£19,950

IΩN Pre-Amp

The Ideon Audio IΩN (ION) DAC, with optional analog preamplifier utilizing trickle-down technologies and R&D gained, from our extensive work with our flagship Absolute Epsilon DAC.

Breakthrough technology from the Absolute Series: re discover your music

The Ideon Audio IΩN (ION) DAC, with optional analog preamplifier utilizing trickle-down technologies and R&D gained, from our extensive work with our flagship Absolute Epsilon DAC.

Most of the Epsilon DAC’s innovations and designs are found in the IΩN in its own scale. As with all Ideon offerings, the IΩN DAC is a fully proprietary design, with audio technologies developed in-house.

A bespoke handcrafted product housing an innovative combination of high-performance design features and best-of-breed quality components.

HyperStream, 8-channels architecture with proprietary, cutting-edge analog stage

  • High output impedance at -120 dB SNR, quad current output from DAC
  • Cutting edge analog stage, with symmetrical ultra-low noise power supply – in a unique topology
  • Ultra low-noise power through, more than 10 different separate power regulators in the circuit.
  • Direct coupled output with no capacitors in the output stage.
  • In-House fully balanced design throughout
  • The sonic result re defines digital audio playback potential, bringing you directly to the heart of music with a breath-taking sense of naturalness and presence.

Proprietary Triple Distillation USB input: Noise Elimination

Conceived and designed in-house, the Ideon Audio Triple Distillation USB input comprises a proprietary three-stage noise eradication circuit that eliminates digital noise from the input signal. Our experience from the making of the Absolute Espislon DAC has been now transfered to the IΩN as well. Figuratively speaking, we have declared war on linear & non-linear distortion and noise!

Clock Oscillators: Getting the Music in Phase

The IΩN, like the flagship Absolute epsilon DAC, uses three top-of-the-line femto ultra-low jitter and ultra-low phase noise clocks in a no-compromise architecture; precision and resulting phase fidelity of the signal is ensured.

Each clock has its own dedicated power line.

The Symmetrical Analog Output Principle

The in-house designed, IΩN DAC’s balanced output has symmetrical analogue output channels, with no capacitors in the signal path and dedicated power supplies, in a unique topology.

The output energy and strength can virtually drive any load!

Modular Construction for future upgrades

The IΩN DAC has been designed with future upgrades in mind, like most of Ideon’s products.

Its modular construction allows for future upgrades of different parts of the device, if and when a new technology becomes available, or a new format takes over.

The Analog Pre-Amp section

The IΩN is also offered with an optional analog pre-amplifier integrated with the DAC, under the name IΩN+.

The Pre-Amp is also a proprietary in-house design with software-controlled analog potentiometers. This is a purist design ensuring transparent performance, practically a zero signal path, very low-noise, extremely low harmonic distortion levels and great dynamics.

Ideon’s ultra-low noise power supply

IΩN’s multistage power reservoir comprises of 10 ultra-low noise power supply units and individual regulation stages.

The importance of stable, abundant, and clean power is touted all over audio circles, but at Ideon Audio, we take things to another level: we as many separate stages as needed in order to achieve unparalleled clarity and linearity.

We choose top-level componentry: state-of-the-art regulators with extreme low-tolerance rating, and audio-grade capacitors (ELNA Silmic II) with silk-fibre plate separators specifically designed for audio applications.

These components display higher propagation speed and low esr * resulting in smoother sound without loss of detail.

KEY FEATURES

N+ Pre-Amp section

  • In-house fully balanced design throughout.
  • In-house, ultra-low noise linear power supply.
  • Two balanced inputs
  • Gain range from -111.5dB to +15.5dB
  • Dynamic range 121 dB configuration
  • 0.0002% THD in balanced mono configuratio

Specifications

IΩN+ Pre-Amp section
TOPOLOGYFull Balanced Design
ANALOG INPUTS2x Balanced (XLR & RCA)
OUTPUT IMPEDANCE40 ohms
GAIN RANGE-111.5dB to +15.5dB
DYNAMIC RANGE121 dB configuration
CHANNEL SEPARATION>130dB on all outputs
ULTRA-LOW NOISE1.1 nV/√Hz at 1 kHz
ULTRA-LOW DISTORTION0.000015% at 1 kHz
DIMENSIONS (W X H X D)460 x 80 x 300 mm (18.1 x 3.1 x 11.8 in)
WEIGHT13kg (~28 lbs)