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".

 

Well yes we did specifically design the Olympus platform this way to be as flexible as possible.

Future features could be largely determined by customer reception / demand / desire.

If we’re strictly thinking DAC directions you could create multiple setups.

You could dedicate 1 I/O to XDMI and either leave the network card inside the Olympus or dedicate a second I/O to that.

You could even use 2 I/Os, 1 digital, 1 analogue, and/or you could split them into left/right.

But obviously this would need to make sense.

Much to my annoyance our shipping rate is still low while feedback is more or less limited to our customers communicating with us here on WBF. This is only about 15-20% of our order volume so it will take some time before we have the feedback we’re looking for.

Don't forget about stacking 2 big Olympus chassis. ( that will look awesome)
Than we have an unlimited space for whatever is needed in a second one.
And 2 BPS in each.

 

or let's not forget Olympus +IO (analogue card) + IO (digital card)

 

Dear Emile,

Lots of options, thanks!

So the development effort will depend on the feedback regarding the DAC portion.

I suppose the feedback you will be looking for will be:

1. XDMI analog vs. XDMI native to Lampizator Horizon
2. XDMI analog vs. XDMI native to Lampizator Posseidon
3. XDMI analog vs. XDMI Pro ISL (when ready) to MSB Cascade
4. XDMI analog vs. XDMI Pro ISL (when ready) to MSB Select II
5. XDMI analog vs. XDMI native (when ready) to Aries Cerat
6. XDMI analog vs. XDMI AES to Totaldac Sublime
7. XDMI analog vs. XDMI AES or USB to other dacs (DCS Vivaldi Apex, CH C10, etc).

I will try to do #6, but I don't use a preamp with volume control, so I would have to use the digital volume control of Roon with the Totaldac Sublime Drivers, or borrow a top notch preamp.

I suppose some people may refrain from posting A vs. B comparisons here directly, so you will receive the feedback in private.

I would vote to have comparisons shared. #6 would be very interesting here.

 

while feedback is more or less limited to our customers communicating with us here on WBF.

Easily solved. Ship out WBF orders first. I am kidding, of course.

It is rather disappointing that we have only heard from 3 recipients so far. One hopes this will change over the coming weeks.

 

Easily solved. Ship out WBF orders first. I am kidding, of course.

It is rather disappointing that we have only heard from 3 recipients so far. One hopes this will change over the coming weeks.

This isn’t surprising given fewer than 10 people
Have gotten their orders.

 

Easily solved. Ship out WBF orders first. I am kidding, of course.

It is rather disappointing that we have only heard from 3 recipients so far. One hopes this will change over the coming weeks.

I am speculating (only speculating) that there may be a host of reasons why a few recipients or users have not published or will not publish their reviews or feedback (I don't have anyone in mind; just want to make general observations for the future to come). Some treasure their privacy; some do not want to engage in (endless) debates or waste time in going back and forth (surprising to me that there is much hatred, venom, grandstanding, condescending, disdain, sarcasm, cynicism, conceit, arrogance, etc. etc. in audiophile forums and debates); some are pressured to exercise self-censorship in forums that are tightly controlled and censored (negative views starkly in contrast to the norms or even mild criticism would be met with ridiculing or putting down), so on and so forth. Of course, a person invites pressure on himself if he has shown news of receipt and photos of highly prized, brand-new, fanciest products knowing that that he will face pressure to air. Many of us desire to avoid getting drained and hurt on exercising negative energy in some forums and discussions. If we all cultivate and treasure free and respectful speech, with a firm belief that everyone is entitled to his own opinions, perhaps some will contribute more or at least more openly (otherwise the forum is dominated by the same few people, including influencers). Finally, we need to respect that people have vastly different tastes. There is, unfortunately, no universal standard and no clear-cut correct/wrong answers in many cases. Obviously, I don't want to engage in debates on this potentially touchy subject matter.

 

As one of the first few, my story is a bit more mundane. I only had my unit for a couple days before traveling for work for a week (which was fortuitous since the burn in cycle those first couple days was notable). Just started listening this past weekend, but taking things in before starting to do proper critical listening or comparative listening.

