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".

 

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...

I agree, my problem started as soon as I got the Olympus in mid Decembre, no problem with the Extreme.

 

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...

The distinguishing factor is that this occurs for a small number of people, we have an actual count of 4 registered cases for the Olympus now which warrant further investigation (being a “Roon lost control of the audio device” message).

The Qobuz issue you will not notice with 5-6 hours of playback a day, this you will notice of you leave your system running unattended for long periods of time on Roon Radio or running playlists with Qobuz content.

People do this intentionally to burn in their new Olympus, which is why you see it mentioned. A solution for this is to select a local or Tidal file and set it to repeat, or logout of Qobuz and let Roon Radio run. Also be aware that if you use these services on multiple devices playback can stop on one of you start using the other. I believe Tidal offers a family plan allowing multiple playback streams on 1 account.

The two problems appear unrelated but both did start occurring with the release of either build 1483 or 1490 (November the 25th).

Although Roon and/or Qobuz (unknown) are actively working on both of these issues, we are not in contact with them over this but it is evident by browsing the Roon support forums.

The Olympus is not the Extreme, XDMI is not USB, if it is necessary to adjust speeds, buffers, fault tolerances, error handling on timeouts etc, we obviously can and will make adjustments.

 

The distinguishing factor is that this occurs for a small number of people, we have an actual count of 4 registered cases for the Olympus now which warrant further investigation (being a “Roon lost control of the audio device” message).

The Qobuz issue you will not notice with 5-6 hours of playback a day, this you will notice of you leave your system running unattended for long periods of time on Roon Radio or running playlists with Qobuz content.

People do this intentionally to burn in their new Olympus, which is why you see it mentioned. A solution for this is to select a local or Tidal file and set it to repeat, or logout of Qobuz and let Roon Radio run.

The two problems appear unrelated but both did start occurring with the release of build 1490.

Although Roon and/or Qobuz (unknown) are actively working on both of these issues, we are not in contact with them over this but it is evident by browsing the Roon support forums.

The Olympus is not the Extreme, XDMI is not USB, if it is necessary to adjust speeds, buffers, fault tolerances, error handling on timeouts etc, we obviously can and will make adjustments.

Most of the fellows I know with the Olympus don't have issues. I suspect if were to run Roon overnight I would have stoppages. Last time I did this while breaking in the Solution 727 I did have stoppages. I didn't realize some of the issues being explained/shared is/was with extended run time overnight with break in situations. These kind of stoppages have occurred for sometime now with Roon. This is why I suggested guys with issues keep a detailed log. Interjecting some things here can be misleading and create confusion...Thanks for the explanation Emile...

 

Most of the fellows I know with the Olympus don't have issues. I suspect if were to run Roon overnight I would have stoppages. Last time I did this while breaking in the Solution 727 I did have stoppages. I didn't realize some of the issues being explained/shared is/was with extended run time overnight with break in situations. These kind of stoppages have occurred for sometime now with Roon. This is why I suggested guys with issues keep a detailed log. Interjecting some things here can be misleading and create confusion...Thanks for the explanation Emile...

I had a few glitches (had to reboot/stopped playing). Since that occured, I have been running for 72 hours non stop with no issues. Something was probably going on with Qobuz on a particular track or something. No real issue here anyway.

 

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.

great update and I know there are far more serious issues for Taiko at the moment but I thought I would at least beg the question......in light of the Roon issue, can we XDMS lovers get some sort of update as to when some testing might begin on O/IO. As I think I am hearing it XDMS is soon to go beta for the Extreme and I sure don't want Emile to read this and have a fit as there are so many more important issues on the table for Taiko and the last thing he needs is tech support on XDMS issues for the O/IO

I guess I have been lucky as my Roon performs without the above issues and I never thought I would say it but the sound with O/IO is fantastic. yet having said that I must admit that I truly miss XDMS

 

great update and I know there are far more serious issues for Taiko at the moment but I thought I would at least beg the question......in light of the Roon issue, can we XDMS lovers get some sort of update as to when some testing might begin on O/IO. As I think I am hearing it XDMS is soon to go beta for the Extreme and I sure don't want Emile to read this and have a fit as there are so many more important issues on the table for Taiko and the last thing he needs is tech support on XDMS issues for the O/IO

I guess I have been lucky as my Roon performs without the above issues and I never thought I would say it but the sound with O/IO is fantastic. yet having said that I must admit that I truly miss XDMS

Until Taiko has a better understanding of what is causing the issues it is too early to conclude that this is a Roon issue. Maybe it is, but there are many factors in play here including from where the files are being played (stream vs. local), each owner's home network setup, etc etc.

