Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

[Ultrafast69]

What we are still working on at this point is applying part of these latest advances to TAS, we may not get there entirely as as you all know the TAS front-end is limited by LMS performance. TAS will need to be replaced with XDMS to stay competitive, but XDMS needs some rework at this stage. Further to this there's scope for improvement for a few Vendor specific USB implementations, DCS and MSB namely, but this probably applies to more brands. I do expect to be able to launch soon, the update process is down to around 2 minutes plus the time it takes to remote into an Extreme meaning potentially we could have everybody updated in just a few days. XDMS will launch with update and support features so from there on you can simply update yourself by clicking the update button. This includes an option to temporarily give us access to your Extreme should you be in need of support, all together this will save us a lot of time and allow us to make more frequent updates available to you.

Exciting!

 

[Steve Williams]

This is the biggest improvement in SQ so far I have experienced in my system!

For my ears it was the biggest sound quality improvement in my system EVER. I finally stopped listening at midnight last night and I still haven't begun to listen to all of my files stored in the Extreme

I am still wrapping my head around what I heard yesterday and it is such a huge uptick that I am still trying to understand what happened. I too watch Emile fly through the install in just a few minutes and it was done. Everyone with an Extreme needs to have this new OS installed.

Simply put I have never heard my system sound so good as it did after the OS install. TAS took a jump up but not to the extent that Roon did

XDMS looks beautiful BTW. I love being part of this experiment in the R and D of all there new Taiko products

 

[simorag]

Guys I need to unsubscribe from this thread until I receive my unit, the drooling is just too much

 

[Bobvin]

Guys I need to unsubscribe from this thread until I receive my unit, the drooling is just too much

I hear you… for a new component I’ve had the audiophile chubby more than once, but never for a software upgrade. My wife is looking “honey, you can’t go out in public like that!”

 

[Taiko Audio]

It looks like we can start rolling out the update start of next week.

 

[jbrrp1]

For my ears it was the biggest sound quality improvement in my system EVER. I finally stopped listening at midnight last night and I still haven't begun to listen to all of my files stored in the Extreme

I am still wrapping my head around what I heard yesterday and it is such a huge uptick that I am still trying to understand what happened. I too watch Emile fly through the install in just a few minutes and it was done. Everyone with an Extreme needs to have this new OS installed.

Simply put I have never heard my system sound so good as it did after the OS install. TAS took a jump up but not to the extent that Roon did

XDMS looks beautiful BTW. I love being part of this experiment in the R and D of all there new Taiko products

Steve, now it's essential that your guests get to hear the Horizon and the Pacific both in your system for proper evaluation of the impact that the DAC difference makes. Otherwise, they all might conclude that the Horizon shook the Earth, when it might be just as much (or more?) the Extreme software upgrade...

I'm so glad you made that comparative listen possible, and I'm eager to read everyone's impressions. I just wish I could be there to experience it myself. Thanks for hosting this big event!

 

[dminches]

Sounds like I am getting a birthday present!

Great news @Taiko Audio .

 

[EuroDriver]

XDMS looks beautiful BTW. I love being part of this experiment in the R and D of all there new Taiko products

Hi Steve,

We are really happy that you like the look of XDMS 2.0

 

[jbrrp1]

It looks like we can start rolling out the update start of next week.

Does my Pacific need the updated USB card in it to work with this software update, or is that an independent issue? (I haven't been willing to part with the DAC for the time it would take to get the card update...maybe by summer.)

 

[Steve Williams]

Hi Steve,

We are really happy that you like the look of XDMS 2.0

It's the work of Andy Davey of TKO Design. Here is a link to the TKO Design Web Site

Andy has been an absolute revelation for us to work with. The depth of the research he does, and then his Teams's iterative design process.

The relentless advance of each design step, results in Andy and his team delivering beautiful and functional products.

