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

• Tuckia

• Thursday at 2:57 PM

• #2,681

nenon said:

Waiting in the refrigerator.


Sure (btw, don't do this alone - get someone to help you):

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You make that look easy.

 

• Tuckia

• Thursday at 3:00 PM

• #2,682

pleroma said:

He was so excited I was afraid he was going to take off a finger with that boxcutter.

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Lol.
That’s what I probably look like when unpacking in the driveway and I know my wife returns in 4 minutes and 35 seconds.

 

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• nenon

• Thursday at 3:47 PM

• #2,683

Actually have a very busy day at work today with back to back calls. I was in a huge rush between meetings to unpack and check that everything was okay. So pretty much the few minutes I had, I shared with you guys on camera.

After dragging it downstairs I connected it to my system:


It's playing... I popped in a couple of times for a few minutes. I definitely heard an improvement between the first time, the second time, and the third time I stopped by for a little bit.

I will do some proper listening tonight and provide some first impressions. Since that's the first Olympus in North America, I understand I carry big responsibilities!

 

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• ray-dude

• Thursday at 8:28 PM

• #2,684

 

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• tsaett

• Yesterday at 2:20 AM

• #2,685

While waiting for the first US report, our own Edward @EuroDriver has made it to Tokyo for the Tokyo International Audio Show 2024, that is taking place this weekend.

Tokyo International Forum


The Olympus made it just in time. Looks like this truck has the perfect Olympus-size!


The system:




Edward giving a tech talk of the Olympus project to these Japanese Audiophiles



Olympus is playing with its analog output:



Looks like a fun show!

 

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• an.vamv

• Yesterday at 7:34 AM

• #2,686

As per relevant ratings:
QUOTE
We’ve compared a few output options with a panel of listeners, using AES/EBU to LampizatorHorizon with RS1003, Lorenz ITT C3g and Telefunken RGN2504. RCA outputs, with the remark it'smuch more difficult to rank XDMI versus USB, we settled on the following ratings:
• Stock Extreme using the USB interface: 100%
• Extreme + Olympus I/O with USB card mounted: 150%
• Extreme + Olympus I/O with XDMI mounted: 200%
• Olympus with USB card mounted: 175%
• Olympus with XDMI mounted: 275%
• Olympus with Olympus I/O with XDMI mounted: 300%
UNQUOTE

So Olympus via USB is supposed to be 75% better than Extreme , however the first report from Lukasz is that they are on the same level more or less, no ?

cat6man said:

AES/ebu was supposed to be much better, if i recall correctly. Waiting to hear someone who is trying that interface.

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• Taiko Audio

• Yesterday at 8:01 AM

• #2,687

an.vamv said:

So Olympus via USB is supposed to be 75% better than Extreme , however the first report from Lukasz is that they are on the same level more or less, no ?

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I’m pretty sure what Lukasz is referring to is USB is USB in a broader sense.

We have improved Olympus’s USB playback quality significantly meanwhile. That specific “old post” refers to a time where the bulk of the computer hardware was mains powered. Now everything is battery powered. Interestingly the onboard USB ports perform significantly better than any add-in card now. Additional we have developed a new USB driver for the Olympus, finished just a few weeks ago, which makes an even larger difference. It’s far superior to USB from the Extreme.

But, it’s still USB..

 

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• nonesup

• Yesterday at 8:26 AM

• #2,688

Can we then say that USB on the Olympus is clearly better than USB on the Extreme? Please note that not all of us have a Lampizator DAC already prepared for XDMI.

 

• Taiko Audio

• Yesterday at 8:30 AM

• #2,689

nonesup said:

Can we then say that USB on the Olympus is clearly better than USB on the Extreme? Please note that not all of us have a Lampizator DAC already prepared for XDMI.

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Yes.

 

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• wil

• Yesterday at 9:13 AM

• #2,690

The comparisons I’ll be interested in:

1. Oly > usb > Aries Cerat dac
2. Oly > Xdmi digital aes > Aries Cerat dac
3. Oly > Xdmi analog out > Aries Cerat Pre

And eventually,

4. Oly > native XDMI > Aries dac

I’m expecting #4 will be best, but hoping #3 will be very close.!

I’m also curious to hear reports comparing Horizon native Xdmi to the Taiko analog out to Pre. ( can the Horizon be used as a Pre only?).