I used XDMS exclusively for at least a year but there was rarely a day that went by where there wasn't an issue with either playback or scanning. This is understandable since it was in alpha state but it will likely be a long time before it is more stable than Roon.

I am sure Taiko will get the root of the issues.

 

I used XDMS exclusively for at least a year but there was rarely a day that went by where there wasn't an issue with either playback or scanning. This is understandable since it was in alpha state but it will likely be a long time before it is more stable than Roon.

Totally agree and thats why my question was not meant to rattle the innards of Taiko as I respect that far more important issues are requiring their attention. But I do miss XDMS

 

Totally agree and thats why my question was not meant to rattle the innards of Taiko as I respect that far more important issues are requiring their attention. But I do miss XDMS

I'm on the flip side- I don't miss XDMS one little bit. I love Roon with integration of files/Qobuz/Tidal and not having to go to separate places for each.

Plus being able to have different systems using Roon simaltaneously, with being able to play one album on say the Olympus on one system and in another floor of my place be able to play another album on another set up that is also Roon Ready. It's the cat's meow for me!

 

Totally agree and thats why my question was not meant to rattle the innards of Taiko as I respect that far more important issues are requiring their attention. But I do miss XDMS

My hope:
What v2a will be vs.V1a, will be xdmsO vs. XdmsE..
I can hear the signature of Roon on the O. Xdms was more neutral on the E than Roon.
Ymmv

 

I'm on the flip side- I don't miss XDMS one little bit. I love Roon with integration of files/Qobuz/Tidal and not having to go to separate places for each.

Plus being able to have different systems using Roon simaltaneously, with being able to play one album on say the Olympus on one system and in another floor of my place be able to play another album on another set up that is also Roon Ready. It's the cat's meow for me!

Of course. I understand as you are a dealer who needs multiple sources. I agree about everything Roon offers but for me at the end of the day I preferred the SQ of XDMS

 

Of course. I understand as you are a dealer who needs multiple sources. I agree about everything Roon offers but for me at the end of the day I preferred the SQ of XDMS

On the Extreme, sure. But Roon on the Olympus is considerably better SQ, no?

 

Plus being able to have different systems using Roon simaltaneously, with being able to play one album on say the Olympus on one system and in another floor of my place be able to play another album on another set up that is also Roon Ready. It's the cat's meow for me!

So, with the Olympus, Roon can run "whole house" supporting multiple end points at once, one of them being the Olympus itself? With the Extreme I was never able to do so. That will be great, if that's the case.

 

On the Extreme, sure. But Roon on the Olympus is considerably better SQ, no?

Yes. It’s excellent. Yet having said that I am betting XDMS on Olympus will be highly competitive. I’ve always said that for me it’s all about best SQ and even though Roon is a well polished work of art that’s not what ranks at the top of my list. It’s the best SQ which floats my boat

 

XDMS continues to deliver on the Extreme - of course the sound and meets all my (simple) navigating needs. Excited for Beta! Has made it quite easy waiting for the Olympus’ arrival.

 

So, with the Olympus, Roon can run "whole house" supporting multiple end points at once, one of them being the Olympus itself? With the Extreme I was never able to do so. That will be great, if that's the case.

Yes, I have the Olympus as one audio zone and then I have a Devialet 220 in another room and I just switch between the audio zones in Roon and can have each zone playing different tracks at the same time.

