Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème
- Thread starter CKKeung
- Start date
btw; full disclosure; last night i did a Queue with 20 or so cuts and soon realized that as far as i can tell load times had not diminished.i was totally involved just listening so was fully aware. i was not bothered by it really. less time would be good, but could live with this if it did not change.
really enjoyed what i was hearing. a joyful close out to the day.
sorry i talked too soon.
Admittedly I was scratching my head on what could be causing that
This delay btw is not a simple preloading or caching of files. It is a proprietary mechanism which elevates SQ not only from local files but also from internet based streaming sources like Qobuz and files located on a NAS. It is the result of a long investigation into thus far unexplained differences in SQ between files/music sources. How this is accomplished is Wilson's magic.
an amazing effort Euro, makes me really proud to be an Extreme owner. Feelings like this doesnt come with many of our components out there might i add
steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
I love TAS and have not used Roon since it was installed. However, if I were given one thing to improve and only one thing it would be the lengthy delay between tracks. Some delays seem longer than others and others seem so long I wondered if I had to restart XD Player
IOW the lengthy delay drives me crazy. I know there is a good explanation as to why it is occurring and I guess I am good with it if I am told it is necessary to give the best SQ.but otherwise it is just too long
Last night I tried using Roon for a few files having almost exclusively used TAS after its roll-out (other than a couple of quick A/Bs with Roon the first evening I tried TAS). I often find these longer term comparisons can quickly point out differences between whatever is being tested more starkly and unequivocally than fast A/B/A/B comparisons.
This certainly proved to be the case now that I've become very used to the "new normal" of TAS sound quality. Roon doesn't sound bad, per se -- and I can easily listen to Roon Radio-mode when I'm busy doing other things -- but compared to TAS, Roon sounds smaller, flatter and not nearly as dynamic. Roon also sounds as if a thin layer of grayish dust coats its sonic picture. Not nearly as pleasant an experience as TAS.
TAS has become a "once-you've-heard-it, it-can't-be-unheard" sort of game-changer and an essential part of my music listening experience.
Steve Z
This certainly proved to be the case now that I've become very used to the "new normal" of TAS sound quality. Roon doesn't sound bad, per se -- and I can easily listen to Roon Radio-mode when I'm busy doing other things -- but compared to TAS, Roon sounds smaller, flatter and not nearly as dynamic. Roon also sounds as if a thin layer of grayish dust coats its sonic picture. Not nearly as pleasant an experience as TAS.
TAS has become a "once-you've-heard-it, it-can't-be-unheard" sort of game-changer and an essential part of my music listening experience.
Steve Z
Last edited:
spent the last 3 hours luxuriating into my files in TAS......but have to go to bed.
kinda got a feel for how everything works and so now am just listening and not figuring things out any more.
really remarkable just how direct and unprocessed every cut now sounds. how it sounds like events in specific spaces. "reach out and touch it" kinda sound. less of all the right things, and more of all the right things. my listening was in a head-space where i was not thinking about sound (digital or analog), but just realism and listening to my next familiar track. about 90% of the cuts got a 'really? or a wow! from me to myself.
this is a drug. i do reserve the right to walk this back a touch. but right now i'm pretty stoked about it.
kinda got a feel for how everything works and so now am just listening and not figuring things out any more.
really remarkable just how direct and unprocessed every cut now sounds. how it sounds like events in specific spaces. "reach out and touch it" kinda sound. less of all the right things, and more of all the right things. my listening was in a head-space where i was not thinking about sound (digital or analog), but just realism and listening to my next familiar track. about 90% of the cuts got a 'really? or a wow! from me to myself.
this is a drug. i do reserve the right to walk this back a touch. but right now i'm pretty stoked about it.
I appreciate very much the opportunity I've had to use the TAS alpha these past few weeks. As an alpha, I expected there to be hiccups and that has been the case. It has taken some tweaking to get it to operate smoothly in my system but thanks to Emile, for the past week, it has been running quite smoothly, enough so that I have been able to conduct A/B testing more easily. Here are my candid (and hopefully constructive) early thoughts.
