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 used to have 3 PH SR7s each had 3 separate rails, so 9 rails in total.
it use to be the finest LPS that time.
Sold them all as Sean Jackobs regular DC4 Was far better.
Than upgrates with ARC6 boards were introduced to create endgame LP supply.
With 9 rails of SJ DC4 ARC6 I am done for good.

Thank you for that comparison. Someday I hope to experience the SJ DC4 ARC6.

My experience so far began with the Farad Super3, then after a long comparison window upgraded to the PLiXiR Elite. Recently I upgraded to the PLiXiR Statement (big setup in SQ over the Elite).

The Edison Creation Firebird LPS is another I'd love to compare someday.

Those somedays are gonna get trumped by BPS !

 

Amazon.com

IIRC a couple of folks have run MScalers and other audio devices from this piglet. I will rotate it in eventually.

I'm also using these, one for router and one for switch. If you have the dcd, you only need one of these batteries.

 

Head's Up! I was prompted to do Roon Server Update 1359. Why do I always have to be the first one? "Don't Freak Out Like I Just Did" I did the update and then the Extreme could not be found. Okay stay calm (Many Fucks were said repeatedly). I waited, still no Extreme WTF!!!! I powered down the ipad then did a soft reboot on the Extreme. Defaulted to NSM, toggled to Roon and then after what seemed like FOREVER the Extreme showed up. So again Don't Freak Out for some reason this update takes much longer than previous ones...

 

Quick shout out to Ed and Taiko team! NSM is absolutely unbelievable. I often don’t know what to expect anymore with stepping into lower noise stratospheres, but somehow the misconception that I have is to expect incremental changes, a little bit more of this or of that. holy moly, I could barely recognize some of the busiest tracks, it’s just not the same experience at all !!! Anyhow, a milestone has been crossed again, and it showcases that it isn’t just about adding wires, cables, chips, the software stack that orchestrates and inter-operate components matters just as much!

 

Those are the newer models, ART88/ART108A. Very useful tools, they have plenty of resolution and allow for long fatigue free listening sessions.

I was in the position to hear these amps, as well as a few others, during my last visit to Taiko HQ, and I wholeheartedly agree that these CJs are something very special. Of the available amplifiers, I felt these made for the most ideal match on all important audiophile parameters. They provide high resolution, neutrality, linearity, and excellent control, combined with what makes tubes so special: that elusive liquid, non-fatiguing, and organic quality.

 

I was in the position to hear these amps, as well as a few others, during my last visit to Taiko HQ, and I wholeheartedly agree that these CJs are something very special. Of the available amplifiers, I felt these made for the most ideal match on all important audiophile parameters. They provide high resolution, neutrality, linearity, and excellent control, combined with what makes tubes so special: that elusive liquid, non-fatiguing, and organic quality.

I would think especially with those speakers...

 

Well, I shut down my system last night and won't be back until July. I will of course keep 'listening' vicariously through these forums.

I just had a few (very happy) days listening to my new MSB Select Dac, which was a real step up from what I had before.

The silver lining / best laid plan is that the next time I fire my system up, it'll include an Olympus, XDMI > MSB ProISL, and who knows what magic that will come from XDMS/NSM in the coming months. How exciting is that?!

 

Well, I shut down my system last night and won't be back until July. I will of course keep 'listening' vicariously through these forums.

I just had a few (very happy) days listening to my new MSB Select Dac, which was a real step up from what I had before.

The silver lining / best laid plan is that the next time I fire my system up, it'll include an Olympus, XDMI > MSB ProISL, and who knows what magic that will come from XDMS/NSM in the coming months. How exciting is that?!

shutting it down until July. That must be some great vacation as the thought of not listening to mine , especially with everything new that is happening with Taiko, so the thought of coming back to have Olympus and XDMI is like sugar plums dancing in our heads. To me what everyone is forgetting is XDMI. Based o everything I have read here along with some private conversations with Emile makes me think that at the end of the day XDMI might be the biggest factor in this ever evolving Taiko chain of new products.

