Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

[cat6man]

It does look like fiber may once more become the preferred connection as TAS has minimal to no network activity during playback. It’s interesting that it appears that the active time of the more power hungry SFP module can negative the galvanical isolation advantages. Then there’s another advantage where we gain more control over which of the 2 CPU’s handles what type of activity.

@emile
@ray-dude

i assume that my Extreme, coming next month, has an SFP chosen for it's SQ properties.
since the specific Finsar SFP, much discussed this summer, seem to have long ago reached unobtainium status, what is the current recommendation for the matching SFP that i should use to feed the Extreme?

 

[ray-dude]

I've found that the biggest impact to SQ is the SFP module. The lower power and the more industrial grade it is, the better SQ seems to be. The choice of fiber is whatever matches the SFP modules you're using, and I haven't heard (or heard reports of) any impact with different actual fiber optic cables. There was a very notable change with different SFP modules though (all this prior to TAS...TAS's local caching mechanism is a game changer for streaming audio, so fiber/SFP choices may not really matter any more)

 

[ray-dude]

@emile
@ray-dude

i assume that my Extreme, coming next month, has an SFP chosen for it's SQ properties.
since the specific Finsar SFP, much discussed this summer, seem to have long ago reached unobtainium status, what is the current recommendation for the matching SFP that i should use to feed the Extreme?

Emile can confirm current shipping status, but my Extreme did not come with a SFP module. Emile had recommended some in this thread, and I went with his recommendation. As the community discovered the impact of SFP modules, I ended up with 3-4 different pairs, and along with some others, actually started to poke around spec books to see if there were lower power consumption options available.

When Emile and team made some network config changes (and now TAS and soon the Taiko switch), playing with network configs went WAY low on my list. When the Taiko switch comes out, I have full confidence it will come with system tweaks and recommended configs that have been tuned well beyond what I'm able to do.

In your case, rest assured that the new optical NIC configs on the Extreme are awesome, and really diminished the impact of SFP modules in my system (went from not subtle to fairly subtle). You're in great shape out of the box, even with stock SFTP modules.

To the extent you're part of the TAS beta, the impact on streaming content is orders of magnitude beyond any network tweaking I have done...I suspect choice of SFTP module just doesn't matter any more, but that is TBD.

Looking ahead, we can also look forward to the Taiko switch, which will build in lessons from all the network tweaking the community was doing earlier this year (plus a whole lot more, I'm sure), so it will be a very nice turn key option.

 

[ray-dude]

As an aside, the Great Disruption (where a Roon update made SQ go to hell...yes I said it) happened just a couple weeks after I got my Extreme. I went from jaw dropping amazement to really starting to savor the new experience of music I was having, then it was brutally snatched away. Absolutely horrible, but a delightful experience as the Taiko team was able to claw back the experience over the next several weeks.

As disruptive as the Great Disruption was, there is a straight line between that incident and the learnings from networking side, to the remarkable performance of TAS for streaming and local content, and soon, the Taiko switch. Roon's promiscuous behavior on the network shown a bright light on the discipline and hygiene one needs to get the very best SQ out of Extreme, and Emile and team have moved mountains in a very short amount of time to not only see what is happening, but to figure out how to apply that knowledge to this completely next level of "WOW" that those of us on TAS are now experiencing.

I'm sure we would have gotten there eventually, but the Phoenix rising from that disastrous Roon release is absolutely glorious!

 

[cat6man]

In your case, rest assured that the new optical NIC configs on the Extreme are awesome, and really diminished the impact of SFP modules in my system (went from not subtle to fairly subtle). You're in great shape out of the box, even with stock SFTP modules.

To the extent you're part of the TAS beta, the impact on streaming content is orders of magnitude beyond any network tweaking I have done...I suspect choice of SFTP module just doesn't matter any more, but that is TBD.

Looking ahead, we can also look forward to the Taiko switch, which will build in lessons from all the network tweaking the community was doing earlier this year (plus a whole lot more, I'm sure), so it will be a very nice turn key option.

thanks ray-dude............once less thing to obsess about and one more thing TAS makes a non-issue.

now, MUST SUBLIMATE somehow!
(starting work on battery based RPi-4 + audiolinux + isoregen + geekout2a for new car music server)

 

[Taiko Audio]

@emile
@ray-dude

i assume that my Extreme, coming next month, has an SFP chosen for it's SQ properties.
since the specific Finsar SFP, much discussed this summer, seem to have long ago reached unobtainium status, what is the current recommendation for the matching SFP that i should use to feed the Extreme?

