Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

[howiebrou]

Howie, what USB was used at the demo? It looks like at the level of Extreme, USB choice is as critical as the choice of cart on a top tt is.

You can go Lyra versus Koetsu voicing.

Gosh i have no idea except it was Cat 8a i think. The dealer has LPS on every modem, router, switch you can find, but the power cords, USB were the same actual cables for the demo so at least we have a level playing field there. i can ask or may be CK knows anyway...

 

[adyc]

I would completely agree. The dealer's system is very different to mine in terms of presentation and it is not possible to separate the sound of the extreme from the influence of other components on the first listen. After I listened to the Statement and went back to the Extreme, I was able to tease the difference out with a very different result as I mentioned.

In my opinion, you should listen to Statement again after you listen to Extreme twice. ABAB is more fair than ABA.

 

[howiebrou]

In my opinion, you should listen to Statement again after you listen to Extreme twice. ABAB is more fair than ABA.

I prefer ABBA.

 

[spiritofmusic]

YYZ myself.
If Extreme can inject life into that song, it would convert me to streaming in a nanosecond.

 

[howiebrou]

In my opinion, you should listen to Statement again after you listen to Extreme twice. ABAB is more fair than ABA.

In all seriousness yes i know what you mean but i felt that i had a pretty good handle on what each could offer in this particular system after doing ABA. Doing too many detailed comparisons gives me a headache and takes away some of the fun of just sitting there and enjoying the music. If i don't enjoy the experience then i don't buy it. Simple system that works for me.

 

[Taiko Audio]

On another note, it seems a SGM made it's way into China as this is pretty much a 1 on 1 copy of the 2015/EVO regulator design:

https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/4000...chweb0_0,searchweb201602_3,searchweb201603_53

And OCXO module

 

[spiritofmusic]

In all seriousness yes i know what you mean but i felt that i had a pretty good handle on what each could offer in this particular system after doing ABA. Doing too many detailed comparisons gives me a headache and takes away some of the fun of just sitting there and enjoying the music. If i don't enjoy the experience then i don't buy it. Simple system that works for me.

And had you listened to Statement first?...

 

[howiebrou]

And had you listened to Statement first?...

I have heard the statement in a few places before most recently at the UK show at Ascot. Actually this is my second demo at the dealer with the Statement and the Extreme but last time it got complicated by switching from D12 Dac to D1 direct so I decided I needed a simpler agend this time.

 

[spiritofmusic]

No Howie, I meant at this demo ABA
Statement Extreme Statement.
Hey, it's done and you drew very specific inferences.

You could go crazy on comparisons. If "The Final Cut" shined on the Extreme, that's IMHO even more critical a test than some super sounding hi rez audiophile tune. That album has always been a challenge re SQ, whether the original UK pressing I have, or the cd versions I've heard.

There's a big vocal opinion on WBF that wide dynamics well recorded classical music be used to properly test gear. I actually think the challenged sonics stuff is as important.

The best example is the most recent Adele album. After an afternoon listening to cut after cut of all sorts of stuff sounding great on Blue58's SGM, we put Adele on. And were brought abruptly back to Earth.

 

[Stereophonic]

At this level you have to do the comparasion of both servers on your own system and no less than one week to understand the sound signature of each one, settle and acclimatize both too...
My 2 cts.

 

[howiebrou]

No Howie, I meant at this demo ABA
Statement Extreme Statement.
Hey, it's done and you drew very specific inferences.

You could go crazy on comparisons. If "The Final Cut" shined on the Extreme, that's IMHO even more critical a test than some super sounding hi rez audiophile tune. That album has always been a challenge re SQ, whether the original UK pressing I have, or the cd versions I've heard.

There's a big vocal opinion on WBF that wide dynamics well recorded classical music be used to properly test gear. I actually think the challenged sonics stuff is as important.

The best example is the most recent Adele album. After an afternoon listening to cut after cut of all sorts of stuff sounding great on Blue58's SGM, we put Adele on. And were brought abruptly back to Earth.

Oh ic. I demo with stuff i like. My listening list was longer but i didn't go into it in the description. I'm waiting for Roger Waters Analogue Productions Amused to Death. It's taking a long time to come out...

