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".

 

Thanks Emile,

Have a great Easter weekend

Cheers,

Thomas

Thanks, same to you!

 

The production revision of XDMI arrived yesterday! The power supply PCBs have shipped and are scheduled to arrive next week.

Altogether this is later than initially projected because we had to increase the order sizes from 25 sets to 150 sets, IOW it delays the initial batch but shaves months of the wait time for people who didn't order inside the first 12 hours. We should be able to produce all 150 Olympus servers inside of 3 months in stead of 6. Photos and video of the Olympus I/O XDMI PCB stack:

View attachment 127670

View attachment 127671

View attachment 127672

Dear Emile, when do you expect to ship the first 20-25 units?

 

Dear Emile, when do you expect to ship the first 20-25 units?

@tsaett is going to contact everyone individually to update them on the expected shipping dates.

 

Can the Olympus accommodate 2 m.2 Hyper cards for storage? If so, do you consider that an inferior solution as compared to the newer storage cards you discussed earlier in the thread?

 

@tsaett is going to contact everyone individually to update them on the expected shipping dates.

What will be the standard storage capacity for the music files?
Have you already decide ?

Extreme was 8 TB I believe. Additional cards as an option.

 

Really did not need another audio expense…but if you can trade in an extreme count me in!

 

I wonder if anyone plans to use the Olympus XDMI with a Wadax Atlantis reference dac.

 

I will be using the lampizator Horizon

 

The feet fit in here, the cutout depth is 8mm (the feet are 9mm thick) but I forgot the diameter, cannot tell you what it is till Tuesday:

View attachment 127740

If using aftermarket footers, would you recommend removing the installed footers to rest against that bare aluminum, or would you recommend placing the new footer beneath the existing (already installed) Olympus footer?

 

If using aftermarket footers, would you recommend removing the installed footers to rest against that bare aluminum, or would you recommend placing the new footer beneath the existing (already installed) Olympus footer?

While combining materials and coupling/decoupling methods can work, this is a tricky balance. in most cases, the best results are obtained by removing the existing footer and using only the new footer as the contact between the server and the support surface.

 

Dear all,

Please note that the Olympus server and I/O dimensions have been updated. Changes are reflected below in blue and concern the addition of modular footers and the height of the units.

Modular Footers

Both Olympus Server and I/O units come with modular footers attached via an M6 thread, providing compatibility with any M6-equipped aftermarket footers. This affects the total height of the unit. Please find the final measurements below.

Height

Olympus Server 190 mm including removable footers
Olympus I/O 105 mm including removable footers

Width

Olympus 480 mm
Olympus I/O 480 mm

Depth

Olympus 480 mm
Olympus I/O 480 mm

Weight

Olympus ~ 60 kg
Olympus I/O ~ 25 kg

View attachment 127703

This has also been updated in the Introduction and FAQ document, which can be downloaded from the Downloads section on the Taiko website.

I just realized that I don't have enough height in my rack to accommodate the Olympus and I/O. I'm thinking of putting it on an amp stand on the floor next to my rack. This will also free up a rack shelf that I could use for other gear. Any recommendations for a floor stand that would work well with the size and weight of the Olympus and I/O stack? Something low profile that doesn't call a lot of attention to itself would be preferred.
Thanks in advance for any input.

 

I just realized that I don't have enough height in my rack to accommodate the Olympus and I/O. I'm thinking of putting it on an amp stand on the floor next to my rack. This will also free up a rack shelf that I could use for other gear. Any recommendations for a floor stand that would work well with the size and weight of the Olympus and I/O stack? Something low profile that doesn't call a lot of attention to itself would be preferred.
Thanks in advance for any input.

I'm guessing boards and cinder blocks don't match your decor.

Steve Z

 

I know that Taiko stopped selling their Daiza platforms to any buyer. I don't know if they will continue to sell them to their server customers.

 

I find that the Extreme works very well on an Artesania Aire with Krion Linear Arms. But the Extreme also works very well on an HRS EXR rack, which is available in a rather inconspicuous floor platform version.

 

@oldmustang, nonesup and Christiaan Punter Thanks for the replies!
That HRS EXR rack looks like it would be perfect for my needs. Available in black and as a single floor stand, it has a low profile. It's also made only a few hundred miles from my location. Which helps with shipping costs. Seems like it would most definitely work better than doing something home brew.
In anticipation of the delivery of the Olympus and I/O I have made some major advancements with my speakers. Major cabinet damping (each speaker now weighs 650Lbs) and changing from passive crossovers between the amps and speakers (even with all Duelund components) to active crossovers before the amplifiers has been a HUGE upgrade. Probably the single biggest advancement in SQ of anything that I have done to this system.
I'm really setup to hear the Olympus and I.O. now!

 

I know that Taiko stopped selling their Daiza platforms to any buyer. I don't know if they will continue to sell them to their server customers.View attachment 127965

Goodmorning!

We have completely stopped manufacturing Daizas.

 

The Battery Management Controller PCBs have arrived this week!

Ignore the Extreme photo used in the remote control app, we will replace that with a photo of the Olympus, both Android and IOS apps have otherwise been finished, the IOS app should appear in the app store within 2 weeks.

 

The voltage regulator PCBs are finished as well, there are 3 of these in each Olympus server, the manufacturer send us some photos, scheduled to arrive next week:

 

The first batch of chassis are returning from the Anodising company on the 15th. We have fixed time slot reservations each week and have a private courier driving back and forth each week to drop off a fresh batch and pick up the finished batch. The only PCBs we're currently missing are the Battery charger power supply PCBs which are scheduled to arrive on the 18th.




Aka we should be able to start shipping in the week of April the 22th-26th! With all electronic parts here for all the Olympus orders it should be a continuous process from then on with 12 Olympus servers shipping every week.

 

Currently rate limiting in chassis manufacturing is actually not CNC machining capacity but "waste management".

Each Olympus Server produces a full crate of Aluminium waste, 130 kg in Aluminium chips. This waste is recycled of course but it's a considerable volume and we need to switch buckets for every Olympus we produce which limits nigh time machining.

If we solve this "minor" issue we can increase output.