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  1. simorag

    Lampizator announcement: launch of our all new TOTL HORIZON DAC

    Finally it has arrived ... and it is all I hoped to be, and more :)
  2. simorag

    Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

    The stock fuse for the Extreme is a Schurter 2A T (slow blow) 5 x 20mm (ref. 0001.2707.11). Can't say about the Olympus. Edit: as per Emile message below, the 2A T is for 220V, while 4A T is for 110V applications.
  3. simorag

    Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

    Thanks for the feedback! Reading SR instructions they state that their fuses are directional and that the current flow should be from the S to the R as seen in the picture below. In the context of the Extreme receptacle, does that mean that the R side should point inside the server or vice...
  4. simorag

    Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

    Speaking of fuses ... has anyone experienced sound quality improvements using aftermarket fuses on their Extremes? I searched through this thread but only found a few mentions of users having chosen the SR Master fuse or the Purple, but I did not find any impression about the effect of these on...
  5. simorag

    Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

    So it turned out that I did not plug the new fuse deep enough. @EuroDriver popped up at 10.20 PM over WhatsApp and helped this dumb guy out. How cool is a customer support like that? Just incredible. Thanks Ed and Taiko team as always ;-)
  6. simorag

    Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

    Done thank you Emile
  7. simorag

    Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

    It is not the fuse ...
  8. simorag

    Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

    Thanks. What if I try a regular one? 2A not 2A t?
  9. simorag

    Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

    Sadly my Extreme doesn't start anymore. Does anybody know what fuse spec it uses?
  10. simorag

    What are you listening today and WHY – Only one rule, see first post

    Strings Theory Here is a gorgeous list of albums featuring strings in wildly variegated settings, exploring diverse colors, musical styles and conceptions of harmony. Anomaly, the debut of the young UK Sitarist Jasdeep Singh Degun is a joy for the ears. His sitar is the main character of the...
  11. simorag

    What are you listening today and WHY – Only one rule, see first post

    I was feeling I needed some comfort tonight, so I rolled my most emotional tube in my amp, my favorite headphones and indulged myself with some marvelous Beethoven quartets. The masculine, burnished, vibrant tone of the cello, the stentoreous resonances, the magical midair buoyancy of the...
  12. simorag

    Lampizator announcement: launch of our all new TOTL HORIZON DAC

    I took the plunge and ordered the Horizon :) I listened to it in few occasions, the most recent being at Taiko HQ a couple of weeks ago in combination with both the Extreme and the Olympus prototype. Never in my system though, as a home demo was not viable, so fingers crossed the upgrade over...
  13. simorag

    Lampizator announcement: launch of our all new TOTL HORIZON DAC

    I am on the verge of ordering a Horizon. As my amp is a single ended design, I would use the Horizon in SE mode. Would that mean that I would not exploit 100% of the sound quality the Horizon can deliver?
  14. simorag

    What are you listening today and WHY – Only one rule, see first post

    Listening treat of the day. A selection of less played Scarlatti sonatas, in an extremely skillful interpretation. The recorded sound from Naxos is just magisterial. I adore Scarlatti on both harpsichord and piano, although I have a sweet spot for the latter, especially when used tastefully...
  15. simorag

    What are you listening today and WHY – Only one rule, see first post

    Thanks for the recommendations! Mahler 5th is one of my overall favorite symphonies ... a version I love is this one from Bertini / Kohln Radio Orchestra (not sure it is available on streaming, though). A great balance between grandiosity, propulsive pace and emotional soaring on the more...
  16. simorag

    What are you listening today and WHY – Only one rule, see first post

    What a great way to begin the Bruckner birth 200th anniversary year! This recording from Poschner with the Vienna ORF orchestra is really monumental. The sound of the strings, especially the lower registers, has such an organic and peremptory tone, the percussions are devastating and the brass...
  17. simorag

    What are you listening today and WHY – Only one rule, see first post

    Percussions Galore! The physical side of being exposed to music is very important for me, as it suscitates an immediate (as in non-mediated) connection between sounds and my body, bypassing the aesthetic - hence rational / analytical - step of experiencing sound waves. This is why I love deep...
  18. simorag

    What are you listening today and WHY – Only one rule, see first post

    Haydn, the Bringer of New Worlds Haydn was a fountain of music, but the true miracle of his prolific output is the amount of innovations that redefined entire musical idyoms for the next half-century and beyond his death. From chamber music, to solo keyboard, to sacred vocal compositions, to...
  19. simorag

    What are you listening today and WHY – Only one rule, see first post

    Ouch! These are the only recordings I posted that cannot be found on streaming, sorry. Three Blind Mice label is now dissolved, but CDs can be obtained via amazon.jp, cdjapan.co.jp or discogs for example. They are well worth the hassle! If you decide to give TBM a try, the following is another...
  20. simorag

    What are you listening today and WHY – Only one rule, see first post

    Quartetto Italiano - Chamber Music for the Ages The Quartetto Italiano (formerly "Nuovo Quartetto Italiano") was a string quartet operating since the WWII end and 1980. They met each other at the Accademia Chigiana (Siena) and performed together the Debussy quartet following the suggestion of...
  21. simorag

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

    If I understood correctly, Olympus XDMI will also keep the USB output based on the current Extreme card, so comparing XDMI analog out vs. using any DAC via USB will be very easy.
  22. simorag

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

    Thanks Emile. Double dumbness check: do I understand it right that the XDMI module installed in the first batch of Olympus (or O. I/O) will be have both analog and digital outputs? That would be great indeed!
  23. simorag

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

    Word-by-word my thinking Steve (just replace Vivaldi with Rossini and lower the bar of XDMI analog out vs. USB to DAC accordingly). Given how quick is dCS to implement revolutions like this, likely both Vivaldi and Rossini will have gone out of production by when a viable "direct" digital...
  24. simorag

    Taiko Audio XDMS - Extreme Direct Music Server Software

    I have NSM since yesterday and I am again amazed - just as after the 27 November software update, and I would say well beyond that - of how much Taiko is able to elevate the Extreme performance by optimizing the software platform. Again, my system sounds as a very successful component upgrade...
  25. simorag

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

    I was noticing that the XDMI module - especially at full retail (i.e. not introductory) price - has a significant cost. In my case I could justify it - at least in the short term - only if the sound quality of the analog output is in line or better than my current DAC. Initially the TACDA was...
  26. simorag

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

    The new Olympus line seems like a big achievement, as it consolidates a number of technical advancements on a brand new concept, with a streamlined, minimalistic signal path, which of course could not achieved by keeping the Extreme platform and continuing a module-based upgrade path. As most...
  27. simorag

    Taiko Audio XDMS - Extreme Direct Music Server Software

    Fundamental questions ... do we know what NSM means yet?! New Sonic Magnificence Next Sorcerer's Magic Nothing Sounds More Never Sounded Melius Nothing Short of Magical No Sh*t, just Music ....?
  28. simorag

    Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

    Bad news for my wallet. After more listening it turns out that the Rossini APEX / Clock combo actually provides a major improvement over the built-in DAC on the HE-1 :-( The HE-1 DAC sounds tinny, harsh and less spacious in direct comparison ... I was hoping I could trade-in the dCS stack to...
  29. simorag

    Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

    The printer USB cable indeed works fine! And the sound is just beautiful ... at least not a dramatic step back compared to the Rossini upon immediate switch. Thanks @Christiaan Punter and everyone else pointing me in the right direction. I was sure I could count on this community as usual ;-)
  30. simorag

    Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

    I just purchased a USB 'printer cable' (upon suggestion by Taiko), will try later in the afternoon and report back.

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