Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

[Taiko Audio]

I own an Artesania Audio rack and love it. Yes it is expensive but I consider it a component.

CLASSIC LINE - Artesania Audio

MASTER KYO EXOTERYC RACK PRESTIGE RACK AIR FORCE RACK KALISTA RACK AUDIOVIDEO RACK ACCESSORIES CATALOGUE DOWNLOAD RACK CATALOGUE DOWNLOAD ACCESORIES...Read More

artesaniaaudio.com

Good suggestion. Their “new” organic line looks interesting to me aswell due to the use of Panzerholz. http://artesaniaaudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Artesania-Audio-Organic-Line.pdf

 

[Blackmorec]

Can anyone recommend a well built Rack with two platforms for the Extreme and an AMP - available in Europe - Emile told me I should get a stable one cause the Extreme is very sensitive to vibrations - I don't find an adequate solution - I have recently a basso continuo Cymbalion 2.0 Rack....would want to put a Rack before it - hope this doesn't ruin the thread...

Hi Muni,
when it came to racks I finally stopped changing and upgrading my support system after I installed 2 Finite Elemente Pagoda Master Reference racks in my system. There is now a version 2 but that version1 with Cerabase feet has performed flawlessly during over 20 years of ownership. I check my racks reasonably regularly whenever I’m upgrading components using a stethoscope to detect any looseness and so far its needed to be adjusted zero times. Its been tight as a nut and perfectly aligned for its entire lifetime, which included 1 reinstallation after some major international shipping. The reinstallation only required the Cerabases to be levelled to the new floor; the rest of the unit stayed perfectly adjusted.
In terms of sonic performance, it was SOTA when I bought it….now I haven’t a clue as I‘ve never used or tried anything else, but as far as I can tell it still delivers incredibly well detailed, uncoloured music in a way that provides no identifiable impurities or limitations….just beautifully pure, transparent and extremely dynamic, pacy, rhythmical sound.

 

[ctydwn]

Big fan of mixed materials as well combining Quadraspire (UK) with HRS...

 

[Taiko Audio]

Looks great @ctydwn !

 

[Muni]

The feedback is variable right now, it ranges from no impact at all, including from pulling the network cable during playback, to significant reported changes. The willingness to experiment is low in our customer base, as it should be as a one stop solution. From the feedback we do receive a ~75% majority reports a minimal to no impact from the network, but again, the sample size is too limited to draw definite conclusions. Either way, the aim is to get this number up to 100%.

thank you Emile this is good to know - I am up to 100%

 

[Muni]

I own an Artesania Audio rack and love it. Yes it is expensive but I consider it a component.

CLASSIC LINE - Artesania Audio

MASTER KYO EXOTERYC RACK PRESTIGE RACK AIR FORCE RACK KALISTA RACK AUDIOVIDEO RACK ACCESSORIES CATALOGUE DOWNLOAD RACK CATALOGUE DOWNLOAD ACCESORIES...Read More

artesaniaaudio.com

thank you Bryans - yes a bit expensive - and I only nee two shelves and I didn't see they have that...
Best

 

[Muni]

Big fan of mixed materials as well combining Quadraspire (UK) with HRS...View attachment 82587

View attachment 82589

Thank you ctydwn!

looks beautiful - at first sight not stable enough for the Extreme?
I would go for it but it too doesn't have an option for two shelves only...
Great the bases for your equipment from HRS...

 

[Muni]

Hi Muni,
when it came to racks I finally stopped changing and upgrading my support system after I installed 2 Finite Elemente Pagoda Master Reference racks in my system. There is now a version 2 but that version1 with Cerabase feet has performed flawlessly during over 20 years of ownership. I check my racks reasonably regularly whenever I’m upgrading components using a stethoscope to detect any looseness and so far its needed to be adjusted zero times. Its been tight as a nut and perfectly aligned for its entire lifetime, which included 1 reinstallation after some major international shipping. The reinstallation only required the Cerabases to be levelled to the new floor; the rest of the unit stayed perfectly adjusted.
In terms of sonic performance, it was SOTA when I bought it….now I haven’t a clue as I‘ve never used or tried anything else, but as far as I can tell it still delivers incredibly well detailed, uncoloured music in a way that provides no identifiable impurities or limitations….just beautifully pure, transparent and extremely dynamic, pacy, rhythmical sound.