 

Last edited: Yesterday at 9:56 AM

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• an.vamv

• Yesterday at 9:15 AM

• #2,691

Taiko Audio said:

I’m pretty sure what Lukasz is referring to is USB is USB in a broader sense.

We have improved Olympus’s USB playback quality significantly meanwhile. That specific “old post” refers to a time where the bulk of the computer hardware was mains powered. Now everything is battery powered. Interestingly the onboard USB ports perform significantly better than any add-in card now. Additional we have developed a new USB driver for the Olympus, finished just a few weeks ago, which makes an even larger difference. It’s far superior to USB from the Extreme.

But, it’s still USB..

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Emile, didn't Lukasz just receive the latest version of Olympus and posted his review yesterday ? So i guess he compared the latest USB implementation of the Olympus to that of the Extreme, no ?

 

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• soarsz

• Yesterday at 9:15 AM

• #2,692

I believe it is after 4PM on another Friday in Oldenzaal. Neither the Order Status page nor this thread has been updated to give any hint of what we might expect for further shipping plans. I , along with virtually all those on the list, have been quietly waiting for some update. I know you are very busy, but it wouldn't take very long to at least let us have some indication of where you are in the process. The lack of transparency is certainly in great contrast to the open conversations we have had with Taiko in the past. Please.

 

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• Taiko Audio

• Yesterday at 9:19 AM

• #2,693

an.vamv said:

Emile, didn't Lukasz just receive the latest version of Olympus and posted his review yesterday ? So i guess he compared the latest USB implementation of the Olympus to that of the Extreme, no ?

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Lukasz doesn’t have an Extreme.

 

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• Taiko Audio

• Yesterday at 9:32 AM

• #2,694

soarsz said:

I believe it is after 4PM on another Friday in Oldenzaal. Neither the Order Status page nor this thread has been updated to give any hint of what we might expect for further shipping plans. I , along with virtually all those on the list, have been quietly waiting for some update. I know you are very busy, but it wouldn't take very long to at least let us have some indication of where you are in the process. The lack of transparency is certainly in great contrast to the open conversations we have had with Taiko in the past. Please.

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We have 8 silver finish Olympus servers ready but are STILL waiting for their accompanying I/Os to return from the anodiser, so we’re now building 8 more black Olympus servers. We have machined another 36 more Olympus chassis meanwhile, but the mayor bottleneck remains to be the anodising process.

 

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• SwissTom

• Yesterday at 9:32 AM

• #2,695

nonesup said:

Please note that not all of us have a Lampizator DAC already prepared for XDMI.

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wil said:

The comparisons I’ll be interested in:

1. Olympus > usb > Aries Cerat dac
2. Olympus > aes/ebu > Aries Cerat dac
3. Olympus > Xdmi analog out > Aries Cerat Pre

Click to expand...

Hi Wil

If I may, just a slight correction to your point number 2 :

2. Olympus > XDMI digital > aes/ebu > Aries Cerat dac

Cheers,

Thomas

 

Last edited: Yesterday at 9:49 AM

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• Kris

• Yesterday at 9:36 AM

• #2,696

Taiko Audio said:

Lukasz doesn’t have an Extreme.

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So he cannot compare 1:1
Similar I believe was a word used as a character of sound he remembered from Extreme that he listened in my room a week ago.

 

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• an.vamv

• Yesterday at 9:55 AM

• #2,697

Taiko Audio said:

Lukasz doesn’t have an Extreme.

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So his report is rather confusing...only he knows what he meant by saying that the USB of the Olympus is on the same level as the USB of the Extreme...

 

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• SwissTom

• Yesterday at 10:22 AM

• #2,698

an.vamv said:

So his report is rather confusing...only he knows what he meant by saying that the USB of the Olympus is on the same level as the USB of the Extreme...

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Perhaps we shouldn't over-interpret Lukasz's impressions

He probably just meant that the USB interface is really great on the Olympus

After all, the Taiko Extreme remains a benchmark in terms of USB transport/source.

But the Olympus' design places it a good notch above. Which is only natural, given that they're not in the same category.

The Olympus being now Taiko's flagship.

Cheers,

Thomas

 

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• pleroma

• Yesterday at 10:23 AM

• #2,699

When you guys bring the Extreme into the mix of comparisons, is Roon used throughout? I've recently compared Roon to XDMS on the Extreme, and XDMS is a good step up on the Extreme.

 

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• John T

• Yesterday at 10:29 AM

• #2,700

Words can very easily be misinterpreted. Especially when describing sonic attributes, or senses in general...

 

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