The most innovative streamer / music rendering engine today The Αbsolute Stream is an audiophile music server/streamer which renders music files. It is a high-performance device which will play all your musical libraries whether they are on an external hard-disk or NAS. Just as importantly, the absolute Stream will play audio from internet sources, i.e. radio and web services such as Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc. Design principles When we set out to design the AbsolAute Stream, we aimed at achieving extraordinary sound to complement the Absolute DAC. This quality target led us to conceive the Absolute Stream as an audio device dedicated to music playback, rather than as a computer tweaked to play music. We applied our design principles with no-compromise to the Absolute Stream: massively over-engineered power supply, abundant ultra-low noise power, discreet power lines to critical points of the circuit, circuit stability and isolation, constant phase / timing correction. Real-Time core playback Core CPU highly prioritized for audio playback only, ensuring optimized performance and sound quality Realize the potential of your music The Absolute-Stream will play your private libraries from HDs or NAS, it works as a Roon bridge rendering your music into the device’s CPU, and of course, it renders Internet streaming services with maximum possible integration (Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, Web radios, etc) Future-proof phase correction For jitter elimination, a specially designed re-clocking circuit, comprising of an no-compromise femto clock architecture, embedded in Absolute Stream as standard and not as an option with extra charge. This is an upgradable platform to protect our customers’ investment. Over spec’d Power Supply Huge, linear, power supplies have become an Ideon Audio trademark. The Absolute Stream has a very large main power bank composed of audiophile, low esr, silk caps; we also included a high-wattage, hand-made, audiophile transformer. Zero-noise power Electrical noise in a source component can deteriorate the sound for the duration of signal processing procedure… It will come as no surprise, therefore, that the Absolute Stream has our proprietary, upgradable, zero-noise rectification active bridging technology, eliminating diode-rectification noise. Independent power lines, special power for the rendering CPU There are four (4) separate, discrete, power lines with ultra-low noise linear power within the Absolute Stream circuit, providing the different voltage levels the device requires. Going the extra experimentation mile, however, we discovered that the quality of transient current going to the CPU affected sound—and the sonic result was astonishing. To improve transient current quality, accordingly, we implemented a proprietary, ultra-low esr, bypass power filter with superlative results in the sound. A unique advantage of the Absolute Stream circuit is the total absence of switching power supplies – not even intermediate ones within the CPU power rails. Internal noise elimination Keeping in mind that sound quality is the foremost consideration, we avoided internal noise-inducing peripheral circuits as much as possible. Thereby, the Absolute Stream’s simplified, bare-bones operation provides superlative sound quality to the user—which is the music-lover’s target in the first place. Massive, single-block aluminium chassis The 22kg (~49 lbs) CNC milled chassis takes 15 hours to complete. The result is a solid mechanical base housing the most intricate and expensive electronics available currently. Various finishes are available to order. Share: Facebook KEY FEATURES Real-time core playback. Rendering CPU highly prioritized for audio playback only, ensuring highly optimized sound quality Works as Roon bridge, rendering your music from NAS or HDs into the Absolute Stream’s core CPU Internet streaming services ready with maximum allowed integration or via UPNP (Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, internet radio, etc) Proprietary, femto clock re-clocking circuit on an upgradable platform Very large main capacitors power bank (low esr, audiophile silk caps), and hand-made audiophile transformer Proprietary, zero-noise rectification bridge eliminates diode-rectification noise Ultra-low-noise, linear power supplies, across all board voltage points Proprietary, ultra-low esr special bypass power filter improving the transient current for the CPU (spectacular sound improvement!); Short signal paths without wiring Simplified, bare-bones operation avoids internal noise-inducing circuits Audiophile design & solid aluminium construction TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS SUPPORTED FORMATS (INPUT DEPENDENT) 44.1kHz to 384kHz PCM up to 32 bits, any DSD (up to 8xDSD) SYSTEM SSD 128GB for OS system INTERNAL STORAGE *Optional 1- 4TB for Music Libraries DIGITAL AUDIO OUTPUT 2 X USB with proprietary Re-Clocking (one with 5v rail, one without) INPUT Ethernet EXTERNAL CONNECTIVITY 2 X USB 3.0 for external HD Music Libraries POWER SUPPLY 3 X ultra-low noise full Linear power supplies (for all different voltage needs). No Switching power supply at any point of the device DIMENSIONS (W x H x D) 490 x 350 x 110 mm ( (19.2 x 13.7 x 4.3 in) WEIGHT 22 kg (~ 49 lbs) SOURCE CODE MPD SOURCE CODE WEB INTERFACE SOURCE CODE REVIEWS & RATINGS Absolute Epsilon DAC – HIFI STATEMENT “…I’ve never seen anything like it – fascinating…” “…incredible resolution and three-dimensional sonority, which is particularly surprising in the high pitches…””This is great class and for me absolutely unique, very far from the usual…” WOLFGANG KEMPER Wolfgang Kemper, HIFI STATEMENT, Dec 2022 Read Review (Link) Absolute Epsilon DAC, Absolute Stream, and Absolute Time – The Absolute Sound “…The Absolute Epsilon DAC, Absolute Stream music server, and Absolute Time master clock are in the upper echelon of today’s best digital playback. The trio has some remarkable musical attributes, including stunningly lifelike reproduction of music’s dynamics. The sense of immediacy and presence—the impression of nothing between you and the music—was equally impressive.” Robert Harley, The Absolute Sound, June 2022 Read Review (Link) Absolute Stream – hiendnews.gr (in Greek) ” …You will remember us, as it is destined to remain in your aural memory as one of the best digital propositions in the world, especially in combination with the Absolute DAC. It is undoubtedly a leading solution in the matter of streaming & digital music-serving with an unparalleled sound approach in naturalness and ‘purity’, transforming even the online services Tidal & Spotify into something of unimaginable quality.” Thanasis Moraitis , July 2022 Read Review (Link) Absolute DAC, Absolute Stream, Absolute Time – High Fidelity “…This is a top high-end, hence the GOLD FINGERPRINT award deserved for this system … …ABSOLUTE SUITE by Ideon Audio is one of the best-built audio I know… …the Greek player would be the equivalent of a top turntable ….” ” It is something between ‘weight’, ‘seriousness’ and ‘solidity’. It is the ultimate and certain force that you can always rely on and that does not change. And this is what the Ideon Audio sounded like. It draws you into its world, both through the dense colors and saturation of the presentation with information, as well as through something that is difficult to define, and which makes us let go and listen to music in awe and delight.” High Fidelity, November 2020 Read Report (Link)
