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".

 

No worries, I assumed you meant paralleled.

In the Olympus/XDMI environment we appear to have to reinvent everything. Every single component matters, significantly.

Can I get out of delving into the benefits vs drawbacks of paralleling DACs by just going with the following? :

In the “V2” (RCA) analogue stage we’ve so far reduced the component count from 100 to 70 while adding a second DAC chip turns that 70 into 108. The 70 components version sounds better then the 108 components version.

Emile
Can you tell us of those parts removed, how many were dedicated to the connections between v1 and daughter board?
If not, can you comment on the effect of removing those connections on the overall sound in v2?
Marc

 

Emile
Can you tell us of those parts removed, how many were dedicated to the connections between v1 and daughter board?
If not, can you comment on the effect of removing those connections on the overall sound in v2?
Marc

I think not one part is removed which was dedicated to the connections between v1 and daughter board.
Btw the connection is very well chosen and has an extremely low resistance and has a good reason to be there.

I think what Emile is saying that with our (Taiko) approach it is to use as less components as possible. (With more parallel dacs/chips you need more parts.) And every part/component is audible.

The Olympus/XDMI is developed to shortcut the most possible, to bypass all kind of conversions to 'normal standards'. With as a result a very clean environment. Even more helped with everything battery powered. In this ultra clean environment you can hear every component what is used.

 

I think not one part is removed which was dedicated to the connections between v1 and daughter board.
Btw the connection is very well chosen and has an extremely low resistance and has a good reason to be there.

I think what Emile is saying that with our (Taiko) approach it is to use as less components as possible. (With more parallel dacs/chips you need more parts.) And every part/component is audible.

The Olympus/XDMI is developed to shortcut the most possible, to bypass all kind of conversions to 'normal standards'. With as a result a very clean environment. Even more helped with everything battery powered. In this ultra clean environment you can hear every component what is used.

My take away is you're suggesting the v2 is a daughter board.
If Taiko is trying to remove any and all bottlenecks -
is there a possibility that a dedicated xdmi analog card without well chosen bits (the connection between main board and the daughter board) be better?

 

...I plugged in "Default" based on someone's guidance at the time, and left it alone. That was great at that time.

Having never used Roon before, I had no relationship to the DDC manual guidance re: Roon vs. XDMS and filter selection.

But, I moved the DDC output cable to Alt2, per above. I am not sure how much this workflow has to "burn-in" since it was never used, but I would say initially, this would be a better sonic choice in this system.

Emile, I appreciate you mentioning the filter choices. In this system, the Alt2 option provides a bit more sonic meat. I do not find any loss of detail or speed/pace. But the sound is not so sharp or hygienic in nature.

I should still probably putter around with the speaker toe-in, which is minimal here, to see what's up, but I will let things settle for another week or so. Multiple changes usually end up being confusing to sort out.

It will be interesting to hear about other MSB users and their options and opinions.

Thanks again, Emile. Happy New Year and Happy Listening to all.

Remember that each DCD output requires its own burn in period, so patience on final tweaking.

That being said, I was very surprised how much of a difference the different dcd outputs had to each of the switch and router. Some combos were too much of a good thing, others were relaxed bliss

As I changed the energizing power supply, my preference changed as well. I have a couple new energizing supplies coming through over the next couple months and looking g forward to hearing g the impact (the effect of power on the network side was quite sigbificant…enough the persuade me to order an I/O and bring more BPS’s to the party)

DCD is a chance to do “filter rolling”, so good to have all the outputs burned in before making final decisions, but the character of the different filters is very easy to hear here.

 

One of the standout features of the Olympus, and not a minor one, is its ability to run Roon (which is very resource-intensive) without impacting sound quality.

I am not aware of any other server/streamer capable of achieving this feat.

I have certainly gotten the impression that the Wadax Server/DAC combination has also achieved this feat a few years back now. It does seem to be a feat, and I'm glad that Taiko has done so, as the Roon UI is pretty desirable. I'm looking forward to experiencing this myself, hopefully soon.

 

My take away is you're suggesting the v2 is a daughter board.

Yes.

If Taiko is trying to remove any and all bottlenecks -
is there a possibility that a dedicated xdmi analog card without well chosen bits (the connection between main board and the daughter board) be better?

Nah.

 

...I plugged in "Default" based on someone's guidance at the time, and left it alone. That was great at that time.

Having never used Roon before, I had no relationship to the DDC manual guidance re: Roon vs. XDMS and filter selection.