At a high level, combination of Roon+Qobuz is sublime (I hadn't used Roon in ages...I missed it). Still getting my ear/head around PCM/DSD and lower/higher res patterns. Have not tried O+USB yet, nor compared to Extreme+USB (alas, work and family still at the front of the line)

More definitely to come, including hopefully a full write up like I did for Extreme, but it will be a couple month journey to get there. As always, happy to answer any questions that I am able to

 

As one of the first few, my story is a bit more mundane. I only had my unit for a couple days before traveling for work for a week (which was fortuitous since the burn in cycle those first couple days was notable). Just started listening this past weekend, but taking things in before starting to do proper critical listening or comparative listening.

At a high level, combination of Roon+Qobuz is sublime (I hadn't used Roon in ages...I missed it). Still getting my ear/head around PCM/DSD and lower/higher res patterns. Have not tried O+USB yet, nor compared to Extreme+USB (alas, work and family still at the front of the line)

More definitely to come, including hopefully a full write up like I did for Extreme, but it will be a couple month journey to get there. As always, happy to answer any questions that I am able to

Thanks, @ray-dude. I did not intend to pressure you to air prematurely or at all; sorry if it ended that way; as I said, I want to make a general point of view. There is no guarantee that 150 or so buyers of Olympus will have the same glowing views. One or two may even miss the USB sound from Extreme (a bit similar to the feedback I read in respect of the latest XDMS/NSM builds, esp. Jan11 2024 build, gaining in clarity but losing out on warmth, body, and weight to previous builds or to Roon, some variants like that). Some may eventually conclude that the gain is not 1.75x or 2x from Extreme or not worth the steep price in upgrading. Those "outliers" (a word used by a user who tried but did not like build 25 of XDMS; I did not like Build 17/19 but like 25 but it still lacks crucial features and has serious bugs for me to eschew Roon, which I otherwise don't miss or like) should feel free to air their views. I have confidence that Olympus will meet my expectations (given my experience with a modded DVD player with purist i2s out and the similarly modded DAC on the receiving end - I said it several times that it gave me an inkling of what purist source treatment could entail; once I have heard the purer and more natural sound from the purist i2s connection I am bothered more and more by the USB connection; Extreme with Switch combo costs 15x more than the lowly, used DVD player). But my view will be only my view and reflect my taste. Lukacs alluded to this subjectivity element in his second feedback (that it may not (completely) satisfy every single adopter and that there is "no miracle" whatever it means).

 

No pressure felt! I know how keen I would be feedback while waiting for my unit to be shipped, so happy to provide same (even if it is a journey right now)

 

Today is exactly one month since I received my Taiko Olympus XDMI.

People may wonder how I feel about it now that the honeymoon is over. Simply put I have not heard a better source (analog or digital). It keeps amazing me every time I sit down to listen.

A friend of mine asked me an interesting question today: Could I invest that money in another component that would make a bigger improvement to my system? After giving it some serious thought, my answer was a resounding, “Absolutely not!”

Here’s why:

First, the power quality in my area can be really inconsistent. I’ve tried all sorts of solutions - conditioners, regenerators, isolation transformers, components with better power supplies - but none have fully solved the problem. While battery-powered sources like the Stromtank help with some issues, they tend to introduce new ones. However, the battery-powered Olympus XDMI has been a game-changer. It’s the first time I’ve been able to immerse into the music during those periods of poor power quality.

Second, I haven’t encountered another component that makes poorly recorded tracks sound so engaging. That’s a big deal for me. An audiophile neighbor dropped by yesterday and played a Rolling Stones track. I thought, “Oh no, a poorly recorded Rolling Stones track on a tube/horn system - this isn’t going to end well.” But to my surprise, not only did it sound great, we kept turning up the volume (98+ dB) and really enjoyed it. After he left, I played the track another 4-5 times and added it to my favorites playlist.

Speaking of which, my favorites playlist is growing rapidly because I’m adding nearly every track I listen to these days - definitely a good sign!

On the less positive side, I can see how a sub-optimal system might require some adjustments. For example, I recently tried out some highly regarded interconnects, but they made my system sound so bright that I could barely listen to it (relatively speaking and exaggerating a bit). This experience reminded me that certain setups might need fine-tuning to achieve the best results. Additionally, the Olympus XDMI delivers exceptionally deep and low bass, which might require further adjustment in some systems.

