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".

 

Welcome to XDMI digital Steve. For me it's as good as it gets. You will need more time on the card though

 

This is only preliminary and I intend to listen to XDMI digital daughter card more this evening and tomorrow, since I have less than 12 hours on the digital daughter card while the analog card has close to ten times that total. I want to give XDMI digital, or perhaps I should say, I want to give the Vivaldi a fair shot before I make any decisions

That said XDMI digital has my Vivaldi sounding better than I have ever heard it.

But, my sense is after coming fresh off of several days of listening via XDMI analog that while there might be some things XDMI digital/Vivaldi is doing better than XDMI analog, there are also some things XDMI analog is doing better than XDMI digital/Vivaldi.

So it's close right now. And really, as it stands so far, I am very happy listening via either configuration. Which is high praise for XDMI analog considering what it is being compared to.

More to come!

Steve Z

Wow - this is a terrific beginning : )

 

Digital things might need longer time than the analog devices to fully brake in.
So give it a fair time.
If now they are on pair I believe there is a good chance for digital to Vivaldi to be far better in a week or two from now.

 

Welcome to XDMI digital Steve. For me it's as good as it gets. You will need more time on the card though

Thank you Steve. But I'm not listening to XDMI native digital via an XDMI card in Vivaldi, like you are to your Horizon 360.

I'm not a digital maven, so I am not conversant about what form the digital stream is taking via SFDIF or AES from the XDMI digital daughter card.

Steve Z

 

I thought via AES/EBU your sampling is limited to 24/192 and DSD 64 so yes....not native but the digital board to my ears is the best digital I have ever personally heard. With Taiko I can play all files the way they were recorded so DSD 64-512, PCM 24-192 and 24-352. That was a big thing for me when Emile first brought XDMI to all our attentions and said with Taiko we would get XDMI via aes/ebu. Most of we lamp guys reached out to Lukasz to find a way complete the handshake with an input on the Lampi side which would allow native XDMI. From what I remember Lukas made a trip to Oldenzaal and within a few months had a working model that would do that very thing. So what format comes out of the Olympus is inputted into the Lampi and played as such. Since I have heard it I can't go back to USB and my interest level in hearing the analogue board is certainly there but there is no way I can give up my Horizon 360 DAC which has the ability to play Native XDMI.. Having said that Im sure your experience is also pretty damn good even though there is a sampling limitation via AES/EBU. I have just always been of the ilk that I want to be able to play the files native. IIRC you require DUAL AES/EBU ports to be able to play native 24-192 so Im not sure if your Taiko digital card maxes out at 24-96

 

I thought via AES/EBU your sampling is limited to 24/192 and DSD 64 so yes....not native but the digital board to my ears is the best digital I have ever personally heard. With Taiko I can play all files the way they were recorded so DSD 64-512, PCM 24-192 and 24-352. That was a big thing for me when Emile first brought XDMI to all our attentions and said with Taiko we would get XDMI via aes/ebu. Most of we lamp guys reached out to Lukasz to find a way complete the handshake with an input on the Lampi side which would allow native XDMI. From what I remember Lukas made a trip to Oldenzaal and within a few months had a working model that would do that very thing. So what format comes out of the Olympus is inputted into the Lampi and played as such. Since I have heard it I can't go back to USB and my interest level in hearing the analogue board is certainly there but there is no way I can give up my Horizon 360 DAC which has the ability to play Native XDMI.. Having said that Im sure your experience is also pretty damn good even though there is a sampling limitation via AES/EBU. I have just always been of the ilk that I want to be able to play the files native. IIRC you require DUAL AES/EBU ports to be able to play native 24-192 so Im not sure if your Taiko digital card maxes out at 24-96

Steve. Slow down !
Horizon current name is 360.
You are missing 10 degrees in your sentence !

 

Hi Emile/ray-dude and all, from ray’s detailed and thorough overview of the Olympus and its use of power, my limited understanding is that sound file processing rate and size noise limits the most profound effects of XDMI via RCA analogue past a point, that being 2f or 4f, depending on specificities of context - my sophomoric question is….does this only apply to XDMI RCA analogue, or does it also apply to XDMI native, XDMI aes/ebu or more so one or the other? Since there should presumably be less processing with XDMI native? Or perhaps still so, but to a lesser degree?

Thanking ahead for your thoughts - kevin

 

Hi Emile/ray-dude and all, from ray’s detailed and thorough overview of the Olympus and its use of power, my limited understanding is that sound file processing rate and size noise limits the most profound effects of XDMI via RCA analogue past a point, that being 2f or 4f, depending on specificities of context - my sophomoric question is….does this only apply to XDMI RCA analogue, or does it also apply to XDMI native, XDMI aes/ebu or more so one or the other? Since there should presumably be less processing with XDMI native? Or perhaps still so, but to a lesser degree?

Thanking ahead for your thoughts - kevin

And Ray's report is based on his Olympus Server.
How about Olympus+Olympus I/O？

 

And Ray's report is based on his Olympus Server.
How about Olympus+Olympus I/O？

That’s the drug-laced bonus - I’m just managing my expectations on a ‘basal’ level haha - but really, if higher sampled sound files create the sort of processing noise that affects all XDMI formats on the Olympus, it would create a powerful levelling field of the basic redbook format. I believe the term ray-dude used was ‘breathtaking’ - I love the sound of this ; )

 

Thanks for the enlightening info!

