Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème
- Thread starter CKKeung
- Start date
It kills me because I love the volume control in Roon when using a few tube preamps that don't have remote VC. Emile said it would reduce the SQ but I thought I could live with the reduction in SQ for the convenience factor. Although when I compared them, the SQ difference between using the Roon VC vs disabling it, was quite noticable. I haven't gone back to using the Roon vc and now I am used to it and enjoyng the jaw-dropping sonics.
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What is the "default" buffer size and what did you reduce it to? I sometimes get a pop when files change resolutions and I'll bet this will solve it.
Also do you change the resync delay?
Default is reliable, changed to minimum latency. This only really works well on a machine that is configured to run in "low latency" mode.
I do change the resync delay on my totaldac as it takes a bit of time to lock after the source resolution changes. I use 1500ms.
Removing unused modules do not affect the sound of the DAC unless they are connected to cables “Except” the Renderer module. That module is a computer and needs to be on and active continuously so it can be ready to connect to a network. Removing it definitely has sonic benefits. Most people only either need the Renderer or the ProUSB so having only one plugged in is the best solution. It is possible to power down the Renderer from software but it would be a huge headache from a customer service perspective. From past experience we would get a rash of “failed” Renderer modules from customers who forgot they disabled them.
As you many have noticed the ProISL system uses SFP modules. The ProISL is not however related to any computer protocol like Ethernet, so the SFP modules that work well with ProISL will be different than the one that work well with Ethernet. Use only optical modules that meet these specifications: 1310nm laser, SMF (Single Mode Fiber), LC duplex connectors, TX laser power can not exceed -3dbm (or you run the risk of burning out the receiver die). Many SFP modules were evaluated and they all worked, we selected the ones that worked the best, "however" there may be some combinations of SFP modules that do not work. Since the ProISL is significantly different from any other data protocol used with SFP modules any experience with which SFP modules work best in another application will not track with the ProISL. The ProISL was designed to allow hot swapping of the SFP laser modules ONLY, NEVER hot swap the entire ProISL input module! Always power down the DAC to remove or add any input module. Failing to power down the DAC when unplugging or adding a module could ruin the DACs motherboard.
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Hello Daniel,
Many thanks for these tips!
Very useful for MSB owners. They are not mentioned in the manuals and I guess most MSB dealers don't know about them.
Please share more!
Thank you. I get the TX laser power bit, it basically means to limit the SFP modules to 20km range, and verify Tx power, as it may still vary between models / brands, but is it possible for you to expand on why we couldn't use 1550nm wavelength modules?
There's no issue, and you don't need extra SFP modules, some audiophiles just like to tweak. Feel free to ignore.
1550nm modules do work for the ProISL, however they are not optimal for this application. If you wanted a custom link to send ProISL more than 20km I would recommend 1550nm due to its lower adsorption loss. The drawbacks are that under 20km 1550nm has much (in theory and measured by us) higher jitter than 1310nm. This is due to two factors. One, the lasers for 1310nm are more stable at room temperature and two, 1310nm has near zero dispersion (dispersion directly adds jitter) in SMF (Single Mode Fiber). We have verified this in our lab and for the shorter links most likely encountered in use 1310nm had much better jitter performance. While 1550nm may be best for a computer data link (where all you need is error free data transfer) it is not optimal for the ProISL. As in pointed out in my previous post, ProISL is much different from other computer data links so your experience with them will not track. So while 1550nm has less adsorption loss in SMF for long (kilometer length) cables that loss is near zero for 1310nm over short cable lengths. The advantage of near zero dispersion and better laser stability of 1310nm create a much higher performance ProISL link for shorter cables of less than a few kilometers. Also if a customer decided to use 1550nm at one end of the link and 1310nm at the other end it would still work if the cable was reasonably short but the performance would be much degraded leading to a semi incompatibility that would be hard to diagnose.
another significant step up tonight found by installing fibre cable from my NAS to the Extreme server. 15m of OS2 single mode fibre cable and a pair of SFP modules and and a FMC converter module. one SFP module plugs directly into a slot on the Extreme.
$350 in parts; 30 minutes to pull out my 50' run of Ethernet cable from my conduit and run the fibre with it. the Extreme immediately found the fibre and i had music. super easy.
lower noise on all sources; NAS and internal drive sources are a small but noticeable degree quieter; streaming sources a few degrees more quiet and more sexy bass too. Qobuz is really amazing sounding (it was already very, very good....now even better).
this plus the MSB Pro USB is a must do for any MSB dac user.
