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".

 

Streaming with the Router can sound better than local playback without the Router. This signifies a certain benefit for streaming playback.

...interesting that you would call out this scenario, Christiaan, as I have recently been intellectualizing (or what passes for intellectualizing in my case) over this use-case.

In some instances here, streaming can sound a wee-bit more energetic than local, given the same file, purchased from Qobuz vs. streaming from Qobuz.

I have not done any strict analysis, comparing versions, time of day, etc. but I have noticed small differences. That is, of course, with the Taiko Router in place.

For reference: I use *only* the Taiko Router here, on an audio-dedicated fiber service to the room. Thanks for the updated notes, CP.

 

You may choose to adjust the charging period as required.

Regarding SQ in relation to charging voltages, there is no need to worry about that, as the updated software prevents non-ideal circumstances. You can run it without charging for an easy 24 hours before SQ starts degrading. To reach that point, you need to miss a charge cycle.

Please refer to the info below.

System Battery
• Minimum Operating Voltage is 13.6 V.
• The system will shut down if the voltage dips lower.
• Sound Quality is not affected by higher voltages.

XDMI Battery
• Minimum Operating Voltage is 12 V.
• The cards will stop working if the voltage dips lower.
• Sound Quality is not affected by higher voltages.

In other words, the only thing you have to worry about is missing a charge cycle due to, for example, a power interruption, or if you place the batteries in Shipping mode.

How do we know if our Olympus has updated software?

 

How do we know if our Olympus has updated software?

I am referring to an update to the BMS/BPS logic that was implemented in the early days. All Olympus products are up to date.

 

Here is a diagram that illustrates the performance level of local vs NAS vs streaming with and without the Extreme DC Power Distributor and Extreme Router.

 

Here is a diagram that illustrates the performance level of local vs NAS vs streaming with and without the Extreme DC Power Distributor and Extreme Router.

View attachment 149613

Thanks for the helpful chart. I have an Olympus, DCD, router and switch. To clarify, do the "Superlative" benefits require removing the local storage physically from the Olympus, or are the benefits also available by streaming files on NAS / the cloud even if the physical local storage remains in the Olympus? I recall some discussion on the benefits of removing the physical music storage drive from the Olympus altogether but that's not my preference from a practical point of view in my case.

 

Thanks for the helpful chart. I have an Olympus, DCD, router and switch. To clarify, do the "Superlative" benefits require removing the local storage physically from the Olympus, or are the benefits also available by streaming files on NAS / the cloud even if the physical local storage remains in the Olympus? I recall some discussion on the benefits of removing the physical music storage drive from the Olympus altogether but that's not my preference from a practical point of view in my case.

The chart remains valid regardless of whether you have internal storage or not. That said, adding an internal storage drive to the Olympus very slightly degrades overall SQ compared to using no storage and relying solely on a NAS. This is a minute difference, far less than the effect of interlinks or the use or absence of the Switch, or even the DCD alone. But you can hear it on a highly resolving system. The difference is so slight that I opted not to include it in the chart, as it would skew the other increments. Emile rates this at a 1-2% impact, and adds that it is not enough to warrant concern.

 

Thanks Christiaan, that's very helpful to know!

 

When people check their charging status after an overnight of recharging is their XDMI level at 100%? I check this morning and mine was at 93%. I know it charged overnight since it was at 71% when I shut the system down last night.

Yep, that's the behavior I've observed here with my Olympus, David. Normal.

Steve Z

 

Yep, that's the behavior I've observed here with my Olympus, David. Normal.

Steve Z

I'd also affirm what Christiaan has written. I haven't heard any degradation of sound quality with XDMI battery state of charge. I kind of watched/listened for this early on but couldn't detect a difference. So I don't even think about it now.

Steve Z

 

Here is a diagram that illustrates the performance level of local vs NAS vs streaming with and without the Extreme DC Power Distributor and Extreme Router.

View attachment 149613

What is the next step up from superlative? My experience (with others) has been that local WAV playback is *much* better than cloud streaming (which of course is flac based). We need another descriptor.

 

What is the next step up from superlative? My experience (with others) has been that local WAV playback is *much* better than cloud streaming (which of course is flac based). We need another descriptor.

Indeed! The FLAC vs WAV (or more accurately compressed vs uncompressed) is clearly audible and in some cases very significant in SQ. Some people call it a mystery, but it should not be a mystery. While I have no tech knowledge, intuitively de-compression in real time introduces jitters (in a broad sense) and noise as the compressed files cannot be played without being de-compressed - and such de-compression happens in real time. Some compression level can be super aggressive, FLAC being compressed to 1/4 of the uncompressed WAV size. Not having done any experiment yet with Olympus, I continue to doubt that cloud streaming (which seems to be always via compressed files) can be as good as, let alone being better than, local playback with uncompressed files (WAV). Taiko can reverse its prior position (held in last Oct when O and I/O had been finalized), but please do not chalk it up to readers or users as being "confused" (but for a couple of "confused" words in the email I received, I would not have posted again on the subject of the Router). Nobody should be held to be confused when the words the Router having "no effect for local playback" were used - how could such words not be crystal clear and instead cause confusion?

