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".

 

The first rule of Black Olympus shipping is you don't talk about Black Olympus shipping

There's a good reason they can't talk about it

 

As the first Olympus servers are making their way to their new owners, we wanted to share some photos for all of those who committed the big mistake of ordering silver units ( just kidding of course... )
Below some charger power supply modules - extremely heavy and non-resonant due to being fully immersed in epoxy resign.

View attachment 133798

those power supply modules look nicely sized..............can they be dropped into an Extreme in the future?
(rhetorical question at some level, but............maybe a smaller one.............)

 

Update has been posted........

Olympus Order Status – Taiko Audio

taikoaudio.com

 

#17, you're buying beers

Best wishes

#6

 

Congratulations to the next owners of the Olympus project,I have the clear feeling that I am witnessing an evolution/revolution in digital audio. Now I can't wait to hear your impressions, the analysis on the potential quality of the analogue output made by @nenon some time ago is very interesting....

Massimo

 

#17, you're buying beers

Best wishes

#6

Couldn't agree more!

As I don't drink beer a protein shake will do it

#10

 

Roons new database update: It takes a few minutes, make sure you do a soft reboot on the Extreme after update is complete. For me it couldn't find the Extreme until I did the soft reboot...I would actually wait a few minutes after the update and watch what it does, then do the reboot. Very unusual from previous updates...

 

Hi all, I've joined the club recently and really looking forward to replace my Taiko Extreme with Olympus.
Based on the FAQ pdf provided earlier, there is a section which specifies that during the introduction period all the 'Olympus Server XDMI' will be shipped with 'Enhanced USB Card' included.
However from the pictures posted here it looks like the USB is just the default one from the motherboard.

Can you please explain how it is?

I will for sure use the new XDMI interface with my future purchase of Lampizator Horizon, but also would be great if I still had the option with Enhanced USB card for some DACs, that can't use XDMI (majority for now).

With the Lampizator XDMI card as part of the order will I only get the XDMI Analog card or also the XDMI Digital card? So 2 cards or 3 cards in total.

 

Hi all, I've joined the club recently and really looking forward to replace my Taiko Extreme with Olympus.
Based on the FAQ pdf provided earlier, there is a section which specifies that during the introduction period all the 'Olympus Server XDMI' will be shipped with 'Enhanced USB Card' included.
However from the pictures posted here it looks like the USB is just the default one from the motherboard.

Can you please explain how it is?

I will for sure use the new XDMI interface with my future purchase of Lampizator Horizon, but also would be great if I still had the option with Enhanced USB card for some DACs, that can't use XDMI (majority for now).

With the Lampizator XDMI card as part of the order will I only get the XDMI Analog card or also the XDMI Digital card? So 2 cards or 3 cards in total.

Hi Stefan,

Regarding the daughterboards for the XDMI interface, it all depends on what you've ordered.

You should have a list of what you ordered in the confirmation email.

But I suppose you will get:

- the XDMI daughterboard for LampizatOr
- the analogue daughterboard (DAC)
- the digital daughterboard (AES/EBU - XLR)

But again, it depends on what you've ordered. The best thing to do is to contact the support team.

As far as USB is concerned, and according to what Emile explained here on the forum, the XDMI interface is so much superior that it wouldn't make sense to use the USB.

The Olympus is really designed around the XDMI interface.

As for the technical details regarding the USB interface on the Olympus, Emile (@Taiko Audio ) will be in a better position to answer.

A little research on the forum may also give you some answers.



Hopes this helps,

Cheers,

Thomas

 

Good evening Emile (@Taiko Audio ) , good evening everyone,

I've just realised that there is a missing information.

If I'm not mistaken, the information is neither on the forum nor in the documentation.

What is the impedance of the XDMI digital daughterboard?

75 ohms or 110 ohms?

Cheers,

Thomas

 

Good evening Emile (@Taiko Audio ) , good evening everyone,

I've just realised that there is a missing information.

If I'm not mistaken, the information is neither on the forum nor in the documentation.

What is the impedance of the XDMI digital daughterboard?

75 ohms or 110 ohms?

Cheers,

Thomas

I believe AES/EBU XLR by design is 110 ohms.

 

I believe AES/EBU XLR by design is 110 ohms.

Yes, you're right.

AES is 110 ohms with an XLR connector and 75 ohms with a BNC connector.

If I've read correctly, the digital XDMI daughterboard will have both RCA and AES/EBU.

RCA is 75 ohms.

Hence the slight doubt ...

Cheers,

Thomas

 

Yes, you're right.

AES is 110 ohms with an XLR connector and 75 ohms with a BNC connector.

If I've read correctly, the digital XDMI daughterboard will have both RCA and AES/EBU.

RCA is 75 ohms.

Hence the slight doubt ...

Cheers,

Thomas

It is no problem to have both 75 ohms for the unbalanced RCA connection and 110 ohms for the AES/EBU XLR connection from the same card. There are several ways to do impedance conversion. A transformer is a very commonly used impedance conversion device.

Steve Z

 

Roons new database update: It takes a few minutes, make sure you do a soft reboot on the Extreme after update is complete. For me it couldn't find the Extreme until I did the soft reboot...I would actually wait a few minutes after the update and watch what it does, then do the reboot. Very unusual from previous updates...

Hi John. What is a soft reboot?

 

There is no BNC in that card . It has RCA + XLR
No RCA connector rated a true 75 ohm impedance . It is 50 ohm.
So the exit might be 75 ohm , but it goes via connector that is 50 ohm.
So for Ultimate digital link using AES will be w clear choice.
But XDMI digital will eliminate the need for AES or RCA digital.

 

Hi John. What is a soft reboot?

Vassil, Just front on/off front of Extreme. I had to do this for the update to complete. Prior, kept searching for the core...

 

Couldn't agree more!

As I don't drink beer a protein shake will do it

#10

Let me guess Tom, Plant based or Whey protein? My guess is plant based...

 

Let me guess Tom, Plant based or Whey protein? My guess is plant based...

Hi John,

When it comes to food supplements, whey protein is at the heart of the matter.

I do of course eat plant based protein, but not as a supplement.

When I train seriously (every day), which is the case at the moment, the winning combo is: whey, creatine, caffeine and vitamins on top of a healthy diet.

Cheers,

Thomas

 

Hi John,

When it comes to food supplements, whey protein is at the heart of the matter.

I do of course eat plant based protein, but not as a supplement.

When I train seriously (every day), which is the case at the moment, the winning combo is: whey, creatine, caffeine and vitamins on top of a healthy diet.

Cheers,

Thomas

Hard to wrong with that approach Tom. Creatine, very important for muscle recovery. I also used Whey Protein. Interesting how our physiology varies person to person. In Nepal I ate raw garlic everyday (natural blood thinner) knock on wood, never got serious altitude sickness...

 

There is no BNC in that card . It has RCA + XLR
No RCA connector rated a true 75 ohm impedance . It is 50 ohm.
So the exit might be 75 ohm , but it goes via connector that is 50 ohm.
So for Ultimate digital link using AES will be w clear choice.
But XDMI digital will eliminate the need for AES or RCA digital.

Not true, at least if we are to believe several manufacturers of RCA connectors and or RCA terminated 75 ohm cables:

https://www.pasternack.com/75-ohm-rca-connectors-category.aspx

https://www.tvcinc.com/coaxial-cable-connectivity/75-ohm-rca-connectors-one-piece-fixed-pin/

https://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/75ohmrca.htm (see Canare RCA at the end of this article)

Steve Z