Introducing Olympus & Olympus I/O - A new perspective on modern music playback

For those who just started reading up on Olympus, Olympus I/O, and XDMI, please note that all information in this thread has been summarized in a single PDF document that can be downloaded from the Taiko Website.

https://taikoaudio.com/taiko-2020/taiko-audio-downloads

The document is frequently updated.

Scroll down to the 'XDMI, Olympus Music Server, Olympus I/O' section and click 'XDMI, Olympus, Olympus I/O Product Introduction & FAQ' to download the latest version.

Good morning WBF!​

We are introducing the culmination of close to 4 years of research and development. As a bona fide IT/tech nerd with a passion for music, I have always been intrigued by the potential of leveraging the most modern of technologies in order to create a better music playback experience. This, amongst others, led to the creation of our popular, perhaps even revolutionary, Extreme music server 5 years ago, which we have been steadily improving and updating with new technologies throughout its life cycle. Today I feel we can safely claim it's holding its ground against the onslaught of new server releases from other companies, and we are committed to keep improving it for years to come.

We are introducing a new server model called the Olympus. Hierarchically, it positions itself above the Extreme. It does provide quite a different music experience than the Extreme, or any other server I've heard, for that matter. Conventional audiophile descriptions such as sound staging, dynamics, color palette, etc, fall short to describe this difference. It does not sound digital or analog, I would be inclined to describe it as coming closer to the intended (or unintended) performance of the recording engineer.

Committed to keeping the Extreme as current as possible, we are introducing a second product called the Olympus I/O. This is an external upgrade to the Extreme containing a significant part of the Olympus technology, allowing it to come near, though not entirely at, Olympus performance levels. The Olympus I/O can even be added to the Olympus itself to elevate its performance even further, though not as dramatic an uplift as adding it to the Extreme. Consider it the proverbial "cherry on top".

 

So if I am digesting this correctly. If the NAS is running amiss it has a direct correlation with Roon processing in the most effective fashion? I'm sure this has been covered; Any optimal suggestion as to NAS integration? Roon is going to see the NAS in the network no matter what, unless its disabled as you have done.

Please share with us your results when and if you reintroduce a properly functioning NAS. It "sounds" as though in your network the Olympus/Roon SQ may have improved more so after disabling the NAS.

I hope your making big strides in the "garage project" sounds like an album cover....

Well it shouldn’t, but if it’s malfunctioning and Roon tries to access it but either can’t, or gets time outs/errors, and will likely just keep trying, I could see that impacting SQ. Errors are high priority events which can interfere with the playback processes.

 

You’re welcome!

Interesting behaviour, can you remind me which brand/model NAS you have?

I have an old, almost prehistoric in terms of IT generations, Thecus N5500 five-bay NAS that I've been using as my main NAS for ages. The drives are currently a mix of Toshiba and Hitachi enterprise grade 4TB units, not quite as old as the NAS. Very clunky Windows 3.xx look-alike operating system. It was inexpensive and fast (at the time) and as an open-box unit, even less expensive.

I have a slightly newer WD four bay NAS and an even older Thecus N5000 model that I leave idle and only run to back up from the N5500 whenever I get enough new music loaded that it would be time-consuming and a PITA to reload if the whole thing crashed.

Probably time to start considering a newer NAS or -- hint, hint -- maybe soon I'll be able to plug an external USB drive powered from my Uptone JS-2 via the Taiko DC distributor into the Taiko router. . .

I also have the entire contents backed up on a couple of new high-capacity external 16 and 18TB USB drives. I'm not only cheap, I'm a belt and suspenders kind of guy when it comes to back ups.

Steve Z

 

Well it shouldn’t, but if it’s malfunctioning and Roon tries to access it but either can’t, or gets time outs/errors, and will likely just keep trying, I could see that impacting SQ. Errors are high priority events which can interfere with the playback processes.