Drop me an e-mail, I can help you out with that.

 

[Taiko Audio]

Looking ahead, we can also look forward to the Taiko switch, which will build in lessons from all the network tweaking the community was doing earlier this year (plus a whole lot more, I'm sure), so it will be a very nice turn key option.

We made sure we have options on how to utilize it to get optimal results, but indeed do feel we’re coming closer to a degree of irrelevance by current (and future) software developments.

 

[plasmod3]

I posted this pic of a new black Extreme installation previously but it was a day shot and looked faded....better pic at night. Black Beauties- Extreme and Pilium Leonidas integrated.
View attachment 72124

Is that a shindo preamp i see in the photo? it seems the shindo is widely synergistic with many amps out there

 

[plasmod3]

Just a quick note of thanks to Emile for his legendary customer service. I received my Extreme a month ago, but had nasty issues with Roon. When Emil initially transferred my 5TB of files from my NAS to my Extreme HDD, Roon kept wanting to access my playlist and bookmark data from the meta-data stored on the NAS drive, rather than access the files from the Extreme. If I disconnected my NAS drive, half my playlists (some 20 years old from my iTunes days) were lost. This was not a Taiko issue but a Roon issue. Roon sent me info as to how to correct the problem, but apparently, I didn't have my decoder ring charged, so after a few week of headbanging, I gave up and asked Emile for help. Sure enough, he read the Roon material and knew exactly what to do. After some generous time on Team Viewer, he rectified my situation so my Roon files now come from the best SQ source, namely either the Extreme HDD or direct streaming sources. Thanks Emile! (Anybody want a 14TB NAS drive cheap- with 5TB of files included? PM me.)

I look forward to exploring TAS, but will wait for some further development as I cannot live without the Roon metadata and flexibility since I find it currently essential for musical exploration.

Here's a question that has surely been asked before but since I'm not eager to look through 264 pages of thread for the answer , and since there seems to be budding resurrection to consider using fiber vs copper to drive the Extreme due to TAS, what is a good/best?, modestly priced fiber optic cable (I need 25 ft) that folks are using to connect their network switch to their Extreme? Thanks in advance.

i would have thought fiber as that solves the noise issue you can otherwise get from connecting to a noisy 'net' emile and the forum has worked out the best adaptors to use - its a finisar module FTLF1318P2BT1 , some also suggests the fiber cable to be a longer one which helps. there is a specification or which fiber cable to use as well - can't rem it though

 

[Taiko Audio]

i would have thought fiber as that solves the noise issue you can otherwise get from connecting to a noisy 'net' emile and the forum has worked out the best adaptors to use - its a finisar module FTLF1318P2BT1 , some also suggests the fiber cable to be a longer one which helps. there is a specification or which fiber cable to use as well - can't rem it though

I like and use the ACT RL1700 series, 1701 is a 1 meter length, 1705 5 meters, etc. There are higher quality offerings which are harder to get, I did not experience any revelations thus far trying some of those myself.

 

[kswanson27]

i would have thought fiber as that solves the noise issue you can otherwise get from connecting to a noisy 'net' emile and the forum has worked out the best adaptors to use - its a finisar module FTLF1318P2BT1 , some also suggests the fiber cable to be a longer one which helps. there is a specification or which fiber cable to use as well - can't rem it though

I'm using a Finisar 1324P2BTL-MC with 15 m of fiber. Sounds very good to me but hopefully, as Emile says above, it will all become a lot less important with TAS and the Taiko switch.

 

[octaviars]

its a finisar module FTLF1318P2BT1 , some also suggests the fiber cable to be a longer one which helps. there is a specification or which fiber cable to use as well - can't rem it though

Is that modelnumber correct, cant find it anywhere? I thought it was FTLF1318P3BTL?

Regarding fibercable a singlemode cable often have a attenuation around 0,35dB per Km so 1m of cable will attenuate the signal with 0,00035dB and 10m with 0,0035dB.

If you want to get a high quality fibercable Corning Clearcurve is a good choice.

LC-LC duplex 9/125µm Corning ClearCurve single mode bend insensitive fiber optic patch cable

LC-LC duplex 9/125µm Corning ClearCurve single mode bend insensitive fiber optic patch cable

www.fiberoptics4sale.com

 

[Esotar]

Euro Driver

I have a question.

As I know, TAS can be worked with all streaming services.

Because of Roon's limited function, I couldn't sell 8 SGM Extremes.

