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".

 

If you contact us to report an issue of this kind, please add the time period in which this occurs and whether or not you had to reboot or not (reboot means Roon RAAT (Roon Advanced Audio Transport) crashed, while a stop after which you can resume playback is a network or stream interruption.

The latter is mostly Qobuz, it’s had several periods with issues, the most recent being this:

Qobuz Library Sync Resolution

Between January 18th-23rd, Qobuz tracks and albums appeared missing from some Roon libraries due to a Qobuz connection issue, which has now been resolved.

Missing content will automatically reappearwithin 72 hours. No data or favorites were lost.

We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience. If issues persist after 72 hours, please contact us.

Playback then stops when it comes across a “temporary missing track”.

 

Same thing here. It's happened once each day, over the last days. The exact same as you describe, only option is to reboot the Olympus. I am running the O and I/O with the XDMI analog out of the I/O.

Could the last days be 16 days? Do you recall updating to:

Roon/ RoonServer

2.0 (build 1496) production

 

Could the last days be 16 days? Do you recall updating to:

Roon/ RoonServer

2.0 (build 1496) production

Yes, I am running build 1496

 

Yes, I am running build 1496

No issues here, whatever: Roon build 1496, Olympus solo and Taiko DAC card.

 

I would suggest keeping a detailed log. This way When reporting back to SUPPORT you will have all the specifics...EDIT: In your log I would also mention network: Taiko Router? Who has/or doesn't...

 

Could the last days be 16 days? Do you recall updating to:

Roon/ RoonServer

2.0 (build 1496) production

If you contact us to report an issue of this kind, please add the time period in which this occurs and whether or not you had to reboot or not (reboot means Roon RAAT (Roon Advanced Audio Transport) crashed, while a stop after which you can resume playback is a network or stream interruption.

The latter is mostly Qobuz, it’s had several periods with issues, the most recent being this:



Playback then stops when it comes across a “

I would suggest keeping a detailed log. This way When reporting back to SUPPORT you will have all the specifics...

Very good. And I would imagine that one key point is whether the media playing when the issue occurs is from internal storage, NAS, Tidal or Qobuz etc.

 

Very good. And I would imagine that a key point is whether the media playing when the issue occurs is from internal storage, NAS, Tidal or Qobuz etc.

Yes if a detailed log is kept, Qobuz, Tidal, NAS, Internal Storage, Time, Analog Out, 360, MSB etc., perhaps something will equate...

 

I have noticed that several of my demo tracks that I have in a playlist have said they are unavailable. When I play this play list it merely skips to the next file and bypasses those which are unavailable. I have the current Roon version and have not experienced any issues

 

I have noticed that several of my demo tracks that I have in a playlist have said they are unavailable. When I play this play list it merely skips to the next file and bypasses those which are unavailable. I have the current Roon version and have not experienced any issues

Are these local files or from a streaming service? It is helpful to distinguish between the 2 since it is common for streaming files to become unavailable.

 

GOLD FINGERPRINT:

High Fidelity

highfidelity-pl.translate.goog

 

Very good. And I would imagine that one key point is whether the media playing when the issue occurs is from internal storage, NAS, Tidal or Qobuz etc.

My "stop playing" which happened twice over the last three days were both with Qobuz. I've had my system playing 24/7 as I'm breaking in new speakers and an amp and since early yesterday morning (Thursday) now over 24 hours of playing it has not skipped a beat.

 

Are these local files or from a streaming service? It is helpful to distinguish between the 2 since it is common for streaming files to become unavailable.

I’ll check as I know I have the files both in my library as well as streaming.

 

There are multiple reasons why audio dropouts can occur, and different users may experience different issues.

Possible Causes of Dropouts​

1. Apple's Notification System – Apple devices have a complex notification system. If you receive a phone call, which rings on multiple Apple devices simultaneously, it may cause Roon to stop playback. However, this specific issue does not trigger the "Roon has lost control of the audio device" message.
2. Network or Internet Issues – Temporary network disruptions, either within your home or at your Internet provider’s end, can cause playback interruptions. These disruptions may also be external, affecting connectivity to streaming servers.
3. Qobuz-Specific Issues – In the past, some users reported problems with Qobuz on Roon across various online forums. These issues, which did trigger the "Roon has lost control of the audio device" message, were significantly improved in the latest Roon updates. The problem affected different types of hardware (servers, streamers, DACs) but not all platforms.

Investigating the Issue​

Emile is taking this issue very seriously and is working to determine whether it stems from Roon or another cause. Given Roon’s history of resolving similar issues with software updates, it wouldn’t be surprising if a future update resolves this entirely.

The biggest challenge in troubleshooting such problems is identifying a reliable way to reproduce them. Taiko has tested hundreds of variations of the XDMI card and other components of the Olympus platform, yet this issue has never surfaced in their internal testing. I’m working with Emile to find a way to replicate it.

How to Report the Issue Effectively​

While the forum is a great way to raise awareness of an issue, extended discussions there can sometimes be counterproductive. The mix of users with varying levels of technical knowledge often leads to unrelated problems being grouped together, creating the perception of a widespread issue when, in reality, different users may be experiencing different problems.