 

Streaming with the Router can sound better than local playback without the Router. This signifies a certain benefit for streaming playback.

I completely understand the relative and subjective nature of the diagram above — and if today there is superlative, what will there be tomorrow (transcendent?)
For now it shows that the obtained SQ is respectively superlative or fantastic when the Router is combined with DCD. And even without DCD, it remains fantastic and superb?
This seems to suggest that in both scenarios, with and without DCD, cloud streaming SQ is elevated above local file playback — thanks to the Router.

 

What is the next step up from superlative? My experience (with others) has been that local WAV playback is *much* better than cloud streaming (which of course is flac based). We need another descriptor.

"PLAID"

 

This seems to suggest that in both scenarios, with and without DCD, cloud streaming SQ is elevated above local file playback — thanks to the Router.

I would not draw that conclusion without further clarifications.

If both local and cloud streaming are in flac format, that may in fact be true. I have not done that comparison in a long time but they were close a few years ago.

When both are WAV files, it may or may not be true but we don't know because all cloud streaming (that I've used) is losslessly flac compressed and that is well below the SQ of local WAV file playback.

So, based on my listening experiences, I interpret Christian's chart as being for flac playback for all the comparisons.

 

I would not draw that conclusion without further clarifications.

If both local and cloud streaming are in flac format, that may in fact be true. I have not done that comparison in a long time but they were close a few years ago.

When both are WAV files, it may or may not be true but we don't know because all cloud streaming (that I've used) is losslessly flac compressed and that is well below the SQ of local WAV file playback.

So, based on my listening experiences, I interpret Christian's chart as being for flac playback for all the comparisons.

That’s my understanding as well — cloud streaming refers to FLAC files. However, one must also consider whether the Taiko Router (or full Taiko network stack) and DCD are present or not.

Since according to @ray-dude (Oct. 2024) ‘Skip internal storage on the Olympus Server, streaming music or playing music from your NAS or file server sounds better than music on internal storage’. ‘Stick with Redbook or 96k music for the best sound quality on Olympus’
And @Christiaan Punter ’adding an internal storage drive to the Olympus very slightly degrades overall SQ compared to using no storage and relying solely on a NAS’. Did you try? You use XDMI and not USB when local wav sounds best?

 

Can't see how NAS storage is better than internal storage..IMO I trust a single internal ssd drive vs 4 16Tb drives constantly spinning in my NAS. Now internal "very slightly" isn't as good. There has to be more to it....

 

Can't see how NAS storage is better than internal storage..IMO I trust a single internal ssd drive vs 4 16Tb drives constantly spinning in my NAS. Now internal "very slightly" isn't as good. There has to be more to it....

My recollection is that it has to do with the power needed for the internal drive. That power affects sound quality. There is no computer power needed for a NAS. It is external to the system.

 

Also, from a tech layperson's perspective, I would guess that NAS going through some cable connection or the innards of a router is not a 100% transparent passage and such extra connection or passage would introduce some jitters itself. The only way is to rely on one's own ears (and I may run tests later). My own experience is that WAV sounds noticeably better than FLAC, PCM noticeably better than DSD (a bit dull and bottom heavy), and hi-res files in excess of 24/96 are invariably worse than 24/96 or 24/48 (I listen to lots of large-scale complex orchestral and choral music; 24/192 is never good for me). If a hi-res album which is re-mastered (many classic classical recordings were made in the heydays of late 1950s to 1970s) sounds much better in a recent reissue than the first CD remastering (in the early 1980s) it is, I guess, because of the more careful remastering (via original tapes), not because of hi-res format (which is hyped for marketing reasons).

 

That’s my understanding as well — cloud streaming refers to FLAC files. However, one must also consider whether the Taiko Router (or full Taiko network stack) and DCD are present or not.

Since according to @ray-dude (Oct. 2024) ‘Skip internal storage on the Olympus Server, streaming music or playing music from your NAS or file server sounds better than music on internal storage’. ‘Stick with Redbook or 96k music for the best sound quality on Olympus’
And @Christiaan Punter ’adding an internal storage drive to the Olympus very slightly degrades overall SQ compared to using no storage and relying solely on a NAS’. Did you try? You use XDMI and not USB when local wav sounds best?

yes, xdmi and usb both showed the wav/flac delta in SQ, but the delta is not slight, and in both cases the full router/switch/dcd stack were used. the same conclusion was found in extreme and olympus based systems.

 

One notable SACD/DSD exception. Somehow Esoteric's extremely careful remastering of a classic recording (none better than Klemperer's classic recording of Ein deutches Requiem by Brahms recorded by EMI in 1962 or so) is better than EMI's own remastering at 24/96. Other recent SACDs (ripped to DSD files) are disappointing, such as Beethoven's String Quartets cycle by Tokyo Quartet (its 2nd recording shortly before disbanding) on Harmonia Mundi; I ended up buying the Red Book versions (which sound more sparkling than the much more expensive SACD/DSD versions). Also disappointing is Mark Wigglesworth's cycle of Shostakovich symphonies issued by BIS on SACD for another example.