Great Blackmorec - it does what it has to deliver - sounds good - a bit expensive though!
Thank you for sharing and recommending!

 

[Muni]

Good suggestion. Their “new” organic line looks interesting to me aswell due to the use of Panzerholz. http://artesaniaaudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Artesania-Audio-Organic-Line.pdf

looks too small for the Extreme - would be nice yes!

 

[bryans]

thank you Bryans - yes a bit expensive - and I only nee two shelves and I didn't see they have that...
Best

Yes it is expensive. If two shelves is a must you can look at stackable racks.

Adona Audio Racks: http://www.adonacorporation.com/index.html
Custom Isolation Products: http://customisolation.net/

I haven't owned any of these so I can't comment on how good they are. I will say I was about to purchase an Adona rack before finding my Artesania rack.

 

[Taiko Audio]

looks too small for the Extreme - would be nice yes!

https://www.hifi-advice.com/blog/re...rtesania-organic-line-modular-floor-platform/

Modular Platform Dimensions:
Outer width – 64cm
Outer depth – 71cm
Upper layer width – 48cm
Upper layer depth – 61cm​

I have no personal experience with it though other then Panzerholz working well.

 

[Muni]

Big fan of mixed materials as well combining Quadraspire (UK) with HRS...View attachment 82587

View attachment 82589

Hi ctydwn - I just ordered a 2 shelves Quadraspire Reference Rack which will stand in front of my double Rack - thanks to your post with the beautiful prictures - I ordered also a different kind of floor protection spikes - the QX7 version for a less analytic sound...
Best
Muni

 

[Muni]

https://www.hifi-advice.com/blog/re...rtesania-organic-line-modular-floor-platform/

Modular Platform Dimensions:​

Outer width – 64cm​

Outer depth – 71cm​

Upper layer width – 48cm​

Upper layer depth – 61cm​

I have no personal experience with it though other then Panzerholz working well.

looks great...just ordered see my post below - thank you Emile!

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Yes it is expensive. If two shelves is a must you can look at stackable racks.

Adona Audio Racks: http://www.adonacorporation.com/index.html

I haven't owned any of these so I can't comment on how good they are. I will say I was about to purchase an Adona rack before finding my Artesania rack.

i can comment on the Adona linked there. i use 4 separate Adona Zero GXT racks for all my sources (click on my system page below for a pic). mostly i use them with Taiko Daiza shelves on top of the granite/cherry Adona shelves. my Extreme is sitting on the bottom shelf of my GXT rack on a double stack of Daiza's, which would be the same rack performance (+the double Daiza) as that stackable rack linked.

obviously the Taiko Daiza is a synergistic pairing with the Taiko Extreme. double Daiza doubly so.

i'm very happy with what i hear.

 

[Muni]

Yes it is expensive. If two shelves is a must you can look at stackable racks.

Adona Audio Racks: http://www.adonacorporation.com/index.html
Custom Isolation Products: http://customisolation.net/

I haven't owned any of these so I can't comment on how good they are. I will say I was about to purchase an Adona rack before finding my Artesania rack.

thank you Bryans - i appreciate your help very much - looks interesting!

 

[Muni]

i can comment on the Adona linked there. i use 4 separate Adona GXT racks for all my sources (click on my system page below for a pic). mostly i use them with Taiko Dazia shelves on top of the granite/cherry Adona shelves. my Extreme is sitting on the bottom shelf of my GXT rack on a double stack of Dazia's, which would be the same rack performance (+the double Daiza) as that stackable rack linked.

i'm very happy with what i hear.

what a system!!!!
Congrats, Mike - won't be the first one to do that.....
Thanks for your support...great you are happy - should be the case!