In my world Roon on the O - I/O kills the sound of XDMS on the Extreme. As someone else said ymmv, but for me it's not even close comparing XDMS on the Extreme vs Roon on the O -I/0

Steve, I have somewhere between 5 and 10 customers that use Roon in multiple rooms using different end points. It's not just for dealers. And to be able to use it with the O and then other Roon ready devices is reallly a plus.

 

Bob, I totally get it. Ive said I love listening to Roon on my Olympus. Its the best Ive ever heard and yes it kills what I heard on the Extreme., But let's compare apples to apples when the time comes.In the meanwhile I have had zero hiccups with Roon in my system

 

On the Extreme, sure. But Roon on the Olympus is considerably better SQ, no?

Indeed. If you can get past FOMO (fear of missing out), audiophilia nervosa and the perfectionist audio mindset there is no reason not to like Roon on Olympus. It is significantly better than XDMS on Extreme.

Maybe XDMS on Olympus will be better but at this time I refuse to worry about it. I'd rather just enjoy listening to music and not obsess over some theoretic good, better, best.

Steve Z

 

Hello everybody. I’ve been reading about Roon vs. XDMS features and glitches, sound quality and so on. It’s clear by now that we have other ways with Roon that haven’t been explored and nobody is talking about, i don’t know if even Roon thought about it. In my case specifically, and certainly a vast number of Roon users, most of the features are not used. Using an Extreme and waiting for the O/IO, Roon is used for the main audio room. Why don’t Roon makes another version of the software stripped of most of the unused features and mainly focused on sound quality and reliability, let’s call it an audiophile version. I’m sure they have the resources for it. Food for thought?

Cheers

 

Why don’t Roon makes another version of the software stripped of most of the unused features and mainly focused on sound quality and reliability, let’s call it an audiophile version. I’m sure they have the resources for it. Food for thought?

The answer to this question, I believe, is quite simple.

Roon was developed around two main ideas:

• Efficient library management
  
  
• An audio transfer protocol, RAAT, which allows, among other things, easy integration with a veriety of hardware.

Its library management is simply the best around.

I’m not talking about ergonomics, which is subjective. I mean its ability to identify, name, and link pieces of music together.

I have around 7,000 classical music albums, almost all perfectly identified without me having to do anything.

Among these albums, for example, I have 43 different interpretations of Suite No. 1 in G major BWV 1007 by Johann Sebastian Bach. All these tracks are perfectly identified, and linked together, despite the files often being poorly tagged. No other library manager does this.

Beyond this small example, Roon offers all the features and functionalities we all are familiar with.


RAAT, which made Roon successful, filled a technological gap. It is one of Roon's backbones.

Such software is large and complex, meaning it's power hungry and therefor generates noise.

So, it is far from being something audiophile (low noise).


Quite the opposite of XDMS.

An audiophile version of Roon will never see the light of day simply because it is outside their core business scope.


But...

We now have the Taiko Extreme and Taiko Olympus!

Each in their own business bracket, offer the possibility of using Roon with audiophile sound quality.

• The Taiko Extreme via USB has little competition.
  
  
• The Taiko Olympus I/O XDMI has no competition (except perhaps the Wadax Reference…).

Conclusion: You already have an audiophile version of Roon ;-)

Cheers,

Thomas

 

Hello everybody. I’ve been reading about Roon vs. XDMS features and glitches, sound quality and so on. It’s clear by now that we have other ways with Roon that haven’t been explored and nobody is talking about, i don’t know if even Roon thought about it. In my case specifically, and certainly a vast number of Roon users, most of the features are not used. Using an Extreme and waiting for the O/IO, Roon is used for the main audio room. Why don’t Roon makes another version of the software stripped of most of the unused features and mainly focused on sound quality and reliability, let’s call it an audiophile version. I’m sure they have the resources for it. Food for thought?

Cheers

Also, if you read the Roon forum you readily observe that the proprietors of Roon believe that software really can't affect SQ - - bits are bits to them, and as long as things are bit perfect, all is good, in their minds. They are philosophically wedded to this notion. They see us as a deluded nuisance in their business model. But they do offer a nice UI with great library management, as noted.