Reading Lukasz post on Facebook as to what he heard in Oldenzaal earlier this week makes me think that XDMI will be something that the entire audio world will be talking about. To also read that Lukasz is on board to make his DACs XDMI compatible so that we can hear native XDMI is something I look forward to

I must admit that the thing that causes me the greatest anxiety is what my feelings regarding the XDMI analogue board will bring. Reading between the lines of Lukasz post tells me that XDMI is very special but the Internal DAC on the analogue board is going to create a "WTF did I just hear moment". Emile has been quite quiet and very non committal about this analogue board and I also believe that this is going to have we DAC owners shaking our heads in disbelief. As always kudos to Taiko. It is wonderful to watch the evolution of digital audio happening around we alpha users of XDMS and now NSM. Throw in several battery power packs and add XDMI and to me this is end game in digital

 

Am I the only Horizon owner that currently uses Horizon as a DAC/Pre that is contemplating XDMI Analogue out into Horizon analogue inputs and continuing to use Horizon as a preamp? I find it hard to believe that whatever analogue output can be accommodated inside Olympus will better the Horizon, not to mention the tube rolling and fine tuning that many of you enjoy so much?

 

I use the Horizon as a DAC, not a preamp. I will continue to use my Doshi preamp. The question will be which DAC sound I prefer, the Horizon via USB or eventually XDMI, or the Olympus DAC. I suspect they will sound very different given one is tubed-based and the other is solid state.

 

Steve, I'm in a strange situation where my system isn't in the house I spend most time at (long story), so I've had to get used to bursts of hifi. I will eventually move to be with it full time. But for now the advantages of the other place I live (see profile photo!) make up for it, and I console myself that I have 2 related hobbies, hifi and listening to music - and I do a lot of listening (phone + Qobuz + Apple mini HomePods ) and new music discovery when I'm away from my HiFi.

I'm sure the XDMI analog IO board will perform at an absolute very high level due to the advantages of Olympus, Taiko batteries, and native XDMI.

How many Dacs without the Taiko battery and XDMI advantages will 'fall by the wayside' against XMDI analog remains to be seen, but you (or at least I) have to think there must be a level at which the Dac-specific expertise of some manufacturers will come to their 'rescue' - I think Emile has posted to that effect. But he's heard his Dac, he has always been right, and so if he's saying / implying its right up there, then I'd believe him.

It will take some time to play out XDMI adoption (so I'd be happy to wait a while), but at the end of the day if the Dac manufacturers really can't (or choose not to) add any value over the current Taiko Dac or a future version / design in the Olympus IO expansion box and are behind the all-Taiko SQ curve, then I'd have no hesitation dropping them in favour of Taiko and Olympus IO w XDMI & Taiko Dac. But, I hope they will all be like Lukasz and jump all over it when they hear it.

With all that being said, I'm not sure I'm prepared to predict 'digital end-game' just yet though, Emile has many years of innovation left in him...let's wait and see, grasshopper

Personally in the medium term (like you, it sounds) I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a general purpose Taiko mini-BPS (as well as Switch and Router) so that I can maybe try one or two to replace my Dac power supply. From limited experiments I can definitely improve SQ by improving power to the MSB Powerbases (30A line vs 20A line) and shielding cables.

And finally, I also tried a fresh-out-of-the packaging $20 DAC SFP+ cable in place of MSB's optical cable connection to their ProUSB module. Whilst I currently preferred optical overall, I felt that the DAC had definite promise about it. So I'm hopeful that when I/we can ditch USB and connect to XDMI, a DAC cable will be better than the optical, too, as currently with the switch & router.

Happy listening everyone, I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts as Olympus rolls out!

 

I use the Horizon as a DAC, not a preamp. I will continue to use my Doshi preamp. The question will be which DAC sound I prefer, the Horizon via USB or eventually XDMI, or the Olympus DAC. I suspect they will sound very different given one is tubed-based and the other is solid state.

I agree with your assumption BUT Emile has stated that the sound is neither digital or analogue and Lukasz' comments were very revealing. So the best is yet to come. I recall many members here stating they were selling their DACs to fund the Olympus XDMI purchase. I too use my DAC only as a DAC as I have an outboard preamp

 

Lampizator DACs will be 100% compatible with XDMI, non compromised, with full format and sample rate support. Further details to be announced.

 

Lampizator DACs will be 100% compatible with XDMI, non compromised, with full format and sample rate support. Further details to be announced.

