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 have one last question that also needs answering. In light of the trade up pathway, I did ask about the redundancy of the Taiko USB card but so also is there a redundancy with the DCD which no longer will be needed . Is there a trade back pathway for those two items as well

 

QFSP.

Thanks for that (makes me think of the DAC cables with your networking stack). This is a brilliantly thought out product offering Emile.

The Extreme+XDMS is already so d-mn good!

 

Any update on the (upcoming?) MSB Pro-ISL etc connection to the Olympus?

 

Emile, looks like a nice path forward with the new Olympus architecture. This opens some questions about our existing equipment.

- Will development stop with the Extreme hardware.
- Internal BPS.
- New PCI cards with previously discussed options.
- Does the O/I box replace all of these previously discussed Extreme options in development.
- Will the switch and/or router be relevant with Olympus (will this functionality be internalized).

Curiously awaiting your next announcements. Thanks.

 

Any update for the SGM uesers who were your early adopters and loyal customers. We have software updates for over 3 years … a little disappointed

 

I have one last question that also needs answering. In light of the trade up pathway, I did ask about the redundancy of the Taiko USB card but so also is there a redundancy with the DCD which no longer will be needed . Is there a trade back pathway for those two items as well

Great question,
It was mentioned few times that DCD will be refunded if someone will go for BPS.
Olympus has BPS and Olympus io also has it so it might work
BUT
we don't know if Olympus io has potential to power switch and router.
from the pictures it looks Olympus has more of a battery, but wait for Emile and Christiaan to explain and give us more details

 

as for Library I have 16 TB to copy and IIRC the memory cards are not used any more

I thought the memory cards in my Extreme have been replaced by more current ones but I might be mistaken

By memory cards you mean Intel drives used exclusively in the Extreme that were discontinued years ago.
System memory was potentially the more important if we've been following along.
Appreciate you bringing up what appears to be...

Veel geluk in alles to Emile and his team

 

Not a bad estimate! If you rank Extreme + IO at 200% I'd rank Olympus at ~300% and Olympus + IO at ~330%.

This is very helpful, understanding the exercise is difficult.
Curious what relative percentages could be ascribed to the Taiko switch and router in addition to these percentages?
Do the switch and router have the same/less/more impact with the Olympus and/or IO than they have had with the current Extreme? (Fwiw - I'd say the combined switch/router/power distributor 'bundle' added ~40% to the Extreme).

Congrats on these gorgeous looking and technically mind blowing products! Whew alot to digest…

 

As I am setting up my audio budget for 2024 I am hoping we can be provided with price estimates sooner than later.

I'm sure you can do RF3,6,9 vs your OB

 

Great question,
It was mentioned few times that DCD will be refunded if someone will go for BPS.
Olympus has BPS and Olympus io also has it so it might work
BUT
we don't know if Olympus io has potential to power switch and router.
from the pictures it looks Olympus has more of a battery, but wait for Emile and Christiaan to explain and give us more details

I asked Emile "Just for clarity, the Olympus I/O powers the Extreme, router and switch?" His answer was "no" which, to me, means that the DCD may still be needed. I think this may be also true for the Olympus since it can't have a DC out.

 

Dear Emile, Will we be able to compare the sound of options I (Extreme), II (Extreme + O I/O), and III Olympus at Steve's place? When?
That would be very helpful in deciding which option to purchase.

 

Congratulations Team @Taiko Audio for continuing to innovate and push the boundaries!

It does seem like a ‘new medium’, based on the way you have described it, which is really interesting. I’m very happy with my Extreme/Switch/Network card and I’m sure my upcoming Router and NSM will be even better, so I don’t think I will be climbing Mt Olympus; but it is great to see innovation nevertheless.

 

It's nice that an Extreme owner can upgrade to Olympus IO now, then later upgrade to full Olympus and still have use for the IO box, but what is it about Olympus IO that also improves Olympus? Something about battery power focused exclusively on interface cards (like we used to plug an external LPS into an external DC input on a PCIe card)?

 

Dear Emile, Will we be able to compare the sound of options I (Extreme), II (Extreme + O I/O), and III Olympus at Steve's place? When?
That would be very helpful in deciding which option to purchase.

Thats a lot of hardware to be shipping from Holland to Southern California. My hope is to have option 4 at my house

 

I asked Emile "Just for clarity, the Olympus I/O powers the Extreme, router and switch?" His answer was "no" which, to me, means that the DCD may still be needed. I think this may be also true for the Olympus since it can't have a DC out.

