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".

 

Panzerholz panels can work well with aluminum chassis, but we found it to be less synergistic with copper chassis, such as the Switch, Router, and DCD. The Olympus chassis is a copper/aluminum hybrid, fitted with user-removable modular footers. These footers can be exchanged, leading to a wide range of possible permutations.

The Olympus is significantly more sophisticated in terms of resonance control than anything we have built before, featuring various internal measures to mitigate vibrational effects. The server doesn’t need resonance reduction in the time domain, but it does respond to footers / the surface it’s placed on.

For the Olympus, the footers function mainly as an “interface” to the structure (shelf/rack) supporting it. The most common scenario is that the server is placed on a stiff material with high internal propagation of “sound”. Therefore, we chose Acrylic as the interface material, which has a low propagation (speed) of sound for a solid material, with the additional benefit of a lower potential for damaging the surface it’s placed on. In any case, you can always experiment with other footers or use intermediate layers.

With exceptions, of course, we find that glass, by itself, usually does not work well, and I suspect it will also not be ideal for Olympus. But in the Townshend rack, the materials and construction work together to provide a calculated balance. Therefore, I'd generally be hesitant to make structural changes to such designs. On the other hand, I find that additional platforms on top of an Artesania Exoteryc rack *can* also work well, depending on the situation and component, so it is also a matter of just trying it to know.

In general, glass adds a hard edge to the sound and can make it lean and/or lacking in saturation. If you find this is the case with the Olympus, it may be beneficial to try adding other layer(s) between the shelves and the Olympus footers.

Using small pieces only under the footers will yield a different result than using a large panel covering most of the glass shelf, due to increased effect, altered resonance(s), and additional damping. I would not recommend MDF, as it has a very strong character, making the sound dark and adding thickness in the midbass and lower midrange. Panzerholz was indeed found to be not ideal for Olympus. However, it may be a different matter in your case, where the material will be placed on top of the existing glass shelf. You may also want to investigate other woods or wood composites until you find the ideal balance.

Any experience with Gryphon Stand Art?

 

Any experience with Gryphon Stand Art?

Alas, I have no personal experience with it yet.

 

Is it possible to be updated on which Olympus and IO are in production right now?
Please
Mn

 

Panzerholz panels can work well with aluminum chassis, but we found it to be less synergistic with copper chassis, such as the Switch, Router, and DCD. The Olympus chassis is a copper/aluminum hybrid, fitted with user-removable modular footers. These footers can be exchanged, leading to a wide range of possible permutations.

The Olympus is significantly more sophisticated in terms of resonance control than anything we have built before, featuring various internal measures to mitigate vibrational effects. The server doesn’t need resonance reduction in the time domain, but it does respond to footers / the surface it’s placed on.

For the Olympus, the footers function mainly as an “interface” to the structure (shelf/rack) supporting it. The most common scenario is that the server is placed on a stiff material with high internal propagation of “sound”. Therefore, we chose Acrylic as the interface material, which has a low propagation (speed) of sound for a solid material, with the additional benefit of a lower potential for damaging the surface it’s placed on. In any case, you can always experiment with other footers or use intermediate layers.

With exceptions, of course, we find that glass, by itself, usually does not work well, and I suspect it will also not be ideal for Olympus. But in the Townshend rack, the materials and construction work together to provide a calculated balance. Therefore, I'd generally be hesitant to make structural changes to such designs. On the other hand, I find that additional platforms on top of an Artesania Exoteryc rack *can* also work well, depending on the situation and component, so it is also a matter of just trying it to know.

In general, glass adds a hard edge to the sound and can make it lean and/or lacking in saturation. If you find this is the case with the Olympus, it may be beneficial to try adding other layer(s) between the shelves and the Olympus footers.

Using small pieces only under the footers will yield a different result than using a large panel covering most of the glass shelf, due to increased effect, altered resonance(s), and additional damping. I would not recommend MDF, as it has a very strong character, making the sound dark and adding thickness in the midbass and lower midrange. Panzerholz was indeed found to be not ideal for Olympus. However, it may be a different matter in your case, where the material will be placed on top of the existing glass shelf. You may also want to investigate other woods or wood composites until you find the ideal balance.

Thanks Christiaan, lots to unpack here.

So seems like in general terms, glass, MDF and panzerholz may not work well under the Olympus or I/O. What materials have worked better so far? Metal? solid wood? Composites?

 

Thanks Christiaan, lots to unpack here.

So seems like in general terms, glass, MDF and panzerholz may not work well under the Olympus or I/O. What materials have worked better so far? Metal? solid wood? Composites?

Its hard to go wrong with solid wood. If I had to choose between Panzerholz or glass I would choose the former. Composite/MDF layered correctly can also be very effective. When I talk of layering it can be a combination of MDF, Wood and Metal. I know guys who use 3/4" Stainless Steel as platforms. With layered shelfs or platforms damping and decoupling when done properly can work extremely well. HRS has been doing this for a long time.

If you took a piece of Panzerholz or MDF cut to accommodate a rack and set it in place without a decoupling material it becomes a completely different application. Vs the same piece with Sorbothane as decoupling material (or something else).

If the rack itself isn't stable then no matter what you use it isn't going to perform optimally. The foundation is paramount.

As I noted in a previous post. If I were to stack the IO/Olympus I would make damn sure the IO is sitting on a proper "foundation" so the Olympus isn't affected in any way...