But, I moved the DDC output cable to Alt2, per above. I am not sure how much this workflow has to "burn-in" since it was never used, but I would say initially, this would be a better sonic choice in this system.

Emile, I appreciate you mentioning the filter choices. In this system, the Alt2 option provides a bit more sonic meat. I do not find any loss of detail or speed/pace. But the sound is not so sharp or hygienic in nature.

I should still probably putter around with the speaker toe-in, which is minimal here, to see what's up, but I will let things settle for another week or so. Multiple changes usually end up being confusing to sort out.

It will be interesting to hear about other MSB users and their options and opinions.

Thanks again, Emile. Happy New Year and Happy Listening to all.

Yes it’s more than likely revisiting your loudspeaker positioning will be rewarding.

 

Remember that each DCD output requires its own burn in period, so patience on final tweaking.

That being said, I was very surprised how much of a difference the different dcd outputs had to each of the switch and router. Some combos were too much of a good thing, others were relaxed bliss

As I changed the energizing power supply, my preference changed as well. I have a couple new energizing supplies coming through over the next couple months and looking g forward to hearing g the impact (the effect of power on the network side was quite sigbificant…enough the persuade me to order an I/O and bring more BPS’s to the party)

DCD is a chance to do “filter rolling”, so good to have all the outputs burned in before making final decisions, but the character of the different filters is very easy to hear here.

I find this illuminating especially the DCD aspect. I don't have the Olympus yet so I wouldn't want to wrap my ears and brain around anything more until the O arrives...

 

Yes it’s more than likely revisiting your loudspeaker positioning will be rewarding.

For sure, with recently adding the Solution 727 and 360 I had to do a little speaker repositioning with remarkable results...

 

...the default filter on the DCD was kind-of pissing me off after the MSB board was added. Perhaps a wee bit less so on the Taiko Analog output.

The Alt2 seems to return me to audio bliss. I don't tend to do a lot of back-and-forth comparing long-term, so Default was great...until the birth of the new sonic paradigm, then it wasn't. Frankly, if you have the DCD, it's a good reminder to consider revisiting your base reference settings.

Likewise, I will take my own advice on the toe-in next week. Thanks to all...

 

As an aside and referring to the DCD......powering my NAS via the DCD I find different flavors to the music in my NAS when I use different different filters (outputs) on the DCD.

 

...oh no. Help me Obi-wan.

 

As an aside and referring to the DCD......powering my NAS via the DCD I find different flavors to the music in my NAS when I use different different filters (outputs) on the DCD.

Not sure I want a NAS in my listening room. The ones I used to have were too noisy for my liking (old fashioned 3.5inch drives that were clunky slow and clattered away) and the fans were too audible. I threw all my old NAS’ in the Silicon Valley electronic waste program. Not going back to that ancient technology. Perhaps a liquid cooled all solid state NAS might be acceptable if someone creates such a beast. Since I run WiFi 7 in my house that’s crazy fast, I could stick a NAS in a closet where I keep my router.

 

Not sure I want a NAS in my listening room. The ones I used to have were too noisy for my liking (old fashioned 3.5inch drives that were clunky slow and clattered away) and the fans were too audible. I threw all my old NAS’ in the Silicon Valley electronic waste program. Not going back to that ancient technology. Perhaps a liquid cooled all solid state NAS might be acceptable if someone creates such a beast. Since I run WiFi 7 in my house that’s crazy fast, I could stick a NAS in a closet where I keep my router.

The NAS doesn’t need to be in the listening room. Mine isnt.

 

Emile
Can you tell us of those parts removed, how many were dedicated to the connections between v1 and daughter board?
If not, can you comment on the effect of removing those connections on the overall sound in v2?
Marc

No worries, I assumed you meant paralleled.

In the Olympus/XDMI environment we appear to have to reinvent everything. Every single component matters, significantly.

Can I get out of delving into the benefits vs drawbacks of paralleling DACs by just going with the following? :

In the “V2” (RCA) analogue stage we’ve so far reduced the component count from 100 to 70 while adding a second DAC chip turns that 70 into 108. The 70 components version sounds better then the 108 components version.

