Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

[Taiko Audio]

Exactly my thoughts. How much does it weigh all in. I know some Heavey audio stuff use flight cases and ship fedx n DHL world wide ?

It's no problem to ship it, but it will be shipped as freight, not parcel. From memory it was just over 70 kg, the one time we did it arrived with one corner broken off To put things in perspective, we've had 3 occurrences of shipping damage in the past 5 years, 1 server and 2 platforms, all solved to full satisfaction of our customers.

 

[rgmd11]

It's no problem to ship it, but it will be shipped as freight, not parcel. From memory it was just over 70 kg, the one time we did it arrived with one corner broken off To put things in perspective, we've had 3 occurrences of shipping damage, 1 server and 2 platforms, all solved to full satisfaction of our customers.

Hello Emille,

I work in the Concert touring industry (Lighting) with 40 years of experience, and their are double insulated "Shock Mount" flight cases available which absolutely would protect an Extreme and there are a couple of freight company's specialised in moving thousands of tons of equipment all around the world every year by land sea and air with various time scales available, some of this equipment is extremely expensive with some F.O.H sound desks costing upwards of 250K euros, I would be happy to put you in touch with these company's.........

 

[Taiko Audio]

Thank you for your kind offer RGMD11. I will keep that in mind.

 

[nuway]

To fellows who are using the JCAT Femto ehternet card: Is there any high quality adapter (Male to female) that allows us to use high end Ethernet cables with The Extreme. There is no much room for it on the back.

 

[Marcin_gps]

To fellows who are using the JCAT Femto ehternet card: Is there any high quality adapter (Male to female) that allows us to use high end Ethernet cables with The Extreme. There is no much room for it on the back.

Any adapter will ruin sound quality I'm afraid.
Btw - Which cables do not fit?

Best regards,
Marcin Ostapowicz
JPLAY & JCAT Founder

 

[microstrip]

To fellows who are using the JCAT Femto ehternet card: Is there any high quality adapter (Male to female) that allows us to use high end Ethernet cables with The Extreme. There is no much room for it on the back.

Even Telegartner type plugs can be taken out easily from the Extreme if you use a small wood ruler or strip ended in an 20 degree edge to push the lock.

 

[nuway]

Any adapter will ruin sound quality I'm afraid.
Btw - Which cables do not fit?

Best regards,
Marcin Ostapowicz
JPLAY & JCAT Founder

Hi Marcin,
Any cable with telegartners wont fit on the back of the Taiko Extreme PCI space, due to the heavy and thick chassis. I found this on Amazon, but, as you said, It may degrade sound quality.

 

[nuway]

Hi Marcin,
Any cable with telegartners wont fit on the back of the Taiko Extreme PCI space, due to the heavy and thick chassis. I found this on Amazon, but, as you said, It may degrade sound quality.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M1DM0PE/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A249WQMFP7W27G&psc=1

 

[CKKeung]

Even Telegartner type plugs can be taken out easily from the Extreme if you use a small wood ruler or strip ended in an 20 degree edge to push the lock.

Yes, this is the trick used by the HK dealer and Extreme owners in HK .

 

[Blackmorec]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M1DM0PE/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A249WQMFP7W27G&psc=1

Lets think of the logic of this. Cables are passive devices...they can’t add anything to the sound...they just subtract less. So the better the cable, the less it subtracts. So which cable is going to subtract less; a Goebel at $x000.00 or your bog standard ethernet at $x.00? For the sake of illustration, let’s parameterize the Goebel at say -1 and the bs ethernet at -5
Use the Goebel alone and you’re result is -1. Use only the bs ethernet and you get -5. Use a Goebel plus a bs ethernet and its -6.....yes folks, you get the losses of both cables when you use them in series, so a Goebel with bs ethernet is more subtractive (sounds worse) than a bs ethernet alone since logic tells you that 2 cables can never sound better than 1

 

[Kris]

Lets think of the logic of this. Cables are passive devices...they can’t add anything to the sound...they just subtract less. So the better the cable, the less it subtracts. So which cable is going to subtract less; a Goebel at $x000.00 or your bog standard ethernet at $x.00? For the sake of illustration, let’s parameterize the Goebel at say -1 and the bs ethernet at -5
Use the Goebel alone and you’re result is -1. Use only the bs ethernet and you get -5. Use a Goebel plus a bs ethernet and its -6.....yes folks, you get the losses of both cables when you use them in series, so a Goebel with bs ethernet is more subtractive (sounds worse) than a bs ethernet alone since logic tells you that 2 cables can never sound better than 1

if you are right on this please tell us why the last 1 m of the powercord increases SQ ?
it should daegade it further if you are rigth !