To provide some background, I was taken aback by the disastrous Roon 528 update back in late April and I voiced my dismay:
www.whatsbestforum.com
While Emile was able to offer a fix, it didn't feel like a complete fix to me, at least from an engagement standpoint, and what was more concerning, especially based on how the Roon moderator so poorly treated @EuroDriver on their forum when he reported it, the people at Roon seemed to have no clue what they had done and worse, they didn't seem to care. I figured it was a matter of time before they'd shoot themselves in the foot again (since no one over there seems to do listening tests) and I was afraid the next time, Emile might not be able to offer a fix.
www.whatsbestforum.com
And so in May, I left Roon. I had left it once before for Stylus (before I bought my Extreme) because of SQ reasons. Now, I was convinced I was leaving it for good.
www.whatsbestforum.com
My new landing spot was HQP Desktop. Even with HQP's filters turned off (bit-perfect playback), I found HQP to sound night and day better than Roon. HQP didn't have any of the bloat and overhang or the dulled transients of Roon and also had a lower noise floor due to so much more network activity. In fact, previous to settling on HQP standalone, I found myself trying out different cables and even a different preamp and different amplifiers trying to compensate for the problem. It was amazing to me how damaging a software music player could be.
After moving to HQP standalone, I periodically went back to Roon to hunt for new music on Qobuz but couldn't leave Roon quickly enough. Every time I'd returned to HQP, the improvement was once again so blatantly obvious. Once I found new music that I enjoyed, I purchased it, loaded it onto my Extreme's local storage and played it back through HQP. Inconvenient? Yes, and those who have tried HQP Desktop know that its interface is nothing to write home about but as has been stated, "once you've heard it, it can't be unheard" and I had to remind myself that I'm not in this hobby for half-assed SQ and so this is how I've been listening to music on my Extreme since May.
Despite now being a "non-mainstream" Extreme user, Emile has been very kind to help me optimize my setup. It turns out the optimum OS settings for Roon are not necessarily what is optimum to run HQP and so changes were made. What is nice is that HQP does not reach out to the network like Roon does and so along with some network optimizations that Emile brought forth, in my system, the quality of the network no longer mattered. With time, my setup has evolved to a combination of HQP server (tied to one CPU) and NAA (tied to the other CPU) and so basically, I have been running a server/endpoint setup in a single machine with even better results. I had no doubt that TAS would sound better than Roon but would it sound better than HQP/NAA? Even Emile said he couldn't be sure and so I am grateful that he elected to port TAS to both his own player (XD) and to HQP/NAA as options. I realize that the HQP interface was not easy to do as it had to be developed from scratch and so Emile, Wilson, and Ed, a big thank you!
To be continued...
To provide some background, I was taken aback by the disastrous Roon 528 update back in late April and I voiced my dismay:
Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème
I agree with you. I don't think it's an across the board improvement, particularly in the sub 30Hz region. Extension is good but transient rise and fall is very very slightly inferior to what I experienced with the penultimate build. I might be willing to give it the benefit of doubt in the...
www.whatsbestforum.com
While Emile was able to offer a fix, it didn't feel like a complete fix to me, at least from an engagement standpoint, and what was more concerning, especially based on how the Roon moderator so poorly treated @EuroDriver on their forum when he reported it, the people at Roon seemed to have no clue what they had done and worse, they didn't seem to care. I figured it was a matter of time before they'd shoot themselves in the foot again (since no one over there seems to do listening tests) and I was afraid the next time, Emile might not be able to offer a fix.
Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème
loving the changes i am hearing to my digital playback performance tonight. earlier today after i left for work Emile remotely did his update magic and i've been waiting all day to come home and listen. spent the last hour or so sampling my reference tracks and i'm smiling ear to ear and tapping...
www.whatsbestforum.com
And so in May, I left Roon. I had left it once before for Stylus (before I bought my Extreme) because of SQ reasons. Now, I was convinced I was leaving it for good.
