Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

[Tuckia]

Just a data point. Roon has never found the core on my Extreme through the home network with the Taiko router connected. Of course I always connected this way prior to acquiring the Taiko router. Now I always connect through Taiko Audio wifi. For me this hasn't been enough of a problem to pursue - yet. Way down the list.

 

[dminches]

Just a data point. Roon has never found the core on my Extreme through the home network with the Taiko router connected. Of course I always connected this way prior to acquiring the Taiko router. Now I always connect through Taiko Audio wifi. For me this hasn't been enough of a problem to pursue - yet. Way down the list.

That sounds like something isn’t properly configured in the router with respect to port forwarding.

 

[heebrog]

That’s the biggest challenge with tech support, not being able to replicate and issue. My guess is that it has to do with the portforwarding rules set up to run XDMS from my home network. Something must be conflicting since when I lose the ability to run Roon from my home network I can still run it from my Taiko network. That seems to point to port forwarding. I should try eliminating all the XDMS portforwarding rules and test that out.

Thanks for responding. I know this stuff is a total PITA.

I encountered a similar problem as well when I first got my Taiko router and trialled XDMS. It turned out to be an IP address issue for me. I can't fully recall the specifics but my Extreme had 2 different IP addresses depending on whether I was on my home network or Taiko network. I too have XDMS and Roon on my Extreme. As you know XDMS only works on the Taiko network but Roon can work on either. I managed to fix it my resetting the IP address on Roon to the same as that assigned by the Taiko Router.

 

[dminches]

3 days ago I made a change to a couple port forwarding rules. They seemed to potentially conflict with the existing Roon rules. I was told to add them due to some changes in Roon’s port assignment. Since then I haven’t had any breaks in connectivity to Roon. Hoping this resolves the issue.

@Taiko Audio

 

[cminer]

Hello.

I'm a long-time lurker / learner, first time poster.

I just arranged purchase of a Taiko Extreme with a USB card and an Extreme Network Card. Would it be best to add the Extreme Switch first, and possibly the Extreme Router later, or vice versa? My understanding is that for the Extreme Server the switch is more beneficial to sound quality.

 

[Di-fi]

Hello.

I'm a long-time lurker / learner, first time poster.

I just arranged purchase of a Taiko Extreme with a USB card and an Extreme Network Card. Would it be best to add the Extreme Switch first, and possibly the Extreme Router later, or vice versa? My understanding is that for the Extreme Server the switch is more beneficial to sound quality.

@cminer , I would look at it in this way:

The audiophile switch typically has a more immediate and direct impact on the sound quality of your server. This is because the Extreme directly interacts with it for local data transfers.

The router is more critical for stabilizing and purifying the network signal coming into your system, which can have an upstream effect but may be less noticeable compared to the switch in your setup.

Don't forget to plan for an excellent DC power supply for one or both, as it significantly impacts sound quality. And use/trial the recommended DAC cable between switch and network card (not expensive, for once ;-)

On Taiko’s web pages you can browse through some Q and A that could be useful:
Documents and Software for all Taiko Audio products

 

[dminches]

• A high-quality switch typically has a more immediate and direct impact on the sound quality of your server. This is because the Extreme directly interacts with it for local data transfers.
• A router is more critical for stabilizing and purifying the network signal coming into your system, which can have an upstream effect but may be less noticeable compared to the switch in your setup.

Emile should comment on this but I think they are equally important and if I had to remove one of them from my setup it would be the switch. The router allows one to isolate the Extreme on its own network, eliminating all the other traffic on one’s home network. The results will vary from setup to setup. I don’t think one can generalize here.

For example, if one does a lot of streaming as opposed to playing only local files the router may be more impactful.

The reality is, they are both important and play a big role.

 

[Taiko Audio]

Hello.

I'm a long-time lurker / learner, first time poster.

I just arranged purchase of a Taiko Extreme with a USB card and an Extreme Network Card. Would it be best to add the Extreme Switch first, and possibly the Extreme Router later, or vice versa? My understanding is that for the Extreme Server the switch is more beneficial to sound quality.

Hi @cminer ,

Most people would indeed most likely choose the switch over the router right now (to go with the Extreme), but the router is more future proof and there will be (free) software updates coming up benefiting the router more then the switch.

 

[Di-fi]

The reality is, they are both important and play a big role.

I know, but that doesn’t fully address the question of what to prioritize if one must choose ;-)

Taiko confirmed that it would be the switch today. But perhaps you have a particularly noisy and busy home network that demands more attention. Maybe isolating the Extreme on its own network and eliminating all other traffic from the home network could be achieved with an alternative dedicated router. Personally, both for streaming and local files, I’d prioritize the synergy between a switch and network card and dac cable, but of course, that’s all theoretical.

When comparing a switch to a router—hardware versus software for managing traffic—only the latter will continue receiving software updates. The point about streaming versus local files is also a good one.

 

[dminches]

I know, but that doesn’t fully address the question of what to prioritize if one must choose ;-)

Taiko confirmed today that it would be the switch. But perhaps you have a particularly noisy and busy home network that demands more attention. Maybe isolating the Extreme on its own network and eliminating all other traffic from the home network could be achieved with an alternative dedicated router. Personally, I’d prioritize the synergy between a switch and network card and dac cable, but of course, that’s all theoretical.
When comparing a switch to a router—hardware versus software for managing traffic—only the latter will continue receiving software updates. The point about streaming versus local files is also a good one.

