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".

 

Thank you for the invite. I am indeed planning to join when Emile visits.

Olympus XDMI to Horizon 360 vs. Olympus USB to Horizon 360 is of course interesting but I have received plenty of feedback on that.

XDMI Analog vs. XDMI to Horizon 360 is of course the test I am interested in, but that would be difficult to do without preparation (for example, a second I/O with XDMI analog, all properly burned-in, for relatively quick A/B switching). If we can't switch quickly enough between the two sources and have to do all the work to swap out daughter cards, it will be quite challenging for me to understand the differences, especially in a system I am not familiar with. I am sure both will be excellent with two different flavors, and in the end it will be down to personal preference.

I agree: if the XDMI analog card sounds better than XDMI to Horizon 360 (or some other SOTA DAC), it’s a game changer. That to me is the clincher.

In a way, it’s a return to what some companies have designed their products for a long time. Naim has always integrated their DACs into their streamers, from budget models to their top of the line ND555. In fact, while Naim did not go through the heroic step of a battery powered system, their 555 has a massive two-box auxiliary power system (555PS) whose combined cost exceeds the streamer. In other words, their argument has always been it’s the power supply that matters, not the DAC conversion.

Eliminating the vagaries introduced by connecting cables and clocking issues, and giving the DAC board the purest power supply and the lowest latency and jitter you can manage might be the secret sauce to the Olympus design.

 

Thank you for the invite. I am indeed planning to join when Emile visits.

Olympus XDMI to Horizon 360 vs. Olympus USB to Horizon 360 is of course interesting but I have received plenty of feedback on that.

XDMI Analog vs. XDMI to Horizon 360 is of course the test I am interested in, but that would be difficult to do without preparation (for example, a second I/O with XDMI analog, all properly burned-in, for relatively quick A/B switching). If we can't switch quickly enough between the two sources and have to do all the work to swap out daughter cards, it will be quite challenging for me to understand the differences, especially in a system I am not familiar with. I am sure both will be excellent with two different flavors, and in the end it will be down to personal preference.

my hope has always been that Emile would indeed bring a 2nd IO loaded with the analogue card . Then it would be a quick A-B test but a 2nd set of longer QSFP cables would be needed and I could put the 2nd IO on the extra CMS platform I have where presently I have my NAS and Schnerzinger Allocator and these are easily moved

 

my hope has always been that Emile would indeed bring a 2nd IO loaded with the analogue card . Then it would be a quick A-B test but a 2nd set of longer QSFP cables would be needed and I could put the 2nd IO on the extra CMS platform I have where presently I have my NAS and Schnerzinger Allocator and these are easily moved

A second I/O will be ideal. And @ray-dude kindly offered to bring his.

These comparisons are an interesting topic. I think they need their own thread, and so I created this one:

Taiko Olympus A/B Comparison

If you had the chance to compare the Taiko Olympus with another audio component, what would that other component be? Examples: Taiko Olympus XDMI analog vs. a top tier DAC (list the specific DAC) Taiko Olympus XDMI analog vs. a state of the art vinyl system Taiko Olympus USB vs. another...

www.whatsbestforum.com

 

I agree: if the XDMI analog card sounds better than XDMI to Horizon 360 (or some other SOTA DAC), it’s a game changer. That to me is the clincher.

In a way, it’s a return to what some companies have designed their products for a long time. Naim has always integrated their DACs into their streamers, from budget models to their top of the line ND555. In fact, while Naim did not go through the heroic step of a battery powered system, their 555 has a massive two-box auxiliary power system (555PS) whose combined cost exceeds the streamer. In other words, their argument has always been it’s the power supply that matters, not the DAC conversion.

Eliminating the vagaries introduced by connecting cables and clocking issues, and giving the DAC board the purest power supply and the lowest latency and jitter you can manage might be the secret sauce to the Olympus design.

I totally agree. As we said earlier it is also a matter of personal choice . IOW some might like the digital card because of the sound derived therein along with my choice of tubes. This is for me right now why I love the digital card to my tube DAC as I have the ability to select tubes to my liking.

"one man's passion is another man's poison"

My guess is the vote will be reasonably equally split on that weekend. Another factor that many will take into consideration is the savings gained by using the analogue card and eliminating the external DAC. So also should and when Taiko has their next generation analogue card, you can be sure the upgrade will be even more competitive especially if there are XLR outputs and/or a volume control. The use of XLR witl allow many to use it with their preamp whereas a VC will eliminate the need for a preamp.

Having said that the Horizon 360 has a superb volume control and many (if not most) H360 users have done is to eliminate their preamp and go direct to amplifier. For my ears and my gear my preamp was made to work with my amplifier and this is the sound I prefer. So again "personal choice" comes into play. My entire electronics is tube components and the sound of my preamp to my amp is something that was designed to be used together. And once again, many listeners will like tubes , and many will like no preamp.


