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".

 

That analog out takes hundreds of hours of playing to reach its stride, but I'm incredibly impressed with it. It makes a great case for keeping the DAC work in that same quiet battery fed environment, and with the shortest, most direct XDMI connection, to boot. It's a shame one can't break in multiple cards at once to speed up valid comparisons.

multiple cards , would be excellent option . When I first heard of the IO option my first thought was the option to use atleast a couple cards

 

That analog out takes hundreds of hours of playing to reach its stride, but I'm incredibly impressed with it. It makes a great case for keeping the DAC work in that same quiet battery fed environment, and with the shortest, most direct XDMI connection, to boot. It's a shame one can't break in multiple cards at once to speed up valid comparisons.

multiple cards , would be excellent option . When I first heard of the IO option my first thought was the option to use atleast a couple cards

In theory you could use up to three simultaneously, we may need to adjust/add some code to assign different identifiers to multiple XDMI cards — so you and/or Roon knows what’s what.

There are 3 slots suitable for the XDMI interface. When XDMI is mounted inside the Olympus server these are blocked, but 3 I/O interface cards do fit.

You’d need 2 I/Os, 3 XDMI baseboards, the 3 output options you’d like to use, and 3 I/O interface cards. Obviously this will not be cheap.

For quick comparisons / demos I use 2 I/Os and swap QFSP cables.

Disclaimer: This is not a recommendation or an attempt to sell more I/Os.

 

In theory you could use up to three simultaneously, we may need to adjust/add some code to assign different identifiers to multiple XDMI cards — so you and/or Roon knows what’s what.

There are 3 slots suitable for the XDMI interface. When XDMI is mounted inside the Olympus server these are blocked, but 3 I/O interface cards do fit.

You’d need 2 I/Os, 3 XDMI baseboards, the 3 output options you’d like to use, and 3 I/O interface cards. Obviously this will not be cheap.

For quick comparisons / demos I use 2 I/Os and swap QFSP cables.

Disclaimer: This is not a recommendation or an attempt to sell more I/Os.

You only need one card, analog out

 

tangentially related:
i've started a thread asking what, if anything, that we've learned from our progress with the highest end digital audio is applicable to improving bluetooth or other wireless headphone sound quality.

bluetooth headphones and what technology can help sound quality

I use an ibasso dx312 player and jh13 in ear monitors when i travel. it not up to my stax007/T2 setup at home but quite nice on the road. recently i purchased hifiman svarna wireless iem that use bluetooth and an LDAC codec, not lossless but quite adequate for my pixel9 phone and the gym. my...

whatsbestforum.com

 

You only need one card, analog out

 

I am curious what others have found using higher end power cables on the Olympus/IO , if this was already discussed pls point me to that discussion

 

I am curious what others have found using higher end power cables on the Olympus/IO , if this was already discussed pls point me to that discussion

A dozen or so posts worthy of reading turn up with this search:

 

I had to turn everything off in my system today. All is back on -- except for the Olympus/Roon Server connection. This has happened before and is why I'm always loath to power anything down with Taiko and Roon.

I tried multiple server reboots, router and switch reboot with no success. Is the next step uninstalling Roon? Will that mean I lose my data -- playlist, etc?

 

I had to turn everything off in my system today. All is back on -- except for the Olympus/Roon Server connection. This has happened before and is why I'm always loath to power anything down with Taiko and Roon.

I tried multiple server reboots, router and switch reboot with no success. Is the next step uninstalling Roon? Will that mean I lose my data -- playlist, etc?

It is a connectivity issue, not Roon.

Do you see your Olympus on your Taiko network? And on which network is your tablet?

 

I don’t see the Olympus in the list under active DHCP leases. I do see my iPad.

 

It sounds like your Olympus isn’t on the network. Either it isn’t booted or there is an issue with the connection with the router or switch.

 

It’s definitely booted. I’ve pulled connections and re-inserted. All lights that should be on or on.

 

I would repower the switch and router.

If that doesn’t work when I would try going into the router directly.

 

It worked going directly from the router! So, should we include something amiss with the switch?

 

It worked going directly from the router! So, should we include something amiss with the switch?

Potentially, yes. Or the cabling. This will require some additional troubleshooting.

 

Potentially, yes. Or the cabling. This will require some additional troubleshooting.

Much appreciate the help!

 

Much appreciate the help!

I would let things play for a couple days just to make sure they are stable and the connection is consistent. Then I would add the switch back in and see what happens. If you lose connectivity then you have to trace back and see what's causing it. It could be power to the switch, including the cables, or the DAC cables added once you brough the switch back in.

 

I diddled with the switch cables, reconnected switch and server again and connection returned. This was a good learning experience for the next time (and there will be a next time) this happens!

 

Another suggestion for people is to have a network app on your mobile device so you can, while on the Taiko network (assuming you have a router), confirm that the Olympus has connectivity. Oftentimes when Roon can't find your Roon core it is because the Olympus isn't "on line."

 

I diddled with the switch cables, reconnected switch and server again and connection returned. This was a good learning experience for the next time (and there will be a next time) this happens!

Wil Do you think it was the DC connection? Often times some of these connections are not as snug as they should be...