The pearl of the year for me yet having said that I do plan to do some serious listening with the analog XDMI board

 

I agree with your assumption BUT Emile has stated that the sound is neither digital or analogue and Lukasz' comments were very revealing. So the best is yet to come. I recall many members here stating they were selling their DACs to fund the Olympus XDMI purchase. I too use my DAC only as a DAC as I have an outboard preamp

I haven’t read anyone saying they were selling their DACs to fund the Olympus. Maybe I missed those posts. People may end up doing that but I would think they would want to compare their DAC to the Taiko DAC first.

Time will tell…

 

I haven’t read anyone saying they were selling their DACs to fund the Olympus. Maybe I missed those posts. People may end up doing that but I would think they would want to compare their DAC to the Taiko DAC first.

Time will tell…

I have read many posts here and talked to several members all of whom have said they will eliminate their DAC and use the analogue board. Also I have read requests that the Olympus have a volume control so that they can also eliminate their preamps. I seem to recall Emile saying this was something Taiko was considering perhaps at a later date

 

FWIW, I remain confident that in the coming months the much awaited soft launch of the Olympus and I/O plus XDMI will happen at my house BUT upon considering a time line, the goal will be to host this at such time as Lukasz has designed an interface at the DAC end which will allow XDMI to be played native. Then we will be able to do a fair A/B comparison
Reading Lukasz post on Facebook it is apparent to me that
1. He loved what he heard at Oldenzaal
2. He loves XDMI
3. He is not only committed to making his DACs XDMI compliant to hear XDMI native but he has already begun R and D on the project. So stay tuned in the coming future for more information
4. Lukasz had positive things to say about the XDMI analog card

 

Lampizator DACs will be 100% compatible with XDMI, non compromised, with full format and sample rate support. Further details to be announced.

Emile, may we assume that Lampizator DACs' XDMI will be battery-powered too (preferably with a Taiko battery) to be truly 100% compatible? If so, probably Lampizator would need to have its own I/O to house both the XDMI daughter board + the "mini" battery (doubt it has enough space inside Horizon), or you can build a special I/O to house both your XDMI output board and Horizon's XDMI input board, each with its own battery unit. In my case, I have to use an external DAC because I have another digital source, a modded DVD player used as a transport with proprietary i2s out, a purist "direct coupling" approach involving no conversion (not using the inferior PSAudio HDMI or RJ45 standards); I need that DVD transport to watch opera and live concert DVD/Blu-ray discs with (indispensable to me for having a big library).

 

Is it possible to explain in % how much you gain from Extreme beseline ?
Extreme fully equipped is 100%
For example:
Extreme + Olympus IO adds 100 % SQ = 200% ?
Olympus - 250 % ?
Olympus + Olympus IO = 270 % ?

I know it is hard to properly get this numbers but I believe everyone has to base their expectations on something
YOU are the only who got a chance to compare the difference in the SQ
That will help me a lot on my decission making and the others as well I believe.

Hi Kris

the answer is in the listening of Olympus vs SGM Extreme. Also quantification is relative to 1) the improvement made and 2) the perceptible difference with ear depending on your system. At TAIKO they have an incredible system and everything is heard, translated.
Also this OLYMPUS streamer server is a pushing the art of recreation of music and it's a very good news.
Prices jump clearly from SGM Extreme.
When you hear what you can do with a fine streamer + TAIKO Switch + TAIKO DC + WEISS PSU 102 and very good power cable ahead (I don't tell about supports but they are mandatory), the answer of music enjoyment is also a result of meticulous set up.
I will order SGM Extreme for this time to upgrade from my PLAYBACK.

KR

Philippe

 

Emile, may we assume that Lampizator DACs' XDMI will be battery-powered too (preferably with a Taiko battery) to be truly 100% compatible? If so, probably Lampizator would need to have its own I/O to house both the XDMI daughter board + the "mini" battery (doubt it has enough space inside Horizon), or you can build a special I/O to house both your XDMI output board and Horizon's XDMI input board, each with its own battery unit. In my case, I have to use an external DAC because I have another digital source, a modded DVD player used as a transport with proprietary i2s out, a purist "direct coupling" approach involving no conversion (not using the inferior PSAudio HDMI or RJ45 standards); I need that DVD transport to watch opera and live concert DVD/Blu-ray discs with (indispensable to me for having a big library).

I’m going to stick to “further details to be announced”