Bottom line is I hope we get a good turnout if this comes to fruition as I am certain there will be a disparity of selection for all of the above reasons

Another A-B we could do with the H360 and the Taiko analogue card is with and without the preamp. We could do the same test with the digital card

 

A second I/O will be ideal. And @ray-dude kindly offered to bring his.

as stated we will need a set of QSFP cables about 4-5x the length of those that are supplied for reasons I explained above

 

I totally agree. As we said earlier it is also a matter of personal choice . IOW some might like the digital card because of the sound derived therein along with my choice of tubes. This is for me right now why I love the digital card to my tube DAC as I have the ability to select tubes to my liking.

"one man's passion is another man's poison"

My guess is the vote will be reasonably equally split on that weekend. Another factor that many will take into consideration is the savings gained by using the analogue card and eliminating the external DAC. So also should and when Taiko has their next generation analogue card, you can be sure the upgrade will be even more competitive especially if there are XLR outputs and/or a volume control. The use of XLR witl allow many to use it with their preamp whereas a VC will eliminate the need for a preamp.

Having said that the Horizon 360 has a superb volume control and many (if not most) H360 users have done is to eliminate their preamp and go direct to amplifier. For my ears and my gear my preamp was made to work with my amplifier and this is the sound I prefer. So again "personal choice" comes into play. My entire electronics is tube components and the sound of my preamp to my amp is something that was designed to be used together. And once again, many listeners will like tubes , and many will like no preamp.


Bottom line is I hope we get a good turnout if this comes to fruition as I am certain there will be a disparity of selection for all of the above reasons

Another A-B we could do with the H360 and the Taiko analogue card is with and without the preamp. We could do the same test with the digital card

Plus, let’s not forget Lukasz’ great contribution to high end audio was to bring into being an entirely new class of product, a sexy looking DAC. I mean, it looks great even if it’s not playing. Most DACs are boring black boxes. Lukasz introduced a retro design ethos that makes even my ancient Pacific I look like a fashion statement. Besides, it sounds bloody marvelous if you like tube sound. So, it’s a tall order for XDMI analog to match that. My guess is that it won’t but it will bring about a whole new experience for hearing digital, much as Lampi did. That’s the raison d’etre of high end audio, IMHO.

 

What I have found interesting and I’ve commented many times here is that those who connect to their DAC via AES/EBU prefer the analogue board 100% and have sold their DACs.

I’ve talked to a few members here who have Lampi and O/ IO and prefer the digital card with XDMI . Problem is they are lurkers and refuse to post on anything.

So there are too many variables and at the end of the day it boils down to personal preference

I look forward to comments from MSB DAC users and what their preference will be

 

Been experiencing up and down cycles of magic and semi-magic as the XDMI analog card continues to break-in. But nevertheless with an upward average trend in purity - where each subsequent cycle results in an upper level of purity that surpasses the previous summits.

I just listened to Mozart’s Symphony 29 in A major during the latest up cycle. It was by far the best performance I’ve ever heard of that piece in my room ever before. It wasn’t even close. Made me melt into my seat.

And that was while the batteries were charging!

Dare I say it was close to a live event? Yes I know it’s blasphemy…but the illusion was there. Close. I’m at 280 hours of break-in now - a little over half way to the reported three week break-in period for the XDMI analog card. I can’t wait for the next wave!

To paraphrase James Carville’s famous political aphorism: “It’s the SOURCE stupid!”

I’ve heard many exclaim about the importance of the source. But until the Taiko Team’s razor sharp insights and advances in purifying the digital source, everyone else has been playing around the edges without addressing the root causes. Until now….Bravo Taiko!

 

I agree: if the XDMI analog card sounds better than XDMI to Horizon 360 (or some other SOTA DAC), it’s a game changer. That to me is the clincher.

In a way, it’s a return to what some companies have designed their products for a long time. Naim has always integrated their DACs into their streamers, from budget models to their top of the line ND555. In fact, while Naim did not go through the heroic step of a battery powered system, their 555 has a massive two-box auxiliary power system (555PS) whose combined cost exceeds the streamer. In other words, their argument has always been it’s the power supply that matters, not the DAC conversion.

Eliminating the vagaries introduced by connecting cables and clocking issues, and giving the DAC board the purest power supply and the lowest latency and jitter you can manage might be the secret sauce to the Olympus design.

I'll take an O with a Nait1 circa@82 over dbl, six pack, cd555 or ns555.

 

Ordered IO.. Something in black please...

 

Ordered IO.. Something in black please...

reading your post brings up something else to consider in the thread Nenon started on comparison testing as IMO the O/IO combo adds even more to the paradigm. As a result I still feel these comparisons do add data points but there will never be an identical room with identical gear and the same pair of ears in the sweet spot

 

Happy new year to you all!! Here’s to wishing 2025 to be the most exciting yet for all things Taiko!! Incredible we are approaching 6 years since @CKKeung ‘s inaugural post unveiling the Extreme. Feels as exciting now as it was then.