Network Improvements and their Impact on Sound Quality
Hi Romaz, Brilliant and most useful piece of work. This is something I’m sure a great many forum members and beyond have been most curious about, myself included. From my own limited experience i would like to bring up 2 points from your article whose importance or better said, contribution...
www.whatsbestforum.com
My new landing spot was HQP Desktop. Even with HQP's filters turned off (bit-perfect playback), I found HQP to sound night and day better than Roon. HQP didn't have any of the bloat and overhang or the dulled transients of Roon and also had a lower noise floor due to so much more network activity. In fact, previous to settling on HQP standalone, I found myself trying out different cables and even a different preamp and different amplifiers trying to compensate for the problem. It was amazing to me how damaging a software music player could be.
After moving to HQP standalone, I periodically went back to Roon to hunt for new music on Qobuz but couldn't leave Roon quickly enough. Every time I'd returned to HQP, the improvement was once again so blatantly obvious. Once I found new music that I enjoyed, I purchased it, loaded it onto my Extreme's local storage and played it back through HQP. Inconvenient? Yes, and those who have tried HQP Desktop know that its interface is nothing to write home about but as has been stated, "once you've heard it, it can't be unheard" and I had to remind myself that I'm not in this hobby for half-assed SQ and so this is how I've been listening to music on my Extreme since May.
Despite now being a "non-mainstream" Extreme user, Emile has been very kind to help me optimize my setup. It turns out the optimum OS settings for Roon are not necessarily what is optimum to run HQP and so changes were made. What is nice is that HQP does not reach out to the network like Roon does and so along with some network optimizations that Emile brought forth, in my system, the quality of the network no longer mattered. With time, my setup has evolved to a combination of HQP server (tied to one CPU) and NAA (tied to the other CPU) and so basically, I have been running a server/endpoint setup in a single machine with even better results. I had no doubt that TAS would sound better than Roon but would it sound better than HQP/NAA? Even Emile said he couldn't be sure and so I am grateful that he elected to port TAS to both his own player (XD) and to HQP/NAA as options. I realize that the HQP interface was not easy to do as it had to be developed from scratch and so Emile, Wilson, and Ed, a big thank you!
To be continued...
Now on to TAS. Upon first opening TAS, I was asked to tap on my "preferred" Extreme. This made me feel quite inadequate as I only own 1 Extreme .
Kidding aside, I love the simplicity of TAS. Turn one server or player on and the other toggles off. The following screen is self-explanatory:
As Emile and group have suggested, with XD player, setting the buffer is key.
Buffer settings make a difference with HQP also but they make a much bigger difference with XD. With lower buffer settings, the signature is more incisive and is excellent for large orchestral music with complex lines. Reach too far and the signature can get too thin and dry. Increase the buffer setting and you get better density and a weightier sound that can also be more forgiving for vocals. Go too far and the signature can sound too heavy and smeared. There's no right or wrong, only personal preference. In Emile's system, if I recall correctly, he told me he likes a PCM buffer setting of 4096 for most things. In my system, I am preferring a buffer setting of 64 most of time and so this is on the opposite end of the spectrum. This low of a buffer setting is not a standard option and has to be set in the config file. Emile suspects my Chord DAVE and the modified Amanero driver that Chord uses is an outlier compared to other DACs and so this preference for near real-time (as opposed to heavily buffered) playback is probably more the exception than the rule, hence, it is not a standard option (not yet, at least). Moreover, the "Auto" buffer setting does not sound good in my system as it reminds me of Roon. "Adaptive-1" and "Adaptive-2" don't work at all. I can go as high as a PCM buffer setting of 2048. Beyond that, nothing plays but this is of no consequence as 2048 already sounds too thick and smeared with my DAC. I have not tried playing around with DSD buffers because truth be told, I am allergic to DSD (my head explodes). Also, float (versus integer) is not my preference. Regardless, the ability to adjust these variables is invaluable.