$350 in parts; 30 minutes to pull out my 50' run of Ethernet cable from my conduit and run the fibre with it. the Extreme immediately found the fibre and i had music. super easy.
lower noise on all sources; NAS and internal drive sources are a small but noticeable degree quieter; streaming sources a few degrees more quiet and more sexy bass too. Qobuz is really amazing sounding (it was already very, very good....now even better).
this plus the MSB Pro USB is a must do for any MSB dac user.
I'm Taiko Audio dealer and beta tester.
Now Emile is developing SGM Extreme new update programs.
Yesterday, he requested me to test new update quality and find weak points.
The update was proceeded two times.
While Emile did update works, I didn't see his works.
I think two programs are installed and many settings were done.
Since new update was done, I have heard all zenre musics files with new updated Extreme.
My final opinion is like below :
1. Resolution is increased
2. Closer to Vinyl
3. Stage is larger
4. Extreme speed is increased
5. Windows is more stable
Emile wanted me to find weak points, but I can't find them.
Extreme quality is increased and Extreme's system is more stable.
FLAWLESS~!
You will receive Emile's wonderful update service in short time.
The most important thing is...
This fantastic update service is just started~!!!!!!
Now Emile is developing SGM Extreme new update programs.
Yesterday, he requested me to test new update quality and find weak points.
The update was proceeded two times.
While Emile did update works, I didn't see his works.
I think two programs are installed and many settings were done.
Since new update was done, I have heard all zenre musics files with new updated Extreme.
My final opinion is like below :
1. Resolution is increased
2. Closer to Vinyl
3. Stage is larger
4. Extreme speed is increased
5. Windows is more stable
Emile wanted me to find weak points, but I can't find them.
Extreme quality is increased and Extreme's system is more stable.
FLAWLESS~!
You will receive Emile's wonderful update service in short time.
The most important thing is...
This fantastic update service is just started~!!!!!!
Great news and I look forward to receiving mine at Emile’s convenience 
I use only Entreq Atlantis Infinity or Olympus Infinity cables.
Entreq flagship cables are hard to say world no. 1 quality.
The reason is Entreq flagship cables don't have strong characters.
Just pass on lower noise signal to next components.
So my system sound is featureless, but flawless sound.
To add sound character in my system, one cable not to make by Entreq is used.
Light Harmonic [New Light Speed 20G [[[Custom]]] USB cable]
20G USB is very awesome, but dead very easily.
I pushed LH and new version 20G was released.
New version has no internal battery, and quality is increased a bit more.
Korean SGM Extreme customers all use LH 20G DE [[Custom version]]
I have schedule to send LH 20G DE to Emile.
The best USB cable is LH 20G DE, I think.
Not expensive ($ 2,320 / 1.6m), and very fast (in case of my executive product 20G [DE], 12GB/s)
After sending my 20G DE USB to Emile, I'm looking forward to know his feedback.
Ha Ha
Entreq flagship cables are hard to say world no. 1 quality.
The reason is Entreq flagship cables don't have strong characters.
Just pass on lower noise signal to next components.
So my system sound is featureless, but flawless sound.
To add sound character in my system, one cable not to make by Entreq is used.
Light Harmonic [New Light Speed 20G [[[Custom]]] USB cable]
20G USB is very awesome, but dead very easily.
I pushed LH and new version 20G was released.
New version has no internal battery, and quality is increased a bit more.
Korean SGM Extreme customers all use LH 20G DE [[Custom version]]
I have schedule to send LH 20G DE to Emile.
The best USB cable is LH 20G DE, I think.
Not expensive ($ 2,320 / 1.6m), and very fast (in case of my executive product 20G [DE], 12GB/s)
After sending my 20G DE USB to Emile, I'm looking forward to know his feedback.
Ha Ha
Emile made probably the same ajustments on my Extreme yesterday. I can pretty much agree exactly with your 5 points above. This took Emile 5 minutes to do and literally it was as significant as maybe upgrading an amplifier, dac or preamp in the system.
I am also using the FO set up that Mike mentioned above.
It is almost hard to believe what files and Qobuz sound like. Bravo Emile!!!
Do you also have a fibre link from the Extreme to the home network? Can you tell us what SFP modules and FMC converter you are using?
i miss spoke. this fibre link is directly from the Extreme to a Gigaswitch next to my NAS sitting upstairs. so it is the connection from my server to my home network. then i have a short Ethernet cable from that Gigaswitch to my NAS. in a few weeks all my files will be on the drives inside my Extreme. but for now i access most of my files from the NAS.
here are links to the pieces i installed last night; all spec'd by Emile. he also spec'd the settings on the FMC converter.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0747WZ8LZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FWJMTXU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0099S4WYE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