Indeed, that is my suspicion as well and there were some instances of slow loading, skipped tracks after time outs and other strange behavior with Roon that, so far, haven't repeated since I disabled the NAS as a storage path in Roon.

When I get a new drive into the NAS and the RAID 6 is rebuilt I'll see what happens.

Steve Z

 

I just received Julien' update on the delivery forecast for the Olympus. It is the third update and with each of them, the forecast is delayed by a week. So if every week that passes the order is delayed by a week, the Olympus will receive it........ NEVER.

 

Is there something in the Reboot process I don't understand?

I upgraded Roon, pressed and held the front underside button until the middle light went off, and then pressed and released that button. Middle light came back on (and heard a faint click).

But now Roon "can't find server."

Please note that long-pressing the Extreme or Olympus front panel power button leads to a hard reset of the Operating System. It is better to simply press the button shortly, to gently shut down or power up.

 

I just received Julien' update on the delivery forecast for the Olympus. It is the third update and with each of them, the forecast is delayed by a week. So if every week that passes the order is delayed by a week, the Olympus will receive it........ NEVER.

Mine held steady, then slipped by two weeks, and has now pulled back one of those slipped weeks.

 

Please note that long-pressing the Extreme or Olympus power button leads to a hard reset of the Operating System. It is better to simply press the button shortly, to gently shut down or power up.

I assume you mean the power button on the bottom of the Olympus

 

I just received Julien' update on the delivery forecast for the Olympus. It is the third update and with each of them, the forecast is delayed by a week. So if every week that passes the order is delayed by a week, the Olympus will receive it........ NEVER.

I understand the frustration when projections shift - it can absolutely feel like things are slipping endlessly. But there's a lot more nuance behind the estimates than it might seem at first glance.

As I mentioned in my last post, in the short term, you will see the estimates shifting back and forth:

These projections become more accurate over time, but in the short term, you will see them shifting back and forth.

Your order includes an I/O, and since the number of I/O chassis received is currently less than initially predicted, some orders with I/Os have temporarily moved down the list, while orders for black Olympus servers without I/Os have advanced. As soon as Taiko receives the next sizable batch of I/O chassis, this situation will rebalance.

Additionally, more customers have switched from silver to black, which has pushed those orders to the front as well, further impacting the overall schedule.

The scheduling algorithm continues to improve - for example, it is starting to account for holidays in the Netherlands (such as today and Monday) and planned vacations now.

The Olympus remains a complex build with inherently limited production capacity. While I wouldn't describe the switch to powder coating as "turbocharged," it has clearly helped accelerate overall production. Taiko has completed over 20 Olympus servers recently, many of them with an I/O - more than were completed in a 6-month period previously.

I hope that everyone can see clear improvements in many areas - consistent production, timely updates, clear communication, full transparency, etc. If you have any further questions, please reach out to support, and we will be happy to address them.

Let me give you a real example (the opposite of yours, for now at least) to illustrate this.

Order #121:

• On April 9, it was forecasted for May 23.
• On April 17, that moved to May 30.
• Today, we’ve confirmed the chassis is in hand and it’s scheduled to enter assembly on Monday, April 28.

So despite appearing delayed on paper just a week ago, this order is now moving well ahead of where it was estimated in the past three weeks. It’s a great example of how these forecasts can shift in both directions — and why short-term changes don’t always reflect the bigger picture.

Other orders - particularly those that include I/Os - have temporarily shifted further down the list, but as mentioned in today’s update, we expect that to start turning around as early as next week.

For more visibility, here are just a few of the considerations I had to take under account when I was calculating the estimates yesterday.
Here’s a snapshot of how the next 6 weeks are shaping up behind the scenes.

• This week (Apr 21–25): Monday was a public holiday, one person is out sick, one is out Friday, and another is on vacation all week.
• Week 2 (Apr 28–May 2): One team member on vacation.
• Week 3 (May 5–9): One public holiday.
• Week 4 (May 12–16): Impacted by the High End Munich show.
• Week 5 (May 19–23): Impacted by the High End Munich show.
• Week 6 (May 26–30): Two public holidays.

