Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

[Steve Williams]

Thanks, guys. I've been working on my digital chain (various upgrades) and keep wondering what a better server would do.

It would probably make you sell your TT. The Extreme has totally changed the way I listen to music

 

[MadFloyd]

It would probably make you sell your TT. The Extreme has totally changed the way I listen to music

If it made that much difference I'd be all over it... but I find that hard to believe. I bought a new server last November and I've polished my network electronics. I now have a very CLEAN signal... but it's still a much more vacant sound harmonically by comparison (e.g. thin). That said, I listen to digital a LOT more than analog for a variety of reasons beyond sound quality.

Steve, which DAC do you have?

 

[dminches]

If it made that much difference I'd be all over it... but I find that hard to believe. I bought a new server last November and I've polished my network electronics. I now have a very CLEAN signal... but it's still a much more vacant sound harmonically by comparison (e.g. thin). That said, I listen to digital a LOT more than analog for a variety of reasons beyond sound quality.

Steve, which DAC do you have?

I have had mine for 2 months and it is by far the best my digital source has ever sounded (and I had a really good server before getting the Extreme). It really transforms how well-mastered digital music can sound.

However, I am not selling my turntable.

 

[MadFloyd]

I have had mine for 2 months and it is by far the best my digital source has ever sounded (and I had a really good server before getting the Extreme). It really transforms how well-mastered digital music can sound.

However, I am not selling my turntable.

Transforms in what way?

 

[Rhapsody]

Transforms in what way?

It has a lot to do with a total system, but if everything else is correct then an Extreme makes the notes more dense, the sound more palpable, the bass excels but with texture on the bass notes vs just strong bass, greater micro and macro dynamics across the spectrum, dimensionality and air around voices and instruments more pronounced.

With the latest usb card/TAS/TAS usb driver it gets really close to bringing the performance, as close as you are going to get, into the room if your system is up to it. All imho. YMMV.

 

[dminches]

Transforms in what way?

I guess I would say I no longer think I am listening to digital music. I can get emotionally involved with the music where I didn’t before.

Obviously these are all my subjective opinions.

My main sources are LP and reel to reel.

 

[MadFloyd]

Thanks to both of you.

I see dminches has the top of the line Lampi. Bob, what quality of DAC do you need to benefit from the Taiko?

 

[Rhapsody]

Thanks to both of you.

I see dminches has the top of the line Lampi. Bob, what quality of DAC do you need to benefit from the Taiko?

Hi Ian, Ed and Emile can chime in as they talk to and have set up SO MANY systems with different dacs. With the Extreme I don't think you can get undesirable sound with whatever DAC you choose.

Ed/Emile will have the latest list of DAC's, if you pm ED he will give you the latest list. Or Ed/Emile can post it here to keep everyone up to speed on the latest supported DACs for the TAS usb SW driver.

Like everything else each person with their system will be able to match the dac with the rest of their system to get the desired results.

 

[Steve Williams]

If it made that much difference I'd be all over it... but I find that hard to believe. I bought a new server last November and I've polished my network electronics. I now have a very CLEAN signal... but it's still a much more vacant sound harmonically by comparison (e.g. thin). That said, I listen to digital a LOT more than analog for a variety of reasons beyond sound quality.

Steve, which DAC do you have?

Whatever you say Ian. Reality is that I will bet the Extreme will make your server sound mid fi in comparison.

i use the Lampi Pacific and replaced the Amanero board with JL Sound USB board so I could take full advantage of the TAS Driver and the Taiko USB board. I can tell you that before I was virtually an all analog listener but now I rarely listen to my TT as TAS with the driver and USB board makes listening not only beyond my wildest expectations and it is so easy to use. Everything sounds perfect I don’t even look any more at what format the file is being played as everything sounds so friggin good. There is no fatigue and simply put TAS trumps Roon yet having said that if you are a sworn Roon user, Roon now with the TAS driver sounds better than Roon did before

This should be a no brainer Ian

 

[Rhapsody]

Thanks to both of you.

I see dminches has the top of the line Lampi. Bob, what quality of DAC do you need to benefit from the Taiko?

Ian, what server are you using presently? Roon Nuc? I can't tell from your signature.

 

[MadFloyd]

Ian, what server are you using presently? Roon Nuc? I can't tell from your signature.

I guess I should update my signature.

InnuOS Zen Mk.3

 

[Rhapsody]

I guess I should update my signature.

InnuOS Zen Mk.3

Thx. I asked because maybe there is someone on this thread that can give an idea of what they experienced from moving from the Innuos Zen Mk 3 to the Extreme. I don't have any first hand experience so I can't give an idea of the difference that you might experience. Hopefully someone else will chime in that has made this particular move.