My Olympus is getting plenty of good use, though most of the people who come to listen aren’t members of WBF, so they can’t comment. However, I’ll be lending my Olympus to a WBF member for an at-home trial next weekend. I’m eager to hear his feedback and hope he’ll share his thoughts here.
Also, in a couple of weeks, I’ll be visiting a system where we’ll compare the Olympus XDMI’s analog output to an MSB Select II DAC in an outstanding setup. I’m really looking forward to both - listening to that system and the A/B comparison.

If anyone in the Chicago area is interested to hear the Olympus, please let me know. I'll be happy to get in touch and make arrangements.

 

However, I’ll be lending my Olympus to a WBF member for an at-home trial next weekend. I’m eager to hear his feedback and hope he’ll share his thoughts here.

I’ll share my thoughts here. ; )

Will probably be the first Olympus on a headphone system. I’m eager to hear the difference against the Extreme.

 

Thank you very much for your report, Vassil!

 

I am speculating (only speculating) that there may be a host of reasons why a few recipients or users have not published or will not publish their reviews or feedback (I don't have anyone in mind; just want to make general observations for the future to come). Some treasure their privacy; some do not want to engage in (endless) debates or waste time in going back and forth (surprising to me that there is much hatred, venom, grandstanding, condescending, disdain, sarcasm, cynicism, conceit, arrogance, etc. etc. in audiophile forums and debates); some are pressured to exercise self-censorship in forums that are tightly controlled and censored (negative views starkly in contrast to the norms or even mild criticism would be met with ridiculing or putting down), so on and so forth. Of course, a person invites pressure on himself if he has shown news of receipt and photos of highly prized, brand-new, fanciest products knowing that that he will face pressure to air. Many of us desire to avoid getting drained and hurt on exercising negative energy in some forums and discussions. If we all cultivate and treasure free and respectful speech, with a firm belief that everyone is entitled to his own opinions, perhaps some will contribute more or at least more openly (otherwise the forum is dominated by the same few people, including influencers). Finally, we need to respect that people have vastly different tastes. There is, unfortunately, no universal standard and no clear-cut correct/wrong answers in many cases. Obviously, I don't want to engage in debates on this potentially touchy subject matter.

For me that is the human pearl of the day!

 

Also, in a couple of weeks, I’ll be visiting a system where we’ll compare the Olympus XDMI’s analog output to an MSB Select II DAC in an outstanding setup. I’m really looking forward to both - listening to that system and the A/B comparison.

Hi Vassil,

Thanks for your feedback!

This comparison you're going to make will be really interesting.

The MSB Select DAC II is considered by some to be one of the finest DACs on the market.

If it turns out that the Olympus XDMI Analogue Out is right up there with the Select DAC II, it will give us food for thought and will probably pave the way for a Taiko Audio DAC (perhaps in the form of an additional box, similar to the I/O).

Cheers,

Thomas

 

I would not at all be shocked if the current XDMI analogue (O or I/O) was better / very competitive with Select DAC / USB (as @nenon hinted at in his earlier posts), the key comparison for me (as a Select DAC owner) is the comparison with Select DAC via XDMI.

I also see this as a long term process, so obviously MSB, Lampi, or whoever will continue to push the state of the art wrt the D-A conversion process, and Taiko will (hopefully) continue to release new improved analogue XDMI daughterboards. I think the BPS is also a huge advantage for Taiko, it'll be interesting to see how that evolves (e.g. hypothetical standalone BPS products?).

 

I heard a rumor that my Ollie (#32) will be on the way shortly. Great news, but strangely mixed with a vague sense of dread, as my system, seemingly at the random whim of the audio gods, has hit it's zone. It might be the 5 RPG quadratic diffusors I was able to buy used (recommended by Vassil btw). It might be the XDMS software which keeps getting better and better. In any case, I'm reluctant to even move a cable, much less replace a major component (and software).