 

[kswanson27]

Lets think of the logic of this. Cables are passive devices...they can’t add anything to the sound...they just subtract less. So the better the cable, the less it subtracts. So which cable is going to subtract less; a Goebel at $x000.00 or your bog standard ethernet at $x.00? For the sake of illustration, let’s parameterize the Goebel at say -1 and the bs ethernet at -5
Use the Goebel alone and you’re result is -1. Use only the bs ethernet and you get -5. Use a Goebel plus a bs ethernet and its -6.....yes folks, you get the losses of both cables when you use them in series, so a Goebel with bs ethernet is more subtractive (sounds worse) than a bs ethernet alone since logic tells you that 2 cables can never sound better than 1

Using that logic 2 Goebels would result in degradation of -2 vs 2 bs (bog standard?) cables producing degradation of -10, right? So a Goebel here and there can only help?

 

[nuway]

SGM Extreme - 2 week experience: JCAT cards

As previously stated, one of the luxuries that the Extreme provides is that it has several free PCIe slots allowing for future expansion as necessary. This also allows for easy A/B testing.

View attachment 61675

According to Emile, slots 1, 2, 6, and 7 are tied to CPU 1 while slots 3, 4, and 5 are tied to CPU 2. In his listening tests, he found that the Optane card is best suited for slot 3 (CPU 2) from a SQ perspective and so I did not attempt to move that card. He also found that the SFP network card sounded best when tied to CPU 1. I tried moving this SFP card from slot 2 (CPU 1) to slot 4 (CPU 2) and I have to agree, when tied to CPU 1, the SFP card sounds smoother and less coarse and so credit once again to Emile for leaving no stone left unturned. When I compared network cards, I kept them tied to CPU 1. Same thing with USB cards.

As previously reported, the stock dual RJ45 Ethernet ports on the Extreme sound very good. In the absence of any comparisons, I could happily live with the SQ from these ports and so I don't blame anyone who doesn't wish to go beyond but what I will say is that the Extreme is capable of much more. With the EtherREGEN connected to the SFP network card using the inexpensive SFP transceivers versus the EtherRegen connected to either of these RJ45 Ethernet ports even with the Sablon Ethernet cable, I am finding the fiber connection to be superior and easily worth the small asking price of the ER + cheap SFP transceivers.

JCAT Net Card FEMTO

How about the JCAT Net Card Femto? The answer is more complicated. Compared against the stock Ethernet ports of the Extreme, with the JCAT card powered by an SR7, no question, the JCAT card is better and the improvement is not so subtle to my ears. It is more dynamic, more expansive sounding, and timber is smoother and richer sounding. To all that I have subjected to A/B testing, with no exceptions, everyone has preferred the presentation of the JCAT card.

With JCAT vs fiber, this is where things get tricky. The ER along with these cheap SFP transceivers feeding the SFP card is sounding very satisfying at this time. Against the JCAT card being fed by either the ER or directly by my modem/router, the SFP connection has the lower noise floor and better resolution while the JCAT card sounds airier, has more tonal body, and has the bigger sound stage, especially when fed directly by the modem/router.

With Mahler's 1st Symphony, with the JCAT card, I am really liking Thierry Fischer's DXD version:

View attachment 61680

This is a modern recording that I just love. It is clean, dynamic, and with a very accurate sense of scale and was originally recorded using a DXD recorder and so this DXD file is essentially an unprocessed version of the master. These types of recordings, imo, represent the future.

With fiber, I am preferring Bruno Walter's version more:

View attachment 61677

Ignore the smaller size of the above thumbnail photo as that has no relevance. Bruno is the naturally more expressive conductor but casting that aside for the moment, the Bruno Walter version (1961) is a tape transfer to DXD by HDTT that has a very dense tonal quality to it that sounds a touch slow and strident on the JCAT card but nicely adds body to the fiber card. All things considered, this presentation on the fiber card is "to die for." You could see where this leads. Certain recordings may sound better one way versus the other and so there is no clear winner here.