Regarding usability, TAS gets high marks already as far as I'm concerned. Once you get used to TAS, navigating its features is a joy. TAS is extremely responsive on my iPad Pro and the layout is simple and intuitive. Roon is more feature-rich and more refined at this stage but I have no doubt TAS will narrow the gap with time. Compared to HQP's interface, TAS is pure JOY!
Could some things be better? Yes, of course. Here are a few personal suggestions. If you select an album within the "Albums" tab, you get the following screen:
The above screen is how it should be. The track titles are very long but you are presented with the track titles in their entirety. However, if you select an album from the "Music Folder" tab, you get the following screen instead which is less helpful:
It's attractive but the titles of the tracks are truncated. It would be nice to be able to toggle to the list view like you get when you select an album from the "Albums" tab.
TAS also would benefit from a "Search" feature. Not like Roon's (which has improved but still not that great) but preferably like Spotify's which is almost Google-like in terms of speed and relevance. I would also love more sorting and filtering options (and Roon really excels here) but this is nitpicking since this is, after all, an alpha product and has been in development for months and not years. I'm sure these refinements will come with time.
As for SQ, I'm happy to find that either TAS + XD or TAS + HQP is better than Roon and so while expected, it is a relief to find out just how much better it is and that I can enjoyably listen to Qobuz again. As for Qobuz streaming versus local file playback, Emile and group have done well to narrow the gap which is a remarkable feat but my method of local file playback is unique and consequently, Qobuz streaming will never quite equal local file playback. The following is a screen capture of playback of one of my reference files through Qobuz. Notice the playback streaming bit rate of 750kb/s of this Redbook file at the bottom.
Here is playback of that same track on TAS from the Extreme's local storage but note the massively increased bit rate:
The gap in bit rates is like comparing hi-res to mp3 and it sounds like it, too. Obviously, this file has been manipulated but plays back bit-perfect on TAS and sounds simply STUNNING on the Chord DAVE. This has absolutely nothing to do with HQP btw and unfortunately, seems to benefit mainly Chord DACs. If you have a Chord DAVE and an Extreme, feel free to PM me and I can share with you a file that you can listen to on TAS with your Extreme and your DAVE. This is just crazy good. If you have a Chord DAVE and don't have an Extreme, you really need to get an Extreme.
Regarding TAS + XD versus TAS + HQP/NAA, at this time, with my DAC, TAS + HQP/NAA is sounding better. In comparison, XD is sounding closed in but I believe Emile has already figured out why and so I am confident XD will improve and possibly leapfrog HQP/NAA. Again, this is likely a DAC-specific issue. Without getting into it too much, your DAC quite possibly already sounds better with XD but to be sure, you should try for yourself as TAS is operating smoothly with both players.
Regarding TAS + HQP/NAA versus HQP/NAA standalone, I am finding that TAS + HQP/NAA to sound superior although for now, TAS + HQP/NAA is not gapless. What stands out is that the user experience with TAS is so much better than HQP standalone and so I am happy to live with the gaps.
Imho, TAS either with XD or HQP is a landmark product already. While I was quite upset with the Roon 528 update, in hindsight, it turned out to be the best thing that could have happened. What was probably meant to be an expeditious "fill in" for Roon (at least that was my initial modest expectation) instead turned out to be a remarkable product that brilliantly leverages almost every ounce of the Extreme's hardware and will undoubtedly only become more refined with time. Despite being an alpha product, its future potential is clear especially when combined with Taiko's upcoming ASIO driver and USB card.
.Kidding aside, I love the simplicity of TAS. Turn one server or player on and the other toggles off. The following screen is self-explanatory:
As Emile and group have suggested, with XD player, setting the buffer is key.