 

My Olympus sits on my HRS rack + platform. I am having a custom platform built since the 19 x 21 isn’t big enough. 21 x 21 is the appropriate size.

I don’t use anything else in addition right now, including footers or weights.

 

My Olympus sits on my HRS rack + platform. I am having a custom platform built since the 19 x 21 isn’t big enough. 21 x 21 is the appropriate size.

I don’t use anything else in addition right now, including footers or weights.

21" X 21" is exactly the appropriate size! I know because I had the guy I know with the water-jet cut me a piece of aluminum for a future platform. That gives you 1" play all around. You want your center of gravity not to exceed to far out...

 

...FWIW a 20" x 20" maple platform looks good and seems well balanced here. IMO 20 or 21 inch looks right to me on a stand.

I had a custom size slab made by Butcher Block Acoustics in 20x20 and man, were they fast! And reasonably priced. Without a planer, I would have been screwing around for days in the garage, and then spraying finish in the high-humidity. BBA was very helpful.

 

...FWIW a 20" x 20" maple platform looks good and seems well balanced here. IMO 20 or 21 inch looks right to me on a stand.

I had a custom size slab made by Butcher Block Acoustics in 20x20 and man, were they fast! And reasonably priced. Without a planer, I would have been screwing around for days in the garage, and then spraying finish in the high-humidity. BBA was very helpful.

Understood Mark. If I didn't have access to my friends wood shop. I would also have to find an alternative. My friend with the shop did isolation for huge industrial machinery when he was younger. He's now 80. Treasure Trove of knowledge. When he is explaining things and I mention how some audio components are isolated its a similar approach as in the industrial world. Huge pads, isolation footers, etc. From a mass perspective and center point, 20"x 20" is no different from 21" X 21''. However from an Aesthetic Perspective, that 1" on all sides makes me feel better for the amount of time I have wrapped up in this insanity! I get to see just a little more of the finished product...

 

Well, from what you're saying, I'm wondering if my Olympus will fit on my 45 x 50 rack, where my Extreme currently sits.

 

Regarding stoppages; Keep in mind I do not possess the most savvy computer skills. Since the Olympus startup last Thursday I have experienced daily stoppages and more often at night. I may have stumbled upon something...

I took the ipad out of Screensaver so it stays on. Its been running for over 24 hours now without any stoppages! Most continual run time since I got it! If some of you would do the same with your ipads we can have more data to see if their is some correlation or if it is an anomaly. Cautiously Optimistic...

Don't ask me why as I am clueless how this could affect this situation...

 

Well, from what you're saying, I'm wondering if my Olympus will fit on my 45 x 50 rack, where my Extreme currently sits.

The Olympus is larger than the Extreme Server. These are the dimensions:

 

Perhaps the most important thing is the distance between the ends of the feet. As a rough estimate, I calculate about 44 cm.

 

Perhaps the most important thing is the distance between the ends of the feet. As a rough estimate, I calculate about 44 cm.View attachment 153681

The exact distance is 380 mm (about 14.96 in) between the center points (screw holes) of the footers.
The footers themselves are 50mm (about (1.97 in) in) diagonally.

 

Thanks, I think it will work.

 

Is it possible to be updated on which Olympus and IO are in production right now?
Please
Mn

I hope they can keep their promises and release a meaningful update this week.

 

The Olympus is larger than the Extreme Server. These are the dimensions:

View attachment 153677

What type of key do you use to remove the Olympus feet?

 

The exact distance is 380 mm (about 14.96 in) between the center points (screw holes) of the footers. The footers themselves are 90mm (about 3.54 in) diagonally.

The center-to-center distance (380mm) of the footers is a useful data point, thanks Christiaan. But I believe the 90mm measurement was previously given as the inside diameter of each footer housing, rather than the footer itself. Is my memory mistaken? If you add half of that 90mm housing diameter times two footers plus the 380 span of the front footers, the result is 470mm, which would leave a reasonable 5mm each side for the rim of the footer housing (to reach total 480mm width).

For folks hoping to press into service a slightly smaller than ideal shelf, the outer measurement of the acrylic footer span is more relevant than the outside of the housing IMO. For this use, I think nonesup's 44cm estimate looks pretty good.

 

To those experiencing Roon stopping issues, if you haven't already done so, please submit a ticket via support@taikoaudio.com so we have an up-to-date record of the concerned servers and can follow up.

Please know that we are actively investigating the issue and are currently exploring ways to address it through software settings. In any case, we will undoubtedly find a solution.

I sent an email to Taiko support on May 26, detailing the play issues I've experienced. I've heard nothing from Taiko since, other than the automated Reply for any new issue that simply confirms that your email landed. So, what kind of follow up should we anticipate? And what sort of timeframe is reasonable?

 

I sent an email to Taiko support on May 26, detailing the play issues I've experienced. I've heard nothing from Taiko since, other than the automated Reply for any new issue that simply confirms that your email landed. So, what kind of follow up should we anticipate? And what sort of timeframe is reasonable?

To the best of my knowledge, we have responded in person to all who submitted a ticket regarding this matter. Could it be that our response landed in spam? In any case, please be assured that we are committed to resolving the issue. The unforeseen nature means that we cannot predict how long it will take to find a solution. However, knowing Emile, no problem ever goes unsolved for very long.