I read Emile’s post and I didn’t see him commit to one or the other. He said most would choose the switch but then qualified his opinion.

 

[Di-fi]

I read Emile’s post and I didn’t see him commit to one or the other. He said most would choose the switch but then qualified his opinion.

Me too, so there you have it @cminer :

Go for the switch if your priority is an immediate sound quality improvement that complements your current setup.

Choose the router if you're willing to wait for updates and prioritize longevity and adaptability in your system.

 

[Taiko Audio]

Me too, so there you have it @cminer :

Go for the switch if your priority is an immediate sound quality improvement that complements your current setup.

Choose the router if you're willing to wait for updates and prioritize longevity and adaptability in your system.

Good summary!

 

[cminer]

Wonderful responses! Thanks for taking the time to answer.

Incidentally, the active discussion, the willingness of experienced forum members to respond to specific questions, and the participation of the Taiko support team in the conversation (who does that?) is what drew me to join the Taiko family. Thank you all!

I believe I'll start with the Switch connected to the Extreme network card using a DAC cable.

 

[cat6man]

Wonderful responses! Thanks for taking the time to answer.

Incidentally, the active discussion, the willingness of experienced forum members to respond to specific questions, and the participation of the Taiko support team in the conversation (who does that?) is what drew me to join the Taiko family. Thank you all!

I believe I'll start with the Switch connected to the Extreme network card using a DAC cable.

i'd probably go with the switch also. however, the router does improve the sound of local file playback chez moi, as well as streaming. why?? no idea. (EFTM?)

 

[Di-fi]

the router does improve the sound of local file playback chez moi, as well as streaming. why?? no idea. (EFTM?)

Even when playing local files, your streamer remains connected to the network, which means it is still subject to network noise. Noise arises from increased processing demands caused by handling more network packets. More processing generates more noise within the device. Adding a switch reduces the processing load on the Extreme, while adding a router further reduces the load on both the switch and the Extreme.

When these devices are properly integrated, their interaction doesn’t just stack individual improvements—it creates a synergistic effect that’s often more substantial than the sum of their parts. This synergy can lead to an overall enhancement that’s difficult to quantify but clearly noticeable in the sound.

Disconnecting your network cable to the streamer (only possible while playing local files) or placing a router that effectively blocks most of that noise (for both streaming & local files) can result in noticeable improvements. The key improvement happens when an optimised router is positioned (just) before the switch, linking to your server’s network card.

 

[Di-fi]

the router does improve the sound of local file playback chez moi

The Taiko router with embedded Wi-Fi also is a great SQ enhancer already before the promised software updates, offering notable optimization capabilities. In the Taiko Extreme Q&A of the router you can find some interesting possibilties for maximizing it’s performance.
(I tried quoting Extreme-Router-FAQ_v45.x80569.pdf above # post 21,246 to no avail. Additionally, I’m unsure how up-to-date the document is.):

According to Taiko, noise levels in network connections vary by type, ranked from lowest to highest as follows: DAC cable, Wi-Fi, RJ45 Ethernet, and fiber optic.

* Smaller antennas or higher transmission power can increase noise, while 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi with low transmission power minimizes noise and becomes effectively inaudible.Try a larger antenna.
* For control devices like iPads, Wi-Fi is preferable over Ethernet (RJ45) since Ethernet consumes more power and generates more noise.
* Enabling "low data mode" on mobile devices reduces background activity, syncing, and network noise, potentially enhancing SQ.
* To optimize Wi-Fi performance, use 2.4 GHz channels 1, 6, or 11, selecting the least congested channel.
* For optimal router and switch configuration, connect the home router to an Extreme router using an RJ45 Ethernet cable, and the Extreme router to an Extreme switch using a DAC cable.
* Performance improves further when both the Extreme router and switch are powered by a single high-quality DC power supply (and the DAC cable in between).
* For the Taiko router specifically, avoid connecting additional Ethernet devices, as this can degrade sound quality.
* The router’s sonic balance is significantly influenced by the noise spectrum of its power supply.

 

[John T]

Maybe someone can chime in. This is far away from my expertise. I do not have the Taiko Router and I am looking at getting a 2nd internet feed into my home. One for audio and one just for the home stuff. I would have a dedicated ipad only for audio. Also an access point away from the audio gear, that would be for my dedicated ipad. My home router would also be positioned away from the audio to keep wifi as far away as possible. Everything I have read indicates 100Mbps is optimal for audio. Am I understanding correctly that the Taiko Network/Olympus needs 1GB? If anyone has some experience in utilizing a 2nd internet/separate modem I would appreciate some guidance on this subject. Either here or PM me...

 

[dminches]

Why are you getting a 2nd internet feed? Ate you getting a taiko router?

 

[John T]

Why are you getting a 2nd internet feed? Ate you getting a taiko router?

To the extent we all go in the pursuit of the best SQ I like to investigate all options. Emile @Taiko Audio actually alluded to a 2nd feed in a previous post if someone wanted to go to this extent...I'm not sure if I'm getting the Taiko router. Exploring a few different options...

 

[Taiko Audio]

To the extent we all go in the pursuit of the best SQ I like to investigate all options. Emile @Taiko Audio actually alluded to a 2nd feed in a previous post if someone wanted to go to this extent...I'm not sure if I'm getting the Taiko router. Exploring a few different options...

2nd feed is inferior to just installing the router in your home network. Multiple people tried meanwhile, I do vaguely recall it was shared on this forum as well but.. how does one create an efficient search string for this particular scenario