That’s just one layer (and stuff that every business needs to deal with). Taiko is also managing:

• An inventory of 400+ components that must remain in constant flow.
• Tariff-driven disruptions — some parts that were once easy to source are now backordered globally.
• A surge in switch, router, and DCD orders — handled by the same team assembling Olympus servers.

That's really just a small snippet of some of the considerations taken under account when these projections are calculated, and they probably account for less than 10% of all the factors involved.

The goal is to give everyone honest, real-time forecasts that reflect reality — not overly optimistic guesses. Things are moving, even if not always in a straight line, and we really appreciate everyone’s patience through this stretch.

@nonesup - I’d also like to politely ask you (and everyone else) that any questions or concerns specific to your order be sent directly to Support. We’ll be happy to look into your individual situation and provide more detailed insight there.

 

We were asking for regular and frequent updates, we have it now. With it comes fluctuations in etas, I think that is very reasonable.

 

Agreed! The regular weekly updates are great. Kudos to Julien and Vassil for setting it up!

 

Please note that long-pressing the Extreme or Olympus power button leads to a hard reset of the Operating System. It is better to simply press the button shortly, to gently shut down or power up.

Can u point me to the section of Olympus operating manual that explains the way the power button works in more detail please.
As far as I can tell there isn't any detailed explanation in the manual...these kinds of things are very confusing

 

I assume you mean the power button on the bottom of the Olympus

Yes, the front panel button on front of the Extreme, or underneath the front panel of the Olympus.

 

Can u point me to the section of Olympus operating manual that explains the way the power button works in more detail please.
As far as I can tell there isn't any detailed explanation in the manual...these kinds of things are very confusing

Powering the Server and I/O is described in section 5.4.

I am in the process of updating the manual, and am also working on a summarized version of the manual. Please see the latest info below.

5.4 Powering the Server and I/O

Both the Olympus server and I/O are equipped with a main power switch at the rear. The Olympus server additionally has an on/standby button on the underside of the front panel. See the Olympus Server Front Panel and Bottom Panel Diagram below.

A short momentary push of the button alternately starts the Operating System or shuts it down and puts the server in a standby state. In standby, the batteries are still charged. A long-press of the button leads to a hard OS shut down, which should normally be avoided.

The Server and I/O are both intended to always be connected to the mains power. For normal day-to-day use, only the server’s front panel standby button should be used.

 

...when using standby (a soft-touch) could you please note the next behavior, please...as in X seconds to complete, etc.?

It's been a while, but as I recall, I have used the longer-hold a couple of times because it didn't seem as if anything was happening...or at least, happening as I expected the process to proceed. Thank you.

 

...when using standby (a soft-touch) could you please note the next behavior, please...as in X seconds to complete, etc.?

It's been a while, but as I recall, I have used the longer-hold a couple of times because it didn't seem as if anything was happening...or at least, happening as I expected the process to proceed. Thank you.

After a few seconds the middle light turns off. The exact amount of time varies a bit with your Roon database size, with a small database 2-3 seconds.

 

Is it recommended to go into standby at the end of a day/listening session?

 

Is it recommended to go into standby at the end of a day/listening session?

Just asked the same ? in a PM to someone..

 

Is it recommended to go into standby at the end of a day/listening session?

It will save a little bit on your electricity bill.

 

It will save a little bit on your electricity bill.

So other than electric bill it servers no value. I'm sure this was addressed but as with the Extreme I follow a once per 7-10 day soft reboot. Is this also recommended for the Olympus? I know following a Roon update it is prudent...

 

So other than electric bill it servers no value. I'm sure this was addressed but as with the Extreme I follow a once per 7-10 day soft reboot. Is this also recommended for the Olympus? I know following a Roon update it is prudent...

That is a good practice yes, I would actually recommend that you try that for any piece of audiophile gear (assuming you keep it powered on for prolonged periods), and listen if you hear an improvement or not.