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 to say I was hoping MSB would be first......

We were all banking on Lampi

 

Hi Lukasz - great news! When you write that the Horizon retrofit is ‘VERY difficult’ does this mean that it can be done by local dealers or that it requires the DAC to be returned to the national distributor or the factory in Poland? How much dismantling is required? Will the DAC go back together again maintaining structural and aesthetic integrity?

Wondering the same.

 

This is great news! Amazing speed of development!

When will be the earliest for ordering the retrofit package for Horizon and when for the third party cable?

Hello, we ae sending this week a batch of boards to print, it should take 2 weeks after that and we will be ready. In the meantime we have to create custom firmware package to take care of switching, muting and whole GUI housekeeping. We also order parts etc. Realistically March 01 could be the deadline. As I was just hoping to spend all february skiing. Damn it.

 

Concerning the retrofits: the nature of this job - many changes in hardware, electronics, firmware, programming, labelling and a sophisticated end test - dictate that ONLY factory can do it. As a bonus we will do a free periodic maintenance checkup and we will issue a fresh bill of health also - if necessary- for the tubes.

 

I have to say I was hoping MSB would be first......

Not on my watch...

 

I turned on my system (with all the latest Taiko hardware goodies plus NSM) this evening after not having heard it since last week when a few friends came over to listen.

They had heard the system two months ago and they were all very impressed by the “new” sound. It was indeed very good and due “only” to incremental software changes.

But today was something else. The session started with a software version upgrade. As soon as I let things warm up, I knew this was a very different upgrade.

We were now going down Alice’s rabbit hole to a new wonderland. This was not an incremental increase. This was real music as never before. It was alive in every sense of the term - effortlessly live engaging music.

An unprecedented appreciation for me of the thrill of a musician’s performance as never before with an electronic simulation of recordings I’d heard many times before.

I’ve made similar awe-filled statements before based on previous iterations of the Taiko server/software before.

And the Olympus is going to significantly improve on this?

I’m convinced and willing to bet that Emile will keep pulling rabbits out of the proverbial hat.

And hearing Lukasz’s own parallel advances with the Taiko/Lampizator interface is making me drool about future awe-fillled moments.

Can’t wait. To quote Irvin Berlin: “I’m in heaven, I’m in heaven”

 

Concerning the retrofits: the nature of this job - many changes in hardware, electronics, firmware, programming, labelling and a sophisticated end test - dictate that ONLY factory can do it. As a bonus we will do a free periodic maintenance checkup and we will issue a fresh bill of health also - if necessary- for the tubes.

Ok - thanks for the clarification.

 

I have to say I was hoping MSB would be first......

...as long as it happens at all, I'll be happy. That said, I have to give it up for Team Lampi. They really jumped on their solution. Chapeau.

 

@Emile, should we expect to be able to compare (i) Olympus XDMI vs (ii) Olympus + Olympus IO XDMI during the Munich High End (May 9-12)?

 

...as long as it happens at all, I'll be happy. That said, I have to give it up for Team Lampi. They really jumped on their solution. Chapeau.

Indeed, its great to see!

AFAIK (and I hope) a new-hire Taiko design engineer will be working on an XDMI <> ProISL daughter card as their first project, IIRC it was potentially for the May-ish timeframe.

In my recent dealings with Vince at MSB I've been urging him to have their team investigate what additional benefits there might be from a native XDMI interface, as we (and MSB) don't want to be left behind by the other DAC manufacturers

 

@Emile, should we expect to be able to compare (i) Olympus XDMI vs (ii) Olympus + Olympus IO XDMI during the Munich High End (May 9-12)?

I’m still hoping it’ll happen before at my house

 

IMHO, XDMI native to Poseidon with stock tubes sounds significantly better then AES/EBU to Horizon with exclusive tubes.

Phenomenal news, Emile! Now, just wait until you get some exclusive tubes in the XDMI interfaced Poseidon...

 

@Taiko Audio Now that the native XDMI connection with Lampizator Horizon has been clarified, could you give us the option of not having the AES/EBU-SPDIF card included in the Olympus or Olympus I/O (and for those who have prepaid, a credit/refund for that card)? Many of us probably still need the analog DAC card (it would be nice too to provide an opt-out/credit option for the DAC card), which will be especially useful to cover the period when the Horizon is with Lampizator for retrofitting. I have a second digital source, so the use of an external DAC is indispensable.

 

@Emile, should we expect to be able to compare (i) Olympus XDMI vs (ii) Olympus + Olympus IO XDMI during the Munich High End (May 9-12)?

Well at show conditions, with continuously packed rooms, which we will be sharing with other manufacturers, that particular comparison is unlikely to be possible I'm afraid.

I’m still hoping it’ll happen before at my house

That is a more realistic scenario.

 

Indeed, its great to see!

AFAIK (and I hope) a new-hire Taiko design engineer will be working on an XDMI <> ProISL daughter card as their first project, IIRC it was potentially for the May-ish timeframe.

In my recent dealings with Vince at MSB I've been urging him to have their team investigate what additional benefits there might be from a native XDMI interface, as we (and MSB) don't want to be left behind by the other DAC manufacturers

Yes they've received a lot of "urging" e-mails

 

should we expect to be able to compare (i) Olympus XDMI vs (ii) Olympus + Olympus IO XDMI during the Munich High End (May 9-12)?

In HiFi, the noise floor is something that equipment manufacturers and end users try to keep as low as possible.


But there is one noise level that we tend to overlook: ambient noise.


For critical listening, as in the case of a product evaluation, the noise floor of the room is key.


An acoustically-treated room reduces ambient noise (among many other things), making it possible to hear small nuances that would be more difficult to perceive with a higher ambient noise levels.


I very much believe that t is very difficult, if not impossible, to evaluate a component while hearing the music of the neighbouring booth in the background.


Shows are mainly there to showcase new products/technologies.... and see/meet manufacturers, like Emile!

 

Shows are mainly there to showcase new products/technologies.... and see/meet manufacturers, like Emile!

Emile is a phantom! In the last two years of visiting the Taiko room I gave a hug to Edward, had a chat with Bob, said Hello to the Taiko crew… but Emile… that felt like looking for Nessie at Loch Ness.

 

Hi Emile, any progress with Aries Cerat in the implementation of XDMI?

 

Emile is a phantom! In the last two years of visiting the Taiko room I gave a hug to Edward, had a chat with Bob, said Hello to the Taiko crew… but Emile… that felt like looking for Nessie at Loch Ness.

Unfortunately my Munich shows are typically meeting after meeting after meeting, if lucky I have 1-2 hours to turbo visit a dozen or so other rooms.

However, in March @tsaett is joining the team full time and he’ll be taking a lof of things of my hands, everything regarding sales / customer relations, which in theory means I would be available to actually meet people, spend time in the room etc

 

@Taiko Audio Now that the native XDMI connection with Lampizator Horizon has been clarified, could you give us the option of not having the AES/EBU-SPDIF card included in the Olympus or Olympus I/O (and for those who have prepaid, a credit/refund for that card)? Many of us probably still need the analog DAC card (it would be nice too to provide an opt-out/credit option for the DAC card), which will be especially useful to cover the period when the Horizon is with Lampizator for retrofitting. I have a second digital source, so the use of an external DAC is indispensable.

We can supply the Lampizator XDMI output daughterboard in stead at no up charge.