I would like to ask : Is Taiko developing a XDMI dac card with xlr analog outputs?
If yes, how's the progress?

Many Olympus fans in Hong Kong are looking forwards to a xlr version of the dac card.

Many thanks!

Hi @CKKeung ,

We are indeed, it’s difficult to give you a accurate release date though. We are running several months behind and are doing everything we can to catch up. This does impact the product development pace.

We have just recently finished the MSB Pro ISL output card and have finished (our) part of the hardware design for the Aries Cerat implementation. The XLR analogue output card is next to be completed.

I would have liked to have it ready before Christmas but that’s now less then 2 months away, and we are short on manpower.

 

Hi Emile/ray-dude and all, from ray’s detailed and thorough overview of the Olympus and its use of power, my limited understanding is that sound file processing rate and size noise limits the most profound effects of XDMI via RCA analogue past a point, that being 2f or 4f, depending on specificities of context - my sophomoric question is….does this only apply to XDMI RCA analogue, or does it also apply to XDMI native, XDMI aes/ebu or more so one or the other? Since there should presumably be less processing with XDMI native? Or perhaps still so, but to a lesser degree?

Thanking ahead for your thoughts - kevin

This is going to vary. Anxiously awaiting customer feedback

 

Some confusing posts here...

@steve williams , have you tried the digital daughter board? I think when @oldmustang refers to the "digital board" he is referring to the AES/EBU daughter board. The Taiko DAC, this digital board, and the XDMI native board are attached to the main XDMI board. I assume with your Horizon you using the XDMI native daughter board, not any digital board. Correct me if I am wrong.

Second, I believe AES/EBU and S/PDIF can pass up to 192 kHz.

 

This is going to vary. Anxiously awaiting customer feedback

Really eager to hear more impressions from others as well!

I’m looking forward to hearing XDMI digital + Horizon 360 at Steve’s place Saturday, and also looking forward to hearing more XDMI Analog vs XDMI Digital + Vivaldi impressions from Steve Z

I’m sure the I/O changes things…very excited for this. After hearing the impact the network side has on SQ I have no doubts the the impact of externalizing the NIC and XDMI output card from the server will have a huge positive impact

 

Some confusing posts here...

@steve williams , have you tried the digital daughter board? I think when @oldmustang refers to the "digital board" he is referring to the AES/EBU daughter board. The Taiko DAC, this digital board, and the XDMI native board are attached to the main XDMI board. I assume with your Horizon you using the XDMI native daughter board, not any digital board. Correct me if I am wrong.

Second, I believe AES/EBU and S/PDIF can pass up to 192 kHz.

you are correct. I am only using the XDMI digital card to my Horizon 360.

 

it seems that I am the only one who is using the XDMI digital board.

I thought the analogue card only has SE output to the preamp

I thought the AES EBU daughter board outputs to his DAC or am I mistaken My comment was AES/EBU won't play native. It limits to 192 and DSD 64 IIRC

 

it seems that I am the only one who is using the XDMI digital board.

I thought the analogue card only has SE output to the preamp

I thought the AES EBU daughter board outputs to his DAC or am I mistaken My comment was AES/EBU won't play native. It limits to 192 and DSD 64 IIRC

I think you may be the only one with an Olympus and Horizon connected via XDMI.

The DAC card is only SE.

AES/EBU plays natively up to 24/192. Any resolutions above that must be down sampled.

 

Neophyte question here for you experts: while waiting for my Olympus-I/O combo to ship (#50, so hopefully not too far away), I'm going down the (or I should say, "a") recommended road of adding a DS224+ as my primary local music source. I have one output available on an Uptone JS-2 PS that I could use to drive the NAS, but am unsure if that's a good choice. And it has the 5/7/9/12V adjustment--which is appropriate for the DS224+? I've looked at the specs provided for both devices and can't translate those into an optimum decision. Recommendations?
Thanks.

 

Neophyte question here for you experts: while waiting for my Olympus-I/O combo to ship (#50, so hopefully not too far away), I'm going down the (or I should say, "a") recommended road of adding a DS224+ as my primary local music source. I have one output available on an Uptone JS-2 PS that I could use to drive the NAS, but am unsure if that's a good choice. And it has the 5/7/9/12V adjustment--which is appropriate for the DS224+? I've looked at the specs provided for both devices and can't translate those into an optimum decision. Recommendations?
Thanks.

The NAS requires 12V.

Do you have a DCD?

 

I think you may be the only one with an Olympus and Horizon connected via XDMI.

The DAC card is only SE.

AES/EBU plays natively up to 24/192. Any resolutions above that must be down sampled.

we're going in circles. That was the point I was making in my post from above. From my understanding when we ordered when specified which digital board we wanted. Lampizator and now MSB Digital boards have the ability to play native was my point. Yet having said that Im betting Steve is also blown away as to what he is hearing with. the digital card outputting to his DAC. AS I have commented, XDMI IMO makes USB an albatross and a thing of the past

As we speak, Lukasz is on a plane making his way to LAX where I pick him up this evening and over the weekend we will be doing an A-B with O/IO via USB and by XDMI to the Horizon 360. USB sounds very good but there is something about XDMI that once you hear it, I just cannot go back to USB.....but as the saying goes YMMV

One important thing that Emile reminds us all is that to either have the XDMI cable in play or the USB . You should NOT have both cables attached as IIRC it defaults to USB when you think you are playing XDMI.

 

The NAS requires 12V.

Do you have a DCD?

I do.