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".

 

Hi everyone,

Some of you will already be familiar with me—hopefully on a positive note! I just wanted to give you all an update from my perspective, as I'm both new to the Taiko Team and stepping into the audiophile world for the first time.

Emile brought me on board to help tackle some of the challenges we're facing, and the first one I’ve tackled is shipping. I’m happy to report that we've got it sorted out about 95%. We’re now able to ship worldwide, though there are still a few remote areas where things can get tricky. But don’t worry—I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve to handle those situations, even if it means a little more patience on our end.

Next up is the anodizing issue, which, as some of you know, has been a beast. It’s been a complicated process, but we’ve made great strides. We’ve partnered with a new vendor, and after the first test runs, they’re gearing up for full production in the next two weeks. I totally understand that waiting has been frustrating for all of you, and believe me, no one at Taiko expected this delay when the Olympus was released and none of us are happy with how this has been going.

On the side, we’re also experimenting with a coating variant, which, if all goes well, could replicate the anodized colour and potentially eliminate the anodizing problem altogether. The final tests for both silver and black will be wrapped up in 12 days.

However, if you can hang in there just a little longer, we’re about to ramp up production significantly. Our goal is to get to the point where we’re building and shipping at least 10 units a week, and to ultimately have stock ready to go after everyone finally has their Olympus order. I promise, we’re working as fast as we can, and we’re just as frustrated by the delays as you are.

I’m planning to visit the new anodizing partner again after the weekend and—if they allow it—I’ll try to get some video footage of the process. I can’t promise I’ll look particularly exciting in the video, but the process itself might just be worth the watch.

Rest assured, we’re committed to delivering the best product possible, even if it’s taking a lot longer than expected. Thanks for your continued patience and understanding!

EDIT: We are producing currently, just at a slower rate than we want. (Thought this was important to mention)

Coating variant: Interesting, covers a lot of territory. I've worked with reactive dyes in sculpture. Achieving consistent results is difficult. Metallurgy: Metallic Crystal Properties, Mechanical Properties, Chemical Properties Of The Metal. Within the Anodizing process all these variables can also create issues which sounds as though is the crux of the issues that your dealing with. Not even mentioning temperature control with whomever is doing the anodizing process, crucial. Fingers crossed that the 3rd anodizing company has better control over the process/finished chassis. Everyone here is sending good Mojo and pulling/hoping for success...