Hi Edward

your taiko team rocks. What an absolute bunch of devoted music lovers I have to admit that there is a certain swagger to the Roon platform. Having lived with serial and gapless for 3 years it was nice to use Roon for the lack of a gap however I love the look of XDMS and the auto update button.

IMO Taiko is at the very peak of digital music reproduction. I have been drooling awaiting the release of XDMS and now having seen a glimpse we will soon be putting TAS to rest

 

[Taiko Audio]

Does my Pacific need the updated USB card in it to work with this software update, or is that an independent issue? (I haven't been willing to part with the DAC for the time it would take to get the card update...maybe by summer.)

You will be missing a piece of the "magic" if your Pacific still has an Amanero interface but it should still be an upgrade.

 

[Steve Williams]

You will be missing a piece of the "magic" if your Pacific still has an Amanero interface but it should still be an upgrade.

I agree. If your Pacific has Amanero see if you can get a JL Sounds USB board and have a technician remove the Amanero and install the JL Sounds as the latter gives total access to TAS whereas not the same for Amanero. There is no difference in SQ between the 2 boards but rather it is the increased function of JL Sounds that is the important thing to consider

 

[Rhapsody]

It looks like we can start rolling out the update start of next week.

When the update is done, is that just the OS update that updates Roon and TAS OR will the update including installing XDMS?

 

[Steve Williams]

my guess is the OS only. I think they are working on there final nugget of the OS puzzle and once finished my guess is that is when XDMS will be released

 

[Rhapsody]

my guess is the OS only. I think they are working on there final nugget of the OS puzzle and once finished my guess is that is when XDMS will be released

Agreed, I just thought it would be good to have Emile explain it so that everyone is on the same page

 

[Steve Williams]

Its that final 25% that we are all awaiting

 

[Taiko Audio]

OS / USB / Roon / TAS, we could consider removing TAS on request as in general people seem to prefer Roon now anyway. XDMS will come later. A part of this update was originally planned to rollout with XDMS but as we are now reworking XDMS due to recent discoveries/developments we're providing this update separately to "compensate for the delay". Basically you will now have the sound quality you would have gotten from XDMS in December/January, but with Roon.

 

[dminches]

OS / USB / Roon / TAS, we could consider removing TAS on request as in general people seem to prefer Roon now anyway. XDMS will come later. A part of this update was originally planned to rollout with XDMS but as we are now reworking XDMS due to recent discoveries/developments we're providing this update separately to "compensate for the delay". Basically you will now have the sound quality you would have gotten from XDMS in December/January, but with Roon.

Emile, are we to infer from your comments that you think Roon will sound better than TAS with this update?

 

[Taiko Audio]

Emile, are we to infer from your comments that you think Roon will sound better than TAS with this update?

Well I do prefer Roon myself. YMMV. Then again still working on TAS right now.

 

[oldmustang]

We could use a few more testers owning one of the following DACs:

-EMM Labs DAC2V2
-EMM Labs DAC2X
-Esoteric Grandioso D1X
-Esoteric K-01X
-Esoteric K-01XD
-Esoteric K-03
-Ideon Absolute
-Nagra HD-X
-Nagra Tube Dac
-Wadax Reference

I strongly urge anyone with the above DACs to give Emile's beta updates a try. I'm not sure what I can add to Steve Williams' and Nils posts -- they nailed what I am hearing from Roon, and I abandoned Roon some time ago in favor of TAS. Now, for the time being at least, Roon has pride of place as my new favorite music player (again).

It's not a subtle improvement, either with streaming or with stored files (I tried both). And yes, the new package passes my "can I play it softer, can I play it louder" test with flying colors. But more importantly, it passes the emotional involvement test, which is what matters most to me.

Now the question with XDMS on the horizon -- will there be a way to import favorites and playlists from TAS and Roon into XDMS? Over the long period I've been using TAS I've marked a lot of albums and tracks as favorites. . .

Bravo Emile, Ed and all the Taiko development team!

Steve Z