Emile, may I hope that the XDMI technology flows into other products that can conceivably benefit from it, e.g., a server that can process video signals (a Blu-ray disc tray added and allowing video streaming in all known video format, either as an expansion to Olympus or as a separate video/audio server); preamplier, and amplifier (or integrated amplifier)? Ideally, the future Taiko analog DAC board can also receive digital audio input. No matter how wonderful the Taiko analog DAC board is, I need an external DAC because I have a second digital source (a "purist" i2s-modded DVD transport for my large and expanding DVD/Blu-ray discs of operas and live classical music concerts, thanks to which I have enjoyed operas like never before, getting into 2nd-tier or even 3rd-tier Rossini and Donizetti operas. (I said before that the SQ from the modded DVD transport even surpassed the USB-connected Extreme thanks to the "purist" i2s connection between the transport and the DAC.) No audio recording can match the overall experience of engagement (the combined effect of video, production and acting as well as singing and orchestral performance) with the best recorded and performed operas in video format. Increasingly, orchestras and opera houses have gone into streaming business, e.g., Berlin Philharmonic's video "Digital Concert Hall" and MET Opera's "Live in HD". A future Taiko server that can stream such live video concert and opera performances would be the most perfect product.

 

The NAS doesn’t need to be in the listening room. Mine isnt.

I find the NAS sounds best here plugged into the Taiko router vs. the house LAN, which in my setup is located with all my gear in the basement. However it's not plugged into the DCD yet as I need a higher current 12v supply, thinking the UpTone JS-2. NAS is QNAP TS 432-x with 4 16TB drives

 

Some of the best music ever written is in and for operas, the music of Wagner and Verdi, the two opera titans. I found Dvorak's Rusalka, for example, more interesting than his best symphonies (7, 8, 9). The opera music of Richard Strauss is more interesting and better than the music of his tone poems and other pure instrumental music. If one has not fully experienced Mozart's operas (as acted and produced in an opera house), one has not experienced the full glory of his music. The music of Janacek's and Britten's operas is among the best music ever written in the last century. There should be a significant demand for the very best video/audio server or player. If Taiko could come up with such server, it would be a dream product.

 

No audio recording can match the overall experience of engagement (the combined effect of video, production and acting as well as singing and orchestral performance) with the best recorded and performed operas in video format.

Hi Moladiego,

Couldn't agree more! The most emotionally engaging audio experiences for me occurred with systems that did not have anywhere near the same superior audio reproduction quality as the Olympus but combined video output.

For me the first instance was hearing a cymbal played back in the audio layer of a dvd music file, then hearing and seeing the same dvd, but with the video showing the cymbal being struck. The increase in the fidelity and engagement was eye opening.

I fully second your motion to add a digital input to the Taiko Olympus!...But of course, all in good time!

God grant me patience right now!!

 

Hi Moladiego,

Couldn't agree more! The most emotionally engaging audio experiences for me occurred with systems that did not have anywhere near the same superior audio reproduction quality as the Olympus but combined video output.

For me the first instance was hearing a cymbal played back in the audio layer of a dvd music file, then hearing and seeing the same dvd, but with the video showing the cymbal being struck. The increase in the fidelity and engagement was eye opening.

I fully second your motion to add a digital input to the Taiko Olympus!...But of course, all in good time!

God grant me patience right now!!

Video discs like these set my hair on fire and I was in sheer ecstasy when I watched/listened to them via "purist" i2s-linled modded DVD player and H1 - the SQ, the crystal-clear video, the performance, the acting, the singing, the orchestral playing - I could not get such experience even in an opera house or concert hall unless I could somehow manage to be suspended from the ceiling and got my ears on the level of the stage, in row 8 or so (impossible in a real opera house; only in the listening room of mine).

Addendum: talking of the enhanced sensory impact; watching the principal trombonist and the drummist blowing and hitting their instruments in the first movement of Abbado/Lucerne Mahler 3 is way above the impact of listening to the audio tracks (BTW, I have the ripped audio tracks of that performance; the SQ from the i2s-connected DVD surpasses the SQ of the USB-connected Extreme).

 

Not sure I want a NAS in my listening room. The ones I used to have were too noisy for my liking (old fashioned 3.5inch drives that were clunky slow and clattered away) and the fans were too audible. I threw all my old NAS’ in the Silicon Valley electronic waste program. Not going back to that ancient technology. Perhaps a liquid cooled all solid state NAS might be acceptable if someone creates such a beast. Since I run WiFi 7 in my house that’s crazy fast, I could stick a NAS in a closet where I keep my router.

mine was initially 100 feet away in a bedroom downstairs on a totally different router and played beautifully. I had no issues until my wife said it was a distraction for any guest staying there. My point, as David stated, it doesnt have to be there. in fact I wish mine still was as I had to go to the expense of buying the JS-2 to power it and the other devices by virtue of moving it back into the sound room