 

[howiebrou]

At this level you have to do the comparasion of both servers on your own system and no less than one week to understand the sound signature of each one, settle and acclimatize both too...
My 2 cts.

That would be ideal Stereophonic, on that I absolutely concur! I'm not sure i could pull that off with the two servers in question!

 

[spiritofmusic]

Howie, I'm convinced one can divine the essence of a piece or tweak in one sitting. If you end up "uming and ahing" after several songs that signify different aspects of SQ, that piece is not for you. There are obviously caveats to that, you might love Apogees at a demo, but wouldn't put them on yr flea Watt tubes at home.

The only area where one COULD get it badly wrong is in the bass. Lots of demos appear full or thin in the low end. Even now after 22 yrs in this hobby, bass character can be v hard to give a reliable verdict on.

But AB comparison of gear w wholly different bass presentations, w music that is tonally different cut to cut will usually decide it. When I demoed IsoAcoustics Gaias v Revopods footers, the former were warmer and fuller, the latter the opposite. Gaias nearly got the nod. But 30 mins later, cut after cut showed the more accurate and indeed natural Revopods were the clear winner.

My guess is you heard something like this going Statement to Extreme.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

At this level you have to do the comparasion of both servers on your own system and no less than one week to understand the sound signature of each one, settle and acclimatize both too...
My 2 cts.

not if you have sufficient other references in your system to gauge against. and......the differences are also of a level where they jump out.

in my case i was comparing my 2015 SGM server to the Extreme, an hour apart, in my system. with the Extreme not optimized and cold from a 8000 mile journey. the world changed.

many other compares are not so easy and some require head to head and A-B-A's. no way to generalize what it takes. but when differences are clear, other system references can be plenty valid. how this works maybe varies from system to system.

 

[howiebrou]

Howie, I'm convinced one can divine the essence of a piece or tweak in one sitting. If you end up "uming and ahing" after several songs that signify different aspects of SQ, that piece is not for you. There are obviously caveats to that, you might love Apogees at a demo, but wouldn't put them on yr flea Watt tubes at home.

The only area where one COULD get it badly wrong is in the bass. Lots of demos appear full or thin in the low end. Even now after 22 yrs in this hobby, bass character can be v hard to give a reliable verdict on.

But AB comparison of gear w wholly different bass presentations, w music that is tonally different cut to cut will usually decide it. When I demoed IsoAcoustics Gaias v Revopods footers, the former were warmer and fuller, the latter the opposite. Gaias nearly got the nod. But 30 mins later, cut after cut showed the more accurate and indeed natural Revopods were the clear winner.

My guess is you heard something like this going Statement to Extreme.

You're not too far off Marc. If i had stopped the demo after the Statement i might have come away with quite a different feel. IMO you have to go back at least once to hear the real differences. My memory is simply not good enough and needs to be reinforced.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Hmm, can you imagine demoing a very nice tt, liking it and sure it would be a good purchase, but saying no to hearing the Vyger or CS Port or AS2000 next to it?

 

[Stereophonic]

not if you have sufficient other references in your system to gauge against. and......the differences are also of a level where they jump out.

in my case i was comparing my 2015 SGM server to the Extreme, an hour apart, in my system. with the Extreme not optimized and cold from a 8000 mile journey. the world changed.

many other compares are not so easy and some require head to head and A-B-A's. no way to generalize what it takes. but when differences are clear, other system references can be plenty valid. how this works maybe varies from system to system.

I’m wrong again...

 

[spiritofmusic]

no.

i only said no way to generalize how it is for everyone or every case. i also said some subtle differences require head to head like what you said. and......you said that was 'my 2 cents'.

honestly i don't think you are wrong. but maybe there are also other possibilities?.

Well, Sterophonic could instead be incorrect Lol.

 

[nicoludio]

No I did not try that yet.

Testing this right now:

View attachment 60291

Would be interested in your thoughts. The cable itself, when terminated with RJ45 on both ends, is quite astonishing.

 

[howiebrou]

I’m wrong again...

I don't think so. But obviously Mike has prior experience with their products with his SGM 2015 whereas I had none. I know its a big ask for dealers but if we can borrow these pieces I think they would sell more...