Adding to the complexity, because I have no idea how things will sound with the SOtM sNH-10G, M12 Gold, or S100, all of this will all have to be assessed again at a later time.

JCAT USB Card FEMTO

The stock USB port on the Extreme is probably the best sounding stock USB port I have heard. According to Emile, this port is based off of the ASM3142 chipset that he really likes. In any of my previous builds, especially my last build utilizing a certain ASUS mini-ITX board, the stock USB ports sounded atrocious making something like the JCAT USB card a necessity. With the Extreme, I could once again see why no one would care to try and improve upon this. Here, the JCAT USB card provides an alternative voicing that may not be to everyone's taste but it is to mine. The stock USB port on the Extreme sounds more incisive where the JCAT card sounds fuller and is harmonically richer. The LPS-1.2 does a better job powering this card than the JCAT NET Card FEMTO and the standard SR4 by Paul Hynes is a step better but it is with a DR SR7 rail where the benefits of the JCAT USB card are most fully realized.

USB cables

I'll cut to the chase here. Not surprisingly, USB cables make a big difference. Having been part of many USB cable shootouts, I found the Intona Ultimate USB cable to be the highest resolution cable I had yet heard with no apparent harshness. Some found this cable to sound a touch sterile or mechanical but not me. I really like this cable.

Due to @spiritofmusic's prodding, I reached out to Mark at Sablon and asked to demo his new USB cable and I was quite surprised to find that his new cable somehow matched the resolution of the Intona Ultimate (not a small feat) while providing texture and air that the Intona lacked (although I hadn't realized it was lacking until I heard the Sablon). At a fraction of the price of the Intona Ultimate, this new Sablon is a NO BRAINER.

More to follow...

Excellente Report, I am also using the Femto Cards. What cable you use with the network card on your extreme?. I had to use a purist low profile cable/connector, The shunyata and sablon wont fit on the reduce room of the back of the extreme where the PCI JCAT Femto Ethernet card is connected. Altought, both Sablon and Shunyata are superior, the Purist does not sound bad.

 

[Mobiusman]

relative to it's performance it should weigh a ton.

I am new and still breaking in, but maybe even a crane or inflatable puck to assist with footer installation.
Yesterday I installed the 1.5 Center Stage Footers and the sound INSTANTLY improved for an hour or two before going somewhat south, which should be gone in 24-36 hours with the 1.5's.

Any extreme owner should give this a try. It is like they were made for each other. Stay tuned.

 

[Mobiusman]

MasterBuilt Ultra USB
As I am learning this thread, I wanted to throw in a USB thought. My system uses a full loom of MasterBuilt Ultra IC's, speaker wire, and power cords. I do not know how to describe this impact with my electronics, VAC ,and speakers, VSA Ultra 9's, I cannot imagine something being better and less colored. The cost of admission is dear, but a major contributor to my overall sound and cannot believe that I can do better elsewhere. Also had I not gone that way I would have eventually changed and broke Bucket List System Rule 2 (later) because it is so corrext.

Although new, when the system first went together with a MSB Reference DAC 77 fempto and an Innuos Zenith SE connected with a Masterbuilt Ultra USB, the combo only worked for 90 mins and then would not work although other USB's did as did the network renderer. Nothing came close to the MB Ultra USB until the combo stopped. Bye, bye Innuous, skipped the Statement and went to the Extreme because the hour and half that it worked set such a high bar I could not go back.

The rationale for the Extreme versus the Innuos Statement that worked with an MSB Select 2 connected via my MB Ultra USB for two months at Alma (totally accommodating dealers BTW) is as follows:. When I decided to put together my Bucket List System, I had two rules, one that I broke with my first purchase, (ultra 9's), my budget, and the other no purchase unless I could pay cash or check (no loans, no CC's and no debt. ). That way when I retire on 4/30 all I will have to pay is electricity. (let's see on that one!) because my retirement income will drop by 2/3.

So it was now or never for the Extreme. OMG thank you to anyone who pushed me there, especially Steve Williams and Mike Lavigne. It was amazing the first day. A whole additional level the second day and today off for footer settling and tomorrow should be incredible and remember I am still limping with Endeavor 3 Mk2's until Leif can travel to NJ to fix the 9's following the electrical surge that hit my system for some reason.