Buffer settings make a difference with HQP also but they make a much bigger difference with XD. With lower buffer settings, the signature is more incisive and is excellent for large orchestral music with complex lines. Reach too far and the signature can get too thin and dry. Increase the buffer setting and you get better density and a weightier sound that can also be more forgiving for vocals. Go too far and the signature can sound too heavy and smeared. There's no right or wrong, only personal preference. In Emile's system, if I recall correctly, he told me he likes a PCM buffer setting of 4096 for most things. In my system, I am preferring a buffer setting of 64 most of time and so this is on the opposite end of the spectrum. This low of a buffer setting is not a standard option and has to be set in the config file. Emile suspects my Chord DAVE and the modified Amanero driver that Chord uses is an outlier compared to other DACs and so this preference for near real-time (as opposed to heavily buffered) playback is probably more the exception than the rule, hence, it is not a standard option (not yet, at least). Moreover, the "Auto" buffer setting does not sound good in my system as it reminds me of Roon. "Adaptive-1" and "Adaptive-2" don't work at all. I can go as high as a PCM buffer setting of 2048. Beyond that, nothing plays but this is of no consequence as 2048 already sounds too thick and smeared with my DAC. I have not tried playing around with DSD buffers because truth be told, I am allergic to DSD (my head explodes). Also, float (versus integer) is not my preference. Regardless, the ability to adjust these variables is invaluable.
Regarding usability, TAS gets high marks already as far as I'm concerned. Once you get used to TAS, navigating its features is a joy. TAS is extremely responsive on my iPad Pro and the layout is simple and intuitive. Roon is more feature-rich and more refined at this stage but I have no doubt TAS will narrow the gap with time. Compared to HQP's interface, TAS is pure JOY!
Could some things be better? Yes, of course. Here are a few personal suggestions. If you select an album within the "Albums" tab, you get the following screen:
The above screen is how it should be. The track titles are very long but you are presented with the track titles in their entirety. However, if you select an album from the "Music Folder" tab, you get the following screen instead which is less helpful:
It's attractive but the titles of the tracks are truncated. It would be nice to be able to toggle to the list view like you get when you select an album from the "Albums" tab.
TAS also would benefit from a "Search" feature. Not like Roon's (which has improved but still not that great) but preferably like Spotify's which is almost Google-like in terms of speed and relevance. I would also love more sorting and filtering options (and Roon really excels here) but this is nitpicking since this is, after all, an alpha product and has been in development for months and not years. I'm sure these refinements will come with time.
As for SQ, I'm happy to find that either TAS + XD or TAS + HQP is better than Roon and so while expected, it is a relief to find out just how much better it is and that I can enjoyably listen to Qobuz again. As for Qobuz streaming versus local file playback, Emile and group have done well to narrow the gap which is a remarkable feat but my method of local file playback is unique and consequently, Qobuz streaming will never quite equal local file playback. The following is a screen capture of playback of one of my reference files through Qobuz. Notice the playback streaming bit rate of 750kb/s of this Redbook file at the bottom.
Here is playback of that same track on TAS from the Extreme's local storage but note the massively increased bit rate:
The gap in bit rates is like comparing hi-res to mp3 and it sounds like it, too. Obviously, this file has been manipulated but plays back bit-perfect on TAS and sounds simply STUNNING on the Chord DAVE. This has absolutely nothing to do with HQP btw and unfortunately, seems to benefit mainly Chord DACs. If you have a Chord DAVE and an Extreme, feel free to PM me and I can share with you a file that you can listen to on TAS with your Extreme and your DAVE. This is just crazy good. If you have a Chord DAVE and don't have an Extreme, you really need to get an Extreme.
Regarding TAS + XD versus TAS + HQP/NAA, at this time, with my DAC, TAS + HQP/NAA is sounding better. In comparison, XD is sounding closed in but I believe Emile has already figured out why and so I am confident XD will improve and possibly leapfrog HQP/NAA. Again, this is likely a DAC-specific issue. Without getting into it too much, your DAC quite possibly already sounds better with XD but to be sure, you should try for yourself as TAS is operating smoothly with both players.
Regarding TAS + HQP/NAA versus HQP/NAA standalone, I am finding that TAS + HQP/NAA to sound superior although for now, TAS + HQP/NAA is not gapless. What stands out is that the user experience with TAS is so much better than HQP standalone and so I am happy to live with the gaps.