I remember Emile posted that DCD won't be needed as there is no noise although he suggested it could be used for other functions upstream

 

It's nice that an Extreme owner can upgrade to Olympus IO now, then later upgrade to full Olympus and still have use for the IO box, but what is it about Olympus IO that also improves Olympus? Something about battery power focused exclusively on interface cards (like we used to plug an external LPS into an external DC input on a PCIe card)?

Plenty of benefits to be gained there.
1. You are keeping your cards cooler by moving them to a different chassis. You are also keeping the server cooler by removing the cards. Temperature is a big factor in the Extreme. I suspect that will still be a factor on the Olympus server.
2. A server is a noisy environment. You have a lot of noise, EMI, etc. Removing the cards out of that environment can be beneficial.
3. We are adding extra vibration isolation control. DACs usually respond really good to vibration control.
4. We have more space - that opens up the capabilities for bigger and better analog section on the DAC for example... or whatever other creative things Taiko can come up with.
5. We have more power isolation, more batteries, more things are "floating" and not connected to each other. That's almost always beneficial in digital audio.
The list goes on...

I remember Emile posted that DCD won't be needed as there is no noise although he suggested it could be used for other functions upstream

Emile said that in the context of powering the switch and router with the Taiko BPS.
Things have changed and there is no option to power the switch and router with a BPS anymore. That makes the DC Distributor still a viable solution.
Your available options to power up the switch and router are:
1. Using the provided or another SMPS.
2. Using a linear power supply.
3. Using a battery (other than the Taiko BPS, which is not available for the switch / router ).
Emile has stated that in all of the above cases, the DC Distributor is beneficial. So I guess it's fair to say that until Taiko comes up with a BPS for the router/switch, the DCD remains a viable and a recommended option.
The only question is with all the new products, how much the router and switch matter. I can't answer that but I assume they still matter. And as long as they still matter, they will benefit from better power (and the DC Distributor if not powered by a Taiko BPS).

 

Plenty of benefits to be gained there.
1. You are keeping your cards cooler by moving them to a different chassis. You are also keeping the server cooler by removing the cards. Temperature is a big factor in the Extreme. I suspect that will still be a factor on the Olympus server.
2. A server is a noisy environment. You have a lot of noise, EMI, etc. Removing the cards out of that environment can be beneficial.
3. We are adding extra vibration isolation control. DACs usually respond really good to vibration control.
4. We have more space - that opens up the capabilities for bigger and better analog section on the DAC for example... or whatever other creative things Taiko can come up with.
5. We have more power isolation, more batteries, more things are "floating" and not connected to each other. That's almost always beneficial in digital audio.
The list goes on...


Emile said that in the context of powering the switch and router with the Taiko BPS.
Things have changed and there is no option to power the switch and router with a BPS anymore. That makes the DC Distributor still a viable solution.
Your available options to power up the switch and router are:
1. Using the provided or another SMPS.
2. Using a linear power supply.
3. Using a battery (other than the Taiko BPS, which is not available for the switch / router ).
Emile has stated that in all of the above cases, the DC Distributor is beneficial. So I guess it's fair to say that until Taiko comes up with a BPS for the router/switch, the DCD remains a viable and a recommended option.
The only question is with all the new products, how much the router and switch matter. I can't answer that but I assume they still matter. And as long as they still matter, they will benefit from better power (and the DC Distributor if not powered by a Taiko BPS).

I do remember and actually I was wrong as he was asked about the filters with BPS and he said "not necessary" so thanks for refreshing my memory

 

Plenty of benefits to be gained there.
1. You are keeping your cards cooler by moving them to a different chassis. You are also keeping the server cooler by removing the cards. Temperature is a big factor in the Extreme. I suspect that will still be a factor on the Olympus server.
2. A server is a noisy environment. You have a lot of noise, EMI, etc. Removing the cards out of that environment can be beneficial.
3. We are adding extra vibration isolation control. DACs usually respond really good to vibration control.
4. We have more space - that opens up the capabilities for bigger and better analog section on the DAC for example... or whatever other creative things Taiko can come up with.
5. We have more power isolation, more batteries, more things are "floating" and not connected to each other. That's almost always beneficial in digital audio.
The list goes on...

It all makes sense Nenon. Thanks for the response. Out of curiousity, how many boards are custom in the Olympus?

God help my bank account. I really like this (makes me think of it broadly as a peer to what MSB did with the Digital Director)

 

It all makes sense Nenon. Thanks for the response. Out of curiousity, how many boards are custom in the Olympus?

God help my bank account. I really like this (makes me think of it broadly as a peer to what MSB did with the Digital Director)

I too thought about the similarity to MSB.

 

Hi Emile, I am using Merging Ravenna. Is there any benefit upgrading to Olympus if I intended to continue using Ravenna? The reason is that I have digital XO and I am using Merging Hapi with 9 channels DAC