Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

[steve williams]

Hence the Lampizator interface will use a 5 pin XLR cable in stead of FSP/QFSP allowing for more exotic cables to be used.

Lukasz seems to have this part figured out re manufacturer

 

[Taiko Audio]

ohh I see answered

I’m very excited about this, I would expect the delta between a Horizon with exotic tubes and a Poseidon with stock tubes to be significant.

 

[steve williams]

as I posted a few pages back, if we can get your schedule cleared to make it across the pond and the continent the event at my house will have XDMI native on the Horizon. I am more than very excited about this

 

[John T]

Audio Porn!!!!

 

[steve williams]

I thought it would be somewhat newsworthy to have this follow up post re the Horizon and Native XDMI . It has always been my intent to have native XDMI to the Horizon if and when Emile can find time to take the long trip to SoCal to highlight the Olympus, I/O and to fully be able to compare the internal DAC on the Olympus to Native XDMI on the Horizon. Suffice it to say I took the plunge and ordered a Horizon loaded with XDMI , rather than USB. I also suspect that Lukasz has looked into the cable needs to make native XDMI operational and Im reasonably sure he has a source to manufacture the necessary cables . I'm hoping that it will be possible to have both Horizon (USB with JL Audio and XDMI native) DAC's present to be able to compare the two....and yes I stuck with the Mallory copper top version just as I have now

 

[dminches]

You bought a 2nd Horizon?

 

[steve williams]

yes. I wanted to be 100% certain I will have native XDMI for the event

 

[steve williams]

yes. I wanted to be 100% certain I will have native XDMI for the event

Sending the unit back for retrofit certainly seems the most economical but as stated it is my hope to have both Horizon's present for purposes of comparing Horizon with USB to Horizon with XDMI native

 

[oldmustang]

yes. I wanted to be 100% certain I will have native XDMI for the event

Now that is commitment, Steve W. Not to mention meriting commitment. . .

Steve Z

 

[SwissTom]

Sending the unit back for retrofit certainly seems the most economical but as stated it is my hope to have both Horizon's present for purposes of comparing Horizon with USB to Horizon with XDMI native

Good evening Steve,

Will you also be testing XDMI/AES-EBU ?

Cheers,

Thomas

 

[Taiko Audio]

Good evening Steve,

Will you also be testing XDMI/AES-EBU ?

Cheers,

Thomas

I don’t think there will be much, if any, disagreement that ranks below the direct analogue output option so IMHO that wouldn’t be very useful.

 

[rau]

Sending the unit back for retrofit certainly seems the most economical but as stated it is my hope to have both Horizon's present for purposes of comparing Horizon with USB to Horizon with XDMI native

Steve you ever get my adoption papers, notarized ?

 

[Tuckia]

Steve you ever get my adoption papers, notarized ?

Rodney, could you still adopt me if that goes through?

 

[steve williams]

Good evening Steve,

Will you also be testing XDMI/AES-EBU ?

Cheers,

Thomas

It has always been my goal to always play my digital files pure native so as Emile stated I have no desire whatsoever to do that comparison

 

[John T]

I thought it would be somewhat newsworthy to have this follow up post re the Horizon and Native XDMI . It has always been my intent to have native XDMI to the Horizon if and when Emile can find time to take the long trip to SoCal to highlight the Olympus, I/O and to fully be able to compare the internal DAC on the Olympus to Native XDMI on the Horizon. Suffice it to say I took the plunge and ordered a Horizon loaded with XDMI , rather than USB. I also suspect that Lukasz has looked into the cable needs to make native XDMI operational and Im reasonably sure he has a source to manufacture the necessary cables . I'm hoping that it will be possible to have both Horizon (USB with JL Audio and XDMI native) DAC's present to be able to compare the two....and yes I stuck with the Mallory copper top version just as I have now

Wow! Very impressive Steve, you will have many of the options so many of us are curious about...Plus it appears you will foster some members...

 

[steve williams]

IMHO I feel that XDMI native with the Horizon has been a much quicker turn around than I ever expected BUT this is a collaboration of 2 of the greatest minds in today’s digital arena and to read Lukasz posts from Oldenzaal where he heard XDMI solidified my belief that XDMI will be truly something great. Plus Lukasz was so taken by it he gave his immediate decision to throw into the development of XDMI on the Lampi side. And here we are in a matter of a few months at most with a working solution.I still believe Emile is being very tight lipped about this anxiously waiting for user feedback. As I said my first test will be with the analogue card. I expect that to be what those of us who use external DACs will compare. I know a lot of Olympus users plan on only using the internal DAC. Reports out of Oldenzaal confirm it to be something special. I keep asking Emile if there was a way to use a tube with that analogue card

 

[John T]

We know Emile is not going to put out a DAC that doesn't hit all the right spots. At this level It's going to come down to what sonic signature blows our skirts up. We all have different tastes. Very exciting times...

 

[wil]

IMHO I feel that XDMI native with the Horizon has been a much quicker turn around than I ever expected BUT this is a collaboration of 2 of the greatest minds in today’s digital arena and to read Lukasz posts from Oldenzaal where he heard XDMI solidified my belief that XDMI will be truly something great. Plus Lukasz was so taken by it he gave his immediate decision to throw into the development of XDMI on the Lampi side. And here we are in a matter of a few months at most with a working solution.I still believe Emile is being very tight lipped about this anxiously waiting for user feedback. As I said my first test will be with the analogue card. I expect that to be what those of us who use external DACs will compare. I know a lot of Olympus users plan on only using the internal DAC. Reports out of Oldenzaal confirm it to be something special. I keep asking Emile if there was a way to use a tube with that analogue card

“… I keep asking Emile if there was a way to use a tube with the analog card”

That might be your tube preamp!

 

[steve williams]

“… I keep asking Emile if there was a way to use a tube with the analog card”

That might be your tube preamp!

You missed my point.

 

[Kris]

As things have progressed meanwhile I now feel more comfortable to share my personal SQ ranking:


Olympus XDMI - Lampizator Poseidon -120%
Olympus XDMI - direct analogue out - 100%
Olympus USB - Lampizator Horizon - 65% (we did actually manage to improve the Olympus USB performance a bit more, it was much further behind priorly)

The Poseidon I have here has no USB input, only XDMI native, hence I cannot do a direct comparison to USB, it also has “cheap” made in china tubes fitted as I don’t have upgraded tubes for it with the exception of the rectifier which I exchanged for a Telefunken RGN2004 which I prefer with it. My Horizon has Telefunken RGN2504, Chalmers RS1003, and ITT Lorenz C3g fitted. Another interesting observation is the interface cable conductor quality matters a lot in this particular application.. Hence the Lampizator interface will use a 5 pin XLR cable in stead of FSP/QFSP allowing for more exotic cables to be used.

Photos of the tube complements used for this particular comparison:

View attachment 125455

View attachment 125456

Emile. What preamp was used here ?
Or was it direct to amps ?
Will the Olympus analog Xdmi out be much better with top preamps ?