But I'm confident the Olympia will be worth it. The big question is how the analog out will compare with the Areis Cerat Ithaca dac. My thinking at present is, if the Oly Analog sounds better, I will let the Ithaca go. This is tempered by the fact that Aries is working on it's own XDMI implementation which I'm confident will be very good.

If the Ithaca dac via usb is as good or better than the Taiko analog, I'll stick with Ithaca and wait for the Aries xdmi. If the Taiko analog via xdmi is better, and keeping in mind that Taiko will also be continuing development/improvement of it's dac, it may make the most sense to leave the source and conversion to Taiko, save some $$, and run the signal straight from the Taiko source into the Aries Ageto pre and Essenita amps.

 

Shipping Update

The heavily reduced team spent quite some over hours in the shop to assemble and test the next batch of servers.
We are getting in the groove and we see routine effects starting to develop.

Shipping battery powered equipment also has its quirks, at Taiko we now know why there is not much battery powered equipment on the market!

We barely missed the Friday courier deadline, but the following servers - that will get a good burn in over the weekend - are ready and will dispatch beginning of next week:

- 10 (silver Olympus + I/O)
- 11 (silver Olympus + I/O)
- 20 (black Olympus)
- 23 (black Olympus)
- 32 (black Olympus)
- 33 (black Olympus)

We are very excited to get the first Olympus + I/O feedback!

Were these units shipped? Do you anticipate shipping others this week?

 

I heard a rumor that my Ollie (#32) will be on the way shortly. Great news, but strangely mixed with a vague sense of dread, as my system, seemingly at the random whim of the audio gods, has hit it's zone. It might be the 5 RPG quadratic diffusors I was able to buy used (recommended by Vassil btw). It might be the XDMS software which keeps getting better and better. In any case, I'm reluctant to even move a cable, much less replace a major component (and software).

But I'm confident the Olympia will be worth it. The big question is how the analog out will compare with the Areis Cerat Ithaca dac. My thinking at present is, if the Oly Analog sounds better, I will let the Ithaca go. This is tempered by the fact that Aries is working on it's own XDMI implementation which I'm confident will be very good.

If the Ithaca dac via usb is as good or better than the Taiko analog, I'll stick with Ithaca and wait for the Aries xdmi. If the Taiko analog via xdmi is better, and keeping in mind that Taiko will also be continuing development/improvement of it's dac, it may make the most sense to leave the source and conversion to Taiko, save some $$, and run the signal straight from the Taiko source into the Aries Ageto pre and Essenita amps.

Wil, having an AC system myself I will be most interested in your comparisons.

 

My new NAS setup, preparing for the Olympus:
- Existing Plixir Statement PS, 6A 12V = 72W + Taiko DCD
- Synology DS923+ (4 bay, 35,5 W - I suppose if using HDD, not SSDs) running in silent mode.
- 2x Samsung PM893 2.5" 7.68 TB SSD (completely quiet). Space for two more SSDs if necessary.
- Additional 4GB Synology memory
- 1TB NVMe Read Cache
- Synology 10Gbe module (to be used at 1Gb with Taiko Router, but better than original port).
The 10Gb port (running at 1Gb) will be connected to the Taiko Router, feeding audio to the Olympus, and the regular 1Gb port will be connected to the upstream top quality switch to feed dowloaded video to the appletv X. The NAS will have both music and video, which will never be used simultaneously.

Would someone who has a Synology NAS, attached to their main network (rather than to the Taiko Router), be able to outline the steps to set up port forwarding so that an Olympus / Extreme attached to the Taiko Router can access the music library on the Synology NAS attached to the main network?

 

Were these units shipped? Do you anticipate shipping others this week?

This week is even worse, 5 on holiday now. We’re shipping what we managed to build last week but there’s just no way we can build any more this week.

@EuroDriver is flying in next week to help, and @Christiaan Punter will be back and has offered to spend another few nights in an hotel to help, so then we should be able to build a bunch. But we really need the main crew back to build large numbers.

On a positive node, this monday the anodising company reached 10 anodised chassis for the first time, which they can maintain now. This can be increased by using specialised shipping crates which skips the necessity to pack/unpack each chassis part individually. And we’re going to replicate their bead blasting facilities here with their help, which moves the limitation largely to us.