 

"As a result I still feel these comparisons do add data points but there will never be an identical room with identical gear and the same pair of ears in the sweet spot,"

Steve
Happy New Year...
if you do the a/b in your own room?
You may have the ability to line up 50 folks outside your room. Put em in the (sweet spot), doing individual a/b comparisons.. all it'll take is 5 minutes a piece if you have the kit in place..
Better is better no matter which way it leans.. love to hear those data points
Booze and food will keep #50 busy..

 

"As a result I still feel these comparisons do add data points but there will never be an identical room with identical gear and the same pair of ears in the sweet spot,"

Steve
Happy New Year...
if you do the a/b in your own room?
You may have the ability to line up 50 folks outside your room. Put em in the (sweet spot), doing individual a/b comparisons.. all it'll take is 5 minutes a piece if you have the kit in place..
Better is better no matter which way it leans.. love to hear those data points
Booze and food will keep #50 busy..

I hope you can make it .....the last one I did was truly a lot of fun. Im sure a weekend with Emile will be all of the above. I'm anxious to hear the feedback from the MSB users with their daughter board and to see what they think of XDMI vs the analogue board. Im still betting that they will prefer the new pro ISL card with native XDMI but again it's all good. I think the best place for comparison would be in Oldenzaahl where IIRC Emile has one room with different speaker possibilities as well as different. preamps and DACs. Therein would be IMO the best place to do the best A-B tests . We should have a traveling Taiko club and all meet in these different places to enjoy one another's company and learn from everyone's experiences. But Oldenzaahl is our North Pole where all the elves are busy doing their magic

 

I'm anxious to hear the feedback from the MSB users with their daughter board and to see what they think of XDMI vs the analogue board.

...early feedback: the MSB daughterboard workflow is excellent.

Do I prefer it to the Taiko dac? I do, but I would like more time for "burn-in" of my board, and my ears. It's different. It's very different. Very detailed. Good flow. Fast. Very detailed and airy.

Honestly, WBF brothers, I am wondering if it is the best match for my Magicos (A5s). The sound profile is very different. I was already pondering this evolutionary development with the analog card implementation.

My network and system is very "clean" and incisive. Is the bride stripped bare? Another week or two may be needed to re-visit the sonic signature. Or perhaps speaker repositioning/adjustment? I'll be interested to read what MSB honchos report on Magicos and other speakers/systems.

 

...early feedback: the MSB daughterboard workflow is excellent.

Do I prefer it to the Taiko dac? I do, but I would like more time for "burn-in" of my board, and my ears. It's different. It's very different. Very detailed. Good flow. Fast. Very detailed and airy.

Honestly, WBF brothers, I am wondering if it is the best match for my Magicos (A5s). The sound profile is very different. I was already pondering this evolutionary development with the analog card implementation.

My network and system is very "clean" and incisive. Is the bride stripped bare? Another week or two may be needed to re-visit the sonic signature. Or perhaps speaker repositioning/adjustment? I'll be interested to read what MSB honchos report on Magicos and other speakers/systems.

Thanks. Based on others' claims the analog output card takes a little while to come in, it's probably too early. This from an MSB owner.

PS - I was listening to a new Bach cantanta recording last night with all the customary contrapuntal voice work and period instruments, wondering how Olympus would handle it.

 

...I did run-in the analog card for a good while, but the MSB board is only a few days of 24/7 Roon Radio. But I do understand your guidance and the caveat. Thank you. Cheers.

 

"As a result I still feel these comparisons do add data points but there will never be an identical room with identical gear and the same pair of ears in the sweet spot,"

Steve
Happy New Year...
if you do the a/b in your own room?
You may have the ability to line up 50 folks outside your room. Put em in the (sweet spot), doing individual a/b comparisons.. all it'll take is 5 minutes a piece if you have the kit in place..
Better is better no matter which way it leans.. love to hear those data points
Booze and food will keep #50 busy..

No booze until *after* the listening! Just as an incentive, of course!

Steve Z

 

I hope you can make it .....the last one I did was truly a lot of fun. Im sure a weekend with Emile will be all of the above. I'm anxious to hear the feedback from the MSB users with their daughter board and to see what they think of XDMI vs the analogue board. Im still betting that they will prefer the new pro ISL card with native XDMI but again it's all good. I think the best place for comparison would be in Oldenzaahl where IIRC Emile has one room with different speaker possibilities as well as different. preamps and DACs. Therein would be IMO the best place to do the best A-B tests . We should have a traveling Taiko club and all meet in these different places to enjoy one another's company and learn from everyone's experiences. But Oldenzaahl is our North Pole where all the elves are busy doing their magic

I like it! Let Emile buy the booze. . .

Steve Z

 

I must say, while my order was placed on December 30, 2023… (no current expected time of delivery still at this point, which is honestly quite painful given the substantial deposit that i sure could have used the cash and earned some interest. yes, over 12 months at this point)….

but that’s all fine, that said am surprised that there really aren’t any comparisons between XDMI analog out versus XDMI digital out to either Lampizator or MSB. There have been dozens of Olympus in the wild for months now. I imagine Lampizator concerned about the Olympus DAC and Taiko treading lightly. But all that said, step forward and share your observations. let our ears be the arbiter. that is what this forum is all about