Imho, TAS either with XD or HQP is a landmark product already. While I was quite upset with the Roon 528 update, in hindsight, it turned out to be the best thing that could have happened. What was probably meant to be an expeditious "fill in" for Roon (at least that was my initial modest expectation) instead turned out to be a remarkable product that brilliantly leverages almost every ounce of the Extreme's hardware and will undoubtedly only become more refined with time. Despite being an alpha product, its future potential is clear especially when combined with Taiko's upcoming ASIO driver and USB card.
Last edited:
Thanks Romaz for your very detailed explanation. The interface remind me very much of logitech media server
steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Romasz
very nice review. As to your comments about DSD, I would suggest you revisit it as in my system the sound I got with DSD was outstanding and as great as PCM was, DSD was better esp DSD256
very nice review. As to your comments about DSD, I would suggest you revisit it as in my system the sound I got with DSD was outstanding and as great as PCM was, DSD was better esp DSD256
Steve, i agree with you that the uptic in dsd performance with TAS Alpha has been spectacular (and dsd 256 especially so++). but i also know that not all dacs perform equally with dsd and PCM. so my guess is that if Romasz is not seeing that dsd performance gain that it could be related to his dac (which he may have suggested himself but i did not read that).
Indeed the Chord Dave excels with 32/705.6 recordings which is the format virtually all Extreme owning Dave owners use. Either as native files or by means of realtime upsampling using HQPlayer. The DAVE's Amanero based USB interface also appears somewhat unusual (from our POV), so we are currently looking into optimizing native 32-bit file playback performance.
Incredible detailed report @romaz !
Incredible detailed report @romaz !
i do think that the performance from TAS Alpha has implications beyond file and streaming listening.
my guess/opinion/feeling is that once an Extreme/TAS/ high level dac playing files can be directly compared to a disc transport, any disc transport, that we would see files as at another higher level than discs. don't know yet if i would also feel the same about streaming.
not sure how soon this type of compare might occur. i know how dear many view their discs.
when contemplating investing in an expensive transport (or valued vintage transport) or expensive server; TAS/Extreme might become the ultimate tipping point.
my 2 cents, YMMV, and all that stuff.
my guess/opinion/feeling is that once an Extreme/TAS/ high level dac playing files can be directly compared to a disc transport, any disc transport, that we would see files as at another higher level than discs. don't know yet if i would also feel the same about streaming.
not sure how soon this type of compare might occur. i know how dear many view their discs.
when contemplating investing in an expensive transport (or valued vintage transport) or expensive server; TAS/Extreme might become the ultimate tipping point.
my 2 cents, YMMV, and all that stuff.
Last edited:
Well Mike, a few of us are really interested in those comparisons. Means nothing in the absolute grand scheme of things...discs guys gonna disc, streaming guys gonna stream.
But as lines in the audiophile sand, I would love there to be a proper cd transport v TAS/Extreme computer audio grand compare.
But as lines in the audiophile sand, I would love there to be a proper cd transport v TAS/Extreme computer audio grand compare.
Very perceptive -- when you get into TAS' "Server Settings" there is a lot of LMS functionality and settings:
My first experience with LMS. There is a lot -- I mean, a lot, of functionality under the hood, though not all of it is enabled in the alpha TAS.
For example, in the Plugins page of Server Settings are a whole list of currently inactive plugins to accomplish certain tasks, or display certain things. I tried enabling "Don't Let The Music Stop" which is supposed to continue play of similiar music after the last item playing stops. It doesn't work for me -- but it didn't blow anything up either.
The potential exists for incorporating more features into TAS IF incorporating the features doesn't compromise sound quality. I very much trust Emile, Wilson, Ed and the whole Taiko team to be the gatekeepers for this.