 

[EuroDriver]

Here is the current list of DAC's supported by the Taiko 5.0 USB Driver

-APL DSD-MR

-Aries Cerat

-Aqua Formula xHD V2.0

-Berkeley Alpha USB interface

-Bricasti MDxx

-Brinkmann Nyquist

-CH Precision

-DCS Vivaldi

-DCS Vivaldi Up-sampler

-DCS Vivaldi One

-Denafrips Terminator Plus

-EMM Labs DAC 2

-Esoteric Grandioso D1X

-Esoteric K-01X

-Holo Audio May

-Ideon Absolute

-Lampizator (with jlsounds interface)

-LH Davinci MKII

-MSB Pro USB

-MSB V / Quad

-Nagra HD-X

-Pilium Elektra

-T+A SD3100HV,PA1100E,HA200,R1000E,MP1000E,MP2000R,MP2500R,MP3000HV,MP3100HV,PDP3000HV,DAC200

-Thrax Maximinus

-Totaldac

-Trinity 1st gen model

-Trinity Reference

-Vitus

-Ypsilon 1000

- Weiss DAC-501

Pending:

Analog Domain DAC1
Esoteric K03

 

[MadFloyd]

Interesting. Thank you.

 

[oldmustang]

Thx. I asked because maybe there is someone on this thread that can give an idea of what they experienced from moving from the Innuos Zen Mk 3 to the Extreme. I don't have any first hand experience so I can't give an idea of the difference that you might experience. Hopefully someone else will chime in that has made this particular move.

I moved from the Innuos Zenith STD MK II to the Extreme and the improvement was easily the largest improvement I've ever gotten from a component-level change in nearly 50 years of this audio pursuit.

Literally cold out of the box, still sitting on the floor, using 50' generic copper ethernet input and a decent but inexpensive USB cable, the Extreme was so good on initial play that within 15 seconds I was laughing out loud and saying, "You've got to be kidding me!"

It has only gotten better, much better with the introduction of the TAS player and Taiko Audio USB card. Tweaking my network and moving to an excellent USB cable have only further iced the cake.

I haven't given up analog, but I have to say my digital listening time has gone up, way up and while I might not ever give up my turntable (mostly due to the many LPs I've collected), I find I can now say I could consider giving up analog if I had to and still be happy listening to music.

Steve Z

 

[QSA-LANEDRI]

Thx. I asked because maybe there is someone on this thread that can give an idea of what they experienced from moving from the Innuos Zen Mk 3 to the Extreme. I don't have any first hand experience so I can't give an idea of the difference that you might experience. Hopefully someone else will chime in that has made this particular move.

It was my case that I switched from Innuos Zenith MK3+Phoenix USB to the Extreme. On my setup it was day and night difference, incomparable on every aspect.

 

[QSA-LANEDRI]

Here is the current list of DAC's supported by the Taiko 5.0 USB Driver

-APL DSD-MR

-Aries Cerat

-Aqua Formula xHD V2.0

-Berkeley Alpha USB interface

-Bricasti MDxx

-Brinkmann Nyquist

-CH Precision

-DCS Vivaldi

-DCS Vivaldi Up-sampler

-DCS Vivaldi One

-Denafrips Terminator Plus

-EMM Labs DAC 2

-Esoteric Grandioso D1X

-Esoteric K-01X

-Holo Audio May

-Ideon Absolute

-Lampizator (with jlsounds interface)

-LH Davinci MKII

-MSB Pro USB

-MSB V / Quad

-Nagra HD-X

-Pilium Elektra

-T+A SD3100HV,PA1100E,HA200,R1000E,MP1000E,MP2000R,MP2500R,MP3000HV,MP3100HV,PDP3000HV,DAC200

-Thrax Maximinus

-Totaldac

-Trinity 1st gen model

-Trinity Reference

-Vitus

-Ypsilon 1000

- Weiss DAC-501

Pending:

Analog Domain DAC1
Esoteric K03

Thanks for the update.

Is the Dave not anymore in the pending list? I understood in one of Emile's posts that the Dave will be part of the next USB drive scope or did I got it wrong?

 

[austinpop]

I was going to respond tongue in cheek that I know someone who bought an Extreme to drive his Audioquest Dragonfly DAC - for the record, I don't!

But then I thought - I actually have an AQ DF Cobalt. How does it sound, plugged into the Extreme's USB port? Short answer - pretty damn good! Probably does not help anybody, but it was an amusing 5-minute distraction.

 

[MadFloyd]

Wow, some very compelling testimonials!

OK, I want one.

 

[Rhapsody]

Wow, some very compelling testimonials!

OK, I want one.

Here's the link, pick your options and hit the buy button....easy as 1, 2, 3

EXTREME SERVER – Taiko Audio

taikoaudio.com