In Korea, there is the most popular streaming service [BUGS].

If SGM Extremes can make BUGS app be worked, Korean sales amount will be better.

Please test it and tell me the result via my email address.

kbhisgod@hotmail.com

 

[Esotar]

I requested Korean streaming service BUGS to Edward about 5 hours.

Today is Sunday Emile and Edward can rest.

When I posted upper writing, Edward sent email and started to work.

Edward's next mail is BUGS is only for Korean app, so SGM Extreme can't support it.

I was very happy for him to fast and kind service.

This is Korean app problem.

I think I have no choice without giving up BUGS.

BUT~!!!!!

Edward's final email made me be shocked.

He was successful in work BUGS with TAS~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Korean SGM Extreme users' hopes come true~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BUGS is impossible app to use it in TAS, but Edward didn't give up and suceed to work BUGS in TAS.

SGM Extreme is worldwide no. 1 music server and two legendary engineers are very very very busy.

But for Korean audiophiles, Emile and Edward gave up their only rest opportunity.

I'm very proud of two heroes~!!!

 

[EuroDriver]

I requested Korean streaming service BUGS to Edward about 5 hours.

Today is Sunday Emile and Edward can rest.

When I posted upper writing, Edward sent email and started to work.

Edward's next mail is BUGS is only for Korean app, so SGM Extreme can't support it.

I was very happy for him to fast and kind service.

This is Korean app problem.

I think I have no choice without giving up BUGS.

BUT~!!!!!

Edward's final email made me be shocked.

He was successful in work BUGS with TAS~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Korean SGM Extreme users' hopes come true~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BUGS is impossible app to use it in TAS, but Edward didn't give up and suceed to work BUGS in TAS.

SGM Extreme is worldwide no. 1 music server and two legendary engineers are very very very busy.

But for Korean audiophiles, Emile and Edward gave up their only rest opportunity.

I'm very proud of two heroes~!!!

Hi Esotar,

Not quite, yes I have music playing but not inside TAS. That will be quite a challenge

 

[Esotar]

Hi Esotar,

Not quite, yes I have music playing but not inside TAS. That will be quite a challenge

If you need anything, please send the email.

I'll do everything for you.

Korean SGM Extreme customers and I are waiting for the day official TAS is released.

I really hope you delete Roon in our Extreme.

 

[plasmod3]

Esotar, a bit of a diversion from the discussion here....what is the best way for us to get kpop flac or hi-res files? Like iu,taeyeon etc. its quite a bit of a challenge getting these online , keen on your thoughts

 

[Esotar]

Esotar, a bit of a diversion from the discussion here....what is the best way for us to get kpop flac or hi-res files? Like iu,taeyeon etc. its quite a bit of a challenge getting these online , keen on your thoughts

Unfortunately, there is no Korean app has good sound quality streaming sources now.

BUGS is the oldest service, but they never develop their app.

BUGS has the most K-POP sources, but that's all.

Actually I don't hear K-POP, but if many Extreme users like K-POP, I'll find the good quality K-POP streaming service.

And I'll request Edward to test the app.

The thing I'm concerned is to add other works to very busy Emile and Edward.

 

[ctydwn]

Was able to listen for 4-5 hours today. The opportunity has been tricky during the pandemic. Mix of local playback and streaming. Could not pull myself away. For me, I just have never heard music sound so good and thaw emotions I have not felt in some time. Can TAS really improve the sound that much?! Excited to find out.

Also based on many users’ experience on this thread, upgrading DAC to what seems to have great synergy w the Extreme. Looking forward to that as well. This thread and the Taiko ecosphere has been such a welcomed distraction this year. It is quite a privilege and excited for 2021.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday.

 

[Steve Williams]

Was able to listen for 4-5 hours today. The opportunity has been tricky during the pandemic. Mix of local playback and streaming. Could not pull myself away. For me, I just have never heard music sound so good and thaw emotions I have not felt in some time. Can TAS really improve the sound that much?! Excited to find out.

Also based on many users’ experience on this thread, upgrading DAC to what seems to have great synergy w the Extreme. Looking forward to that as well. This thread and the Taiko ecosphere has been such a welcomed distraction this year. It is quite a privilege and excited for 2021.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday.

IMO this is the best thread ongoing here at WBF thanks to an involved community as well as Emile and his wonderful team committed to one thing only......the very best SQ and yes TASin it's infancy is already better than a mature Roon

I second the wishes on a safe and happy Holiday Season