Steve Z
Great review, Roy. Thanks for taking the time. In the first of your comments that I've quoted, if you are referring to a global Search function which would search not only My Library (locally stored files) but also Qobuz and Tidal (when Tidal is working with TAS), I very much agree. It would be more convenient to see what is out there on subscribed streaming services and be able to compare it with what is in one's own library all in one integrated search than having to do a My Music search and then a Qobuz search.
As far as more sorting and filtering, the My Music search has an Advanced button which opens up the following search window:
The Qobuz search function does not offer this Advanced search ability. This might be a function of what Qobuz will actually respond to when presented with a search request from a subscriber's music player -- that API thing again.
As far as your second comment -- I couldn't agree more. I am amazed and delighted with the magnitude of sonic improvement being achieved by what are essentially lines of code. In the past, achieving this level of improvement would have meant spending lots of $$$ on hardware, and even then significant improvement might not accrue commensurate with the expense involved. That there is even more to be discovered as Emile and team learn more and optimize the software is exciting indeed.
Steve Z
Last edited:
LMS was indeed the chosen starting point to build out the Taiko Audio System.
From the perspective of SQ, the player software does more than 2/3 rds of the heavy lifting. Extreme HQP and Extreme XD have been coded from the ground up and both share no common source code with Squeezelite or other LMS players
Taiko will also be releasing its own optimized derivative of LMS which we confidently expect will raise the SQ bar even higher.
A lot of the available features in LMS won’t make it into TAS as they can’t be at a SQ level which Taiko Owners enjoy and expect.
There is also going to be a new Taiko App User Interface for browsing, playing tracks and creating playlists that hopefully will be intuitive and a pleasure to use. Wilson cut his coding teeth 20 years ago as a database programmer and we expect those skills to come into play in the coming software releases
This is a very exciting project for us, but the most rewarding part is being able to deliver enhanced listening pleasure to the Taiko Customer base
From the perspective of SQ, the player software does more than 2/3 rds of the heavy lifting. Extreme HQP and Extreme XD have been coded from the ground up and both share no common source code with Squeezelite or other LMS players
Taiko will also be releasing its own optimized derivative of LMS which we confidently expect will raise the SQ bar even higher.
A lot of the available features in LMS won’t make it into TAS as they can’t be at a SQ level which Taiko Owners enjoy and expect.
There is also going to be a new Taiko App User Interface for browsing, playing tracks and creating playlists that hopefully will be intuitive and a pleasure to use. Wilson cut his coding teeth 20 years ago as a database programmer and we expect those skills to come into play in the coming software releases
This is a very exciting project for us, but the most rewarding part is being able to deliver enhanced listening pleasure to the Taiko Customer base
I must say what an absolute privilege to be able to bear witness, in seemingly real time, to such a ground breaking audio development project. Not only is it fascinating to have a window into TAS' evolution and the organic alpha testing process, there are also so many salient observations being shared by the testing and development experts, and on this thread in general, that it seems fit for a uni class. I cannot wait for the Beta version.
I sure did not grasp the full significance of purchasing an Extreme in the beginning. Thank you to all for the testing efforts so far and of course especially to Emile, Ed, Wilson, Christoph and the rest of the team.
I sure did not grasp the full significance of purchasing an Extreme in the beginning. Thank you to all for the testing efforts so far and of course especially to Emile, Ed, Wilson, Christoph and the rest of the team.
Extreme Power Question:
In the Manual under the appropriately titled "Advice for HiFi OCD" it states: "At a minimum AC power should be capable of delivering 2KW of continuous power..."
So, if for instance, one had Iso Transformer with a capacity of 1500 continuous watts before the Extreme would that transformer be underpowered?
Or is the actual power needed by the Extreme more like 480 watts continuous power?
In the Manual under the appropriately titled "Advice for HiFi OCD" it states: "At a minimum AC power should be capable of delivering 2KW of continuous power..."
So, if for instance, one had Iso Transformer with a capacity of 1500 continuous watts before the Extreme would that transformer be underpowered?
Or is the actual power needed by the Extreme more like 480 watts continuous power?
