Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème
- Thread starter CKKeung
- Start date
We do not currently offer Jriver. The main reason for this is a certain part of the operating system that needs to be left enabled to allow Jriver to operate. We are however working on a less heavily stripped OS that will run Jriver and video playback software for special requests.
The currently supported playback software options are:
-Jplay Femto
-Roon
-HQPlayer
Addressing backups separately as it's an important subject. We do not install backup software on the SGM's for various, mainly sound quality, reasons.
The Extreme uses Microsoft Storage Spaces to create a drive pool in which you can add drives to dynamically expand a single storage volume. Storage Spaces supports placing drives in RAID, we do however not recommend this. RAID 1 (mirror), is sonically transparent but means you will store all your DATA twice on local server storage. RAID 5 is less wasteful as it only requires 1 parity (redundant) drive for your whole drive array. However RAID 5 is sonically very harmful reducing the local file playback quality to regular SSD level.
Therefor we recommend to always keep multiple copies of your music library, for example internally stored on the SGM and on a NAS or external drives.
The SGM can be accessed over the network to execute remote backups.
Time permitting I can expand on some technical design choices for those interested.
Addressing memory modules:
One of the largest disturbances on server music playback quality we found is DRAM refresh. The charge on DRAM memory cells weakens over time therefor it needs to be refreshed in pre-set time intervals. During the refresh period all memory operations halt. Memory current draw peaks during refresh, a single memory dim can easily draw 2.5A or higher during the refresh cycle. This is the main reason for DIY community feedback that fewer, or lower speed, dimms sound better, which can be true except you're seriously limiting bandwidth as you have more then just a single memory channel in modern high performance systems.
With the EVO we started focussing on reducing the amount of refresh intervals and refresh period time with quite significant advances in playback fidelity. For this to work you need a higher then average selection of memory chip quality, close chip matching and keep temperatures as low as possible. For the EVO we bought virtually all available consumer level dimms and selected those in which we could get the lowest memory refresh rate / length. As it turned out quality varies from dimm to dimm, so on top of that we started cherry picking the best of the bunch.
For the Extreme we took this a few steps further, these dimms have factory pre-selected A-grade memory modules, all dimm components (memory chips, capacitors, resistors etc) are matched to within a 1% tolerance and selected for low current draw. The side effect of this is refresh rate burst current is reduced by almost 50% and operating temperatures are much lower allowing lower refresh rates. Combined with power supply filtering this allows us to use 12 memory dimms with a very high combined bandwidth at very low refresh noise levels.
Does it mean that reducing refresh rate and refresh cycle period require Lower CAS value and higher frequency?
Thanks very much for that. Just to confirm, would the dac need to be UPnP/DLNA compliant and act as a renderer?
I could find that there is a Refresh Period (tREF) in the memory setting, does it help?
Thanks. Does the Extreme have a master clock input, allowing it to be synchronized with a DCS DAC using AES/EBU?
Don't we loose the benefit of most of the specific aspects of the Extreme adding a third party card that streams the data to the DAC?
I have JCAT Femto USB Card and Femto Network Card.
When I use JCAT product to Extreme, sound quality is increased a little.
I don't want to recommend other cards.
But JPLAY Femto is super fantastic~!!!
Am I correct saying that you use the JCAT Femto Network Card to connect to the network and connect to the Trinity DAC using the JCAT Femto USB Card ?
Each DAC has its better sounding input channel be it USB, Ethernet, AES/BEU or SPDIF. Depending on the DAC and its best sounding digital input a good third party can take advantage of the better sounding input
Even if you have an optical connection between the Extreme and the DAC, the RF noise management will still be clearly audible
As I told, I sold 7 EVO and 11 Extreme in Korea.
Korea is very very very poor country.
But when I gave EVO experience service to Korean audiophiles, they sold their components and ordered SGM.
Korean audiophiles were shocked by SGM's various setting.
- Instruments and vocal position
- Resolution
- Texture
- 2D Stage
- 3D Stage
- Sound density
- Sound Reverberation
- etc.
SGM can control upper features.
So matching fail possiblity can be decreased~!!!
One EVO user installed $ 5 power cable to EVO, and requested Emile to set EVO.
After setting EVO, $ 5 power cable quality was similar to $ 300 power cable~!!!
I set EVO 50 times.
I felt 50 differences
These are SGM's power.
Korea is very very very poor country.
But when I gave EVO experience service to Korean audiophiles, they sold their components and ordered SGM.
Korean audiophiles were shocked by SGM's various setting.
- Instruments and vocal position
- Resolution
- Texture
- 2D Stage
- 3D Stage
- Sound density
- Sound Reverberation
- etc.
SGM can control upper features.
So matching fail possiblity can be decreased~!!!
One EVO user installed $ 5 power cable to EVO, and requested Emile to set EVO.
After setting EVO, $ 5 power cable quality was similar to $ 300 power cable~!!!
I set EVO 50 times.
I felt 50 differences
These are SGM's power.
In case of a networked connection there are several options, the most convenient one being through Roon.
It does but we have not tested actually using one yet, on the todo list:
Input word clock: BNC, Signal Adaptation Circuit (functional from 1.2 Vpp input signal), termination via jumper
Output word clock: BNC, low-impedance driver stage, 4 Vpp into 75 Ohms, short-circuit-proof
JPLAY Femto referenced to above is playback software, you can use it as a local output for Roon (however you will not extract the maximum potential from it then), or standalone as a very minimalistic UPNP library manager and renderer. You can control it with UPNP control apps, the best functioning one is Bubble upnp (on android). It performs especially well with XMOS based USB receivers. Its for the purist who favours sound quality over user interface and does not mind tweaking a little.
Easily confused for JCAT Femto addon cards
