Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème
- Thread starter CKKeung
- Start date
steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
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
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!”Guys I need to unsubscribe from this thread until I receive my unit, the drooling is just too much
It looks like we can start rolling out the update start of next week.
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!
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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
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
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
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
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
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
steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
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
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
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?
Well I do prefer Roon myself. YMMV. Then again still working on TAS right now.
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