 

[nonesup]

Congratulations, you got your dream.
I was planning to change my Preamplifier (probably Aries Cerat Incito S) for early 2021 and early 2022 to decide whether to purchase an Extreme. Now with the consequences that await us from the breeding of the coronavirus, I see that far, far .....

 

[Steve williams]

MasterBuilt Ultra USB
As I am learning this thread, I wanted to throw in a USB thought. My system uses a full loom of MasterBuilt Ultra IC's, speaker wire, and power cords. I do not know how to describe this impact with my electronics, VAC ,and speakers, VSA Ultra 9's, I cannot imagine something being better and less colored. The cost of admission is dear, but a major contributor to my overall sound and cannot believe that I can do better elsewhere. Also had I not gone that way I would have eventually changed and broke Bucket List System Rule 2 (later) because it is so corrext.

Although new, when the system first went together with a MSB Reference DAC 77 fempto and an Innuos Zenith SE connected with a Masterbuilt Ultra USB, the combo only worked for 90 mins and then would not work although other USB's did as did the network renderer. Nothing came close to the MB Ultra USB until the combo stopped. Bye, bye Innuous, skipped the Statement and went to the Extreme because the hour and half that it worked set such a high bar I could not go back.

The rationale for the Extreme versus the Innuos Statement that worked with an MSB Select 2 connected via my MB Ultra USB for two months at Alma (totally accommodating dealers BTW) is as follows:. When I decided to put together my Bucket List System, I had two rules, one that I broke with my first purchase, (ultra 9's), my budget, and the other no purchase unless I could pay cash or check (no loans, no CC's and no debt. ). That way when I retire on 4/30 all I will have to pay is electricity. (let's see on that one!) because my retirement income will drop by 2/3.

So it was now or never for the Extreme. OMG thank you to anyone who pushed me there, especially Steve Williams and Mike Lavigne. It was amazing the first day. A whole additional level the second day and today off for footer settling and tomorrow should be incredible and remember I am still limping with Endeavor 3 Mk2's until Leif can travel to NJ to fix the 9's following the electrical surge that hit my system for some reason.

Russ, are you also using a MasterBuilt Ultra PC for the Extreme. That also made a huge improvement

 

[Mobiusman]

Russ, are you also using a MasterBuilt Ultra PC for the Extreme. That also made a huge improvement

Yeah, I am MB Ultra in every aspect, but think the USB has some special salsa and mine is breaking.

I had trouble sleeping last night and got up at 4:30 to see what the Extreme sounded like (I do not do that). U did not listen yesterday because Fri. night I put the 1.5 footers under it after a day without them and the improvement as instant for about 90 minutes and then degraded.

Back to this morning.I only wanted to hear a couple of cuts that I have using as references and did not go back to bed till 7:30 because I was having so much fun, and it's only 3 days old. Thanks again buddy.

 

[Esotar]

Hello, Guys~!

How many do you use Setchi D-3 with SGM Extreme??

Emile said only one Setchi must be used with Extreme.

But I don't agree his opinion.

I use Setchi D-3 USB and Lan with Extreme.

This is the best I think.

Try it please~!

You will agree my opinion.

 

[Taiko Audio]

Hello everybody,

Some of you might be wondering how the COVID-19 epidemic is affecting our company operations. We have been very lucky being situated in a minimally affected area of The Netherlands. We're in a "soft" shutdown situation where people are encouraged to work from home as much as possible. Schools, child care facilities, bars, restaurants and all public events are shut down since the 15th. Social distancing measures are in effect and we're not allowed to gather in groups over 3. I'll include the latest published charts of number of hospitalisations and deaths where it looks like lock down procedures are being effective with around a 2 week period delay:





We are fully operational here meanwhile, we have had around a 2-3 week delay in total mainly due to shipments delays of parts, all of which arrived last week. We have managed to secure enough stock to complete all current open orders and are able to accept new orders with an estimated 4 week lead time.

We have been working on new product releases which we intended to launch at the now cancelled Munich high-end show. Those are going to be delayed for several months as several of our subcontractors are working at reduced capacity.

A sneak peak of our planned "mini extreme" with some exciting new technology inside:





We hope that our operational status here in Holland is a small good news story for you during these challenging times.