quality, reproducing music with high fidelity
- Gives music life, verve, vigor, and emotional involvement
- Antipodes optimizes the power supplies to increase speed and lower noise
- Offers a platform for the best available applications
Product Considerations
- The burn-in process can take a long time
- Worldwide chip shortages forced a few changes to the design, and the beta software would not be bug-free
- The USB output is considered the worst in terms of sound quality and receives the least amount of isolation and reclocking
- Removing Roon local option can be a problem for some users
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs. Aurender N20: The K50 replaced an Aurender N20
- Vs. Innuos Statement: The Innuos Statement has a warm and smooth signature
- Vs. HiFi ROSE RS150b: The K50 provides interconnectedness between sounds that the HiFi ROSE does not
- Vs. Antipodes K41 and K22: Combining an Antipodes K41 and K22 will make for a two-box K50 if one is so inclined
Takeaway: The Antipodes K50 is a well-built music server that brings soul back into a digital system. It creates a natural and inviting sound that can help you rediscover your favorite music.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Achieves ideal isolation for best performance using PLINK, PDFAS clocking technology, and separate chassis with high-quality linear power supply
- Offers superb sound quality whether streaming from UPnP or using local or streaming Roon RAAT sources
- Delivers a neutral, fast, lively, and expressive sound that is also finely nuanced, fluid, spacious, and gently svelte
- Has a direct, rhythmic, fast, pure, and impactful sound, combined with deep tonal saturation and an enveloping soundstage
- The MPS-X is designed to allow multiple clock signals for the streamer, network bridge, etc, but it then re-clocks all digital signals through the proprietary high-precision clock generator before sending the signal out to the DAC via its fiber optical interface (PLINK)
Product Considerations
- PLINK is not 100% compatible with Nagra Link, there is skipping/glitching on certain sample rates
- Aftermarket feet could alter pacing and drive, so it is best to start with the MPS-X's own feet
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Compared to Aqua LinQ, the MPS-X excels in being liquid, free-flowing, and spacious, particularly possessing more distinct layering in the depth plane, while the Aqua LinQ is more immediate and direct
Takeaway: The MPS-X offers excellent streaming audio performance with great sound quality and isolation, improving the sound of music servers and offering further potential within a Playback Designs system. It is an expertly crafted device that should make listening to music even more enjoyable.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- High-quality build and stellar construction with meticulous attention to detail
- Acts as a music server, CD transport/ripper, and digital source/streamer, consolidating multiple components
- Exceptional performance as a digital source, with very low jitter
- Offers a large selection of features suitable for many use cases
- Can be used with external drives and has both USB and network connections
Product Considerations
- The unit is large and may not fit on a desk or in many racks
- The Roon core may not be as snappy as some dedicated PCs, though newer units have a faster CPU
- Ripping uses a separate computer disc transport and connect to one of the rear USB ports, not the NETs own transport mechanism
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Singxer SU-6: The Wavedream NET has lower jitter, being the highest performing digital source tested
- Vs Wavedream DAC via USB: I2S output from the Wavedream NET to the Wavedream Signature DAC resulted in a slight increase in quality, particularly in precision of imaging
- Vs CAD CAT transport into the Wavedream DAC: The Wavedream NET produced amongst the most transparent sound
Takeaway: The Wavedream NET is a versatile and high-performing digital source that combines multiple functions into one well-built unit, capable of delivering exceptional sound quality and features, making it a great addition to a high-end audio setup. It offers a comprehensive solution for digital audio playback.
Video review
Our take on the brand
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