The best way to address this is by opening a support ticket with the following details:

• Frequency of the issue – How often does it occur?
• Specific behavior – What exactly happens?
• Roon version – Which version are you using?
• Workaround – How do you restore playback? (e.g., do you need to restart Olympus, or does playback resume on its own?)
• Error message – Do you receive the "Roon has lost control of the audio device" message, or does playback stop without it?

Providing these details will help pinpoint the root cause and expedite a solution.

 

For those attending the Florida International Audio Expo in Tampa, FL this month, we will have both the Olympus and Olympus I/O on display in the "Brandon 2" room, playing XDMI analog.

If you're planning to attend, please stop by and say hello!

 

There are multiple reasons why audio dropouts can occur, and different users may experience different issues.

Possible Causes of Dropouts​

1. Apple's Notification System – Apple devices have a complex notification system. If you receive a phone call, which rings on multiple Apple devices simultaneously, it may cause Roon to stop playback. However, this specific issue does not trigger the "Roon has lost control of the audio device" message.
2. Network or Internet Issues – Temporary network disruptions, either within your home or at your Internet provider’s end, can cause playback interruptions. These disruptions may also be external, affecting connectivity to streaming servers.
3. Qobuz-Specific Issues – In the past, some users reported problems with Qobuz on Roon across various online forums. These issues, which did trigger the "Roon has lost control of the audio device" message, were significantly improved in the latest Roon updates. The problem affected different types of hardware (servers, streamers, DACs) but not all platforms.

Investigating the Issue​

Emile is taking this issue very seriously and is working to determine whether it stems from Roon or another cause. Given Roon’s history of resolving similar issues with software updates, it wouldn’t be surprising if a future update resolves this entirely.

The biggest challenge in troubleshooting such problems is identifying a reliable way to reproduce them. Taiko has tested hundreds of variations of the XDMI card and other components of the Olympus platform, yet this issue has never surfaced in their internal testing. I’m working with Emile to find a way to replicate it.

How to Report the Issue Effectively​

While the forum is a great way to raise awareness of an issue, extended discussions there can sometimes be counterproductive. The mix of users with varying levels of technical knowledge often leads to unrelated problems being grouped together, creating the perception of a widespread issue when, in reality, different users may be experiencing different problems.

The best way to address this is by opening a support ticket with the following details:

• Frequency of the issue – How often does it occur?
• Specific behavior – What exactly happens?
• Roon version – Which version are you using?
• Workaround – How do you restore playback? (e.g., do you need to restart Olympus, or does playback resume on its own?)
• Error message – Do you receive the "Roon has lost control of the audio device" message, or does playback stop without it?

Providing these details will help pinpoint the root cause and expedite a solution.

Perhaps documenting whether or not issues persist when the XDMI output is disabled and the USB output is used instead would also be helpful? This change is straightforward to do within Roon settings.

 

Perhaps documenting whether or not issues persist when the XDMI output is disabled and the USB output is used instead would also be helpful? This change is straightforward to do within Roon settings.

That wasn't really useful when there was a known issue with Qobuz/Roon. USB behaved differently, and it was skipping rather than stopping. Similar issue, slightly different behaviour. Support can follow up if any other information is needed.

 

That wasn't really useful when there was a known issue with Qobuz/Roon. USB behaved differently, and it was skipping rather than stopping. Similar issue, slightly different behaviour. Support can follow up if any other information is needed.

Understood that apparently similar symptoms reported by several users likely have different underlying causes, some attributable to Qobuz/Roon and others seemingly specific to XDMI. In any event, we trust that the problems will be bottomed out and definitively addressed for all.

 

@Taiko Audio now with Olympus users no longer have VNC access to the system to check the Roon logs.
I would suggest to expose the logs location via network, which would allow users review the logs and potentially decrease the load on Taiko support.

 

Yes, I did it, a couple of times with no response.

A general hint regarding submitting tickets

When submitting a ticket via support@taikoaudio.com, you will receive an auto-response email, usually within 5 minutes, with a ticket number. If you did not get this response in your inbox, please check your junk/spam folder. If it's not there either, the ticket has not registered, and we will not be notified. In this case, we ask to please try again.

We also recommend adding “support@taikoaudio.com” to your “safe sender” list to prevent our replies landing in your junk/spam folder.

When you received the auto-response, this means the ticket is processed correctly, we have been notified, and we'll be in touch shortly.

 

I'm just an innocent bystander here (without much technical no how) and I do not have the Olympus yet. However, I do use the Extreme daily for a minimum of 5-6 hours. Qobuz/Tidal/Files, (now with all my music on a NAS I even compare files in the Extreme to files on the NAS) I have no skipping of tracks, pauses, or stoppages. Everything is working flawlessly.

Wouldn't some of these symptoms surface on the Extreme? If Qobuz for example is having issues, or Roon? What is the distinguishing factor here between the Olympus/Extreme? Other than XDMI...