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".

 

This is great news !
Is the XLR bslanced analog output going to have a volume control?
Will it be software based VC ?

1) That would make sense yes (avoiding 2 releases for the same product)
2) Something more creative, with no further details to be disclosed at this time

 

1) That would make sense yes (avoiding 2 releases for the same product)
2) Something more creative, with no further details to be disclosed at this time

 

Hi @RichardA , the Olympus footers are modular and can be exchanged, as that leads to quite some possible permutations I cannot say anything definitive about it yet, most likely we could design a footer with a surface interacting favourably and/or optimally with the Daiza. But as a start we’re going with something with a broad compatibility, which is btw also compatible with the Daiza, which I guess answers your question directly.

Thank you for the all encompassing answer Emile. It answers my question about equipment placement with my new Olympus and has information for everyone.

 

Will these footers be removable from the outside of the chassis? I ask, because on the Extreme you cannot do so without essentially dismantling the innards, which stops one from using, say, Revopods in a threaded fashion. It would be great to avoid this in the Olympus and I/O.

Good question
Biggest design flaw on Extreme....

 

Not sure if this is the right thread to ask this question:
Will the Extreme server stay in the line-up after the Olympus is introduced? Any plans to change/replace the Extreme after the Olympus is out?

 

Not sure if this is the right thread to ask this question:
Will the Extreme server stay in the line-up after the Olympus is introduced? Any plans to change/replace the Extreme after the Olympus is out?

The Extreme is here to stay!

 

The Extreme is here to stay!

Good news! Any plans to update it following your newly design ideas implemented on the Olympus?

 

@Taiko Audio Do you have an estimated date of shipment for the first batch? Seems like we are getting close!

 

Good news! Any plans to update it following your newly design ideas implemented on the Olympus?

 

View attachment 126999

Thank you!
Next level is connecting to the Olympus battery-based PSU module, but no internal changes to the Extreme (maybe a dedicated output for a propriety connection to the Olympus PSU).

 

Thank you!
Next level is connecting to the Olympus battery-based PSU module, but no internal changes to the Extreme (maybe a dedicated output for a propriety connection to the Olympus PSU).

Yes, and the interface cards will move to Olympus I/O.

 

...I am definitely in the minority (table for 1?) to be using my Extreme with the new I/O and USB output. At least that's the plan.

But as Mike Tyson said: everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. In this case, the punch will be a sonic hit, when we get reports on XDMI directly into the MSB dac via ProISL implementation. Can't wait for that upgrade/punch!

 

Will the iec for Olympus be on the same side as the E?

 

Good news! Any plans to update it following your newly design ideas implemented on the Olympus?

Yes, absolutely, user retrofittable significant upgrades at reasonable pricing in the works, but eta Q4 at best.

 

Will the iec for Olympus be on the same side as the E?

No, the other side.

 

@Taiko Audio Do you have an estimated date of shipment for the first batch? Seems like we are getting close!

Will post an update next week as well! Taking this weekend off for some family quality time

 

Yes, absolutely, user retrofittable significant upgrades at reasonable pricing in the works, but eta Q4 at best.

it'll be a great Christmas for many. Have to keep those Oldenzaal elves busy

 

Yes, absolutely, user retrofittable significant upgrades at reasonable pricing in the works, but eta Q4 at best.

wonderful news, and important for my audio budget planning. while i will follow the olympus and xdmi rollout diligently, the price of the olympus is just not in my comfort range (yes, that sounds a little strange for someone with an extreme, switch and router!) so further evolution of the extreme at a lower cost of entry has my name all over it.

as warren zevon sang:
"i appreciate the best,
but i'm settling for less,
and i'm looking for the next best thing"

 

Here is some additional pricing information for the Taiko XDMS interface for Lampizator, taken from the Lampizator website. This follows earlier references by Lukasz in the original Taiko thread.


https://www.lampizatorpoland.com/horizon

Original post by ctydwn

 

It will be fantastic to see a real chassis pictures.
But I understand the time will come.