 

[Blackmorec]

Another very good rack….not too expensive, well made, easy to construct and adjust, that maintains its adjustment very well is the Atacama range. I’ve had several of their racks and have achieved IMO outstanding results with bags of 3D imagery, full venue atmosphere and all the musical detail even a fussy audiophile could desire. Basically it comprises some very thick laminated bamboo shelving, which has a very benign and musical signature….allowing plenty of Pace and Rhythm and it gets the timing right with no smearing or any even slightly obvious frequency anomalies. I found the best way with the rack is to get floor spikes and shelves level and hand-tight adjusted….no spanner’s or wrenches required or desired.
Even spike nuts are only finger tight, which maintains adjustment but applies no stress or torque.

 

[Muni]

i can comment on the Adona linked there. i use 4 separate Adona Zero GXT racks for all my sources (click on my system page below for a pic). mostly i use them with Taiko Daiza shelves on top of the granite/cherry Adona shelves. my Extreme is sitting on the bottom shelf of my GXT rack on a double stack of Daiza's, which would be the same rack performance (+the double Daiza) as that stackable rack linked.

obviously the Taiko Daiza is a synergistic pairing with the Taiko Extreme. double Daiza doubly so.

i'm very happy with what i hear.

Hi Mike can you tell me more about the effect of the second Daiza....

 

[Muni]

Another very good rack….not too expensive, well made, easy to construct and adjust, that maintains its adjustment very well is the Atacama range. I’ve had several of their racks and have achieved IMO outstanding results with bags of 3D imagery, full venue atmosphere and all the musical detail even a fussy audiophile could desire. Basically it comprises some very thick laminated bamboo shelving, which has a very benign and musical signature….allowing plenty of Pace and Rhythm and it gets the timing right with no smearing or any even slightly obvious frequency anomalies. I found the best way with the rack is to get floor spikes and shelves level and hand-tight adjusted….no spanner’s or wrenches required or desired.
Even spike nuts are only finger tight, which maintains adjustment but applies no stress or torque.

hi Blackmorec,
thank you sounds good - I was close to buying ane but found out that the shelves only carrry 25 kilos - and the beloved Extreme weighs almost double....

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Hi Mike can you tell me more about the effect of the second Daiza....

the second Daiza furthur disconnects the perception from the sense that the music is reproduced. it takes things more real by degrees. that little bit more organic, more grainless and liquid, notes have a touch more sustain, bass a bit more agile, a touch more scale with a bit more light into the edges of the stage. it's already not sounding digital, and like my vinyl, but now more so.

part of this is that i have double Daiza's also under 'each' of my three MSB Select II chassis boxes. having the whole digital signal path with double Daiza's causes the whole to be greater than the parts. synergy. then my preamp and mono block amps have active isolation too. originally i had the dac chassis on active, and single Daiza's under the 2 power supply chassis. a suggestion from Emile was to go 'double-Daiza' under the whole digital chain and move the active elsewhere (it ended up under my CS Port phono to good effect). it was a net gain for both my digital performance and my vinyl, to follow Emile's advice.

will every system get the same boost from the double Daiza approach? my guess is this is an end-game move, you've taken care of the low hanging fruit and are looking for that little bit more. it's not going to be a huge change, but sometimes only small changes equal a more satisfying experience. most "Extreme" systems will enjoy a benefit.

i have a 3 (large) chassis phono stage arriving today; the Aesthetix Io Eclipse. integrating this beast into my system will likely cause me to stack my MSB Select II for a time while i investigate the Io Eclipse. not sure the Io Eclipse will become a permanent resident......or not. we will see. i'm at defcon 4 for space for all my boxes. and my system link pics don't even show my fourth Adona rack and my 4 tt. here is a link to the pic with 4 racks.

Miyajima Labs 1.0 mil Infinity Mono

Option for the second arm would be a viv labs. Can sit on the plinth or some pillar to the back left. that option briefly flashed across my mind. but the 180+ pound Saskia slate plinth covers almost the whole shelf surface. i'm sure there are engineering solutions i might have considered, but...

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