Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

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Some Eye Candy for Extreme Owners who like to use their Smartphone to control their Extreme

Nice! :)


I take this opportunity to ask you a question about XDMS features.

I'm Roon user.

The main reason I chose to use Roon is classical music.

Roon is able to recognise (I don't tag the files myself) an album containing several compositions by different composers and arrange them in a consistent way.

Everything is automatically tagged with :

- Composer
- Composition
- Movements

- Ensemble
- Soloist

- etc.

And the coolest thing is that it is able to recognise the same composition from the same composer across the entire library.

I especially like the latter feature.

I can, for instance, compare different interpretations of the first movement of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35.
A click shows them all.

Will XDMS be capable of something similar?

1654726215922.png
 
Uh oh, that may be alot to ask.

Personally I am just hoping to see the file resolution on the primary screen when streaming instead of TAS always showing "750kbps, FLC" until I click through "More Info" to find the album's resolution etc.

Rest is gravy for me given the SQ boost. I imagine additional features may be rolled out over time so XDMS can be released sooner than later. Above specific request aside, I definitely would prefer a simpler initial offering than waiting for a software that includes everyone’s wishlist.

So many requests, expectations and pressure have already been applied. Release the beast (waiver signed)...
 
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You're killing me here.
I log on and see 3(!) pages of new postings, so something significant must have happened, right?
And what else could it be but xmds?

Going back into forum hibernation mode.
 
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Nice! :)


I take this opportunity to ask you a question about XDMS features.

I'm Roon user.

The main reason I chose to use Roon is classical music.

Roon is able to recognise (I don't tag the files myself) an album containing several compositions by different composers and arrange them in a consistent way.

Everything is automatically tagged with :

- Composer
- Composition
- Movements

- Ensemble
- Soloist

- etc.

And the coolest thing is that it is able to recognise the same composition from the same composer across the entire library.

I especially like the latter feature.

I can, for instance, compare different interpretations of the first movement of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35.
A click shows them all.

Will XDMS be capable of something similar?

View attachment 94341
You can still use Roon to find the pieces, then XDMS to play them (should this functionality not be present In XDMS).
 
You can still use Roon to find the pieces, then XDMS to play them (should this functionality not be present In XDMS).
I actually use Roon on a Nucleus server for the rest of the house, but it isn't involved with my main system at all. But, I often will run it parallel with TAS just to get this exact alternative performance info. A tad annoying, yes, but I get the best SQ available to me now, and still get the knowledge base for navigating. And my wife loves Roon for the Kitchen, Living Room, and Porch systems and devices.
 
I i
Just replaced the IEC cable connector that plugs into the Extreme. I had been using a Furutech FI-C15 NCF since I got the Extreme around two years ago. Changed to an Oyiade C-004 IEC which was designed to match the IEC inlet that is on the Extreme (same manufacturer, same plating).

The Extreme is on its own dedicated circuit using a Gigawatt circuit breaker and twelve feet of Gigawatt wire terminated with the IEC connector plugged directly into the Extreme (no outlet or separate power cable).

The Extreme was powered down for a little over half an hour while I replaced the connector. I powered it back on and continued playing the same track that I was playing before the swap.

I expected to have to struggle to hear if there was any difference at all in sound. Instead, I was totally blown away by how much better the Extreme sounds with the Oyaide IEC. Not subtle at all. Better, more articulate bass, better dynamics, more details and totally natural sounding. This is even before the Extreme has restabilized after being turned off. Just amazing what I have been missing for the past two years!

The Oyaide C-004 IEC connector works wonders here! It seems to follow the voicing that Taiko did when they picked that Oyiade IEC inlet for the Extreme. Very synergistic.
As a big fan of Oyaide C-004, I can testify to this! While there will be those who favor the sound of the Furutech and those who prefer the Oyaide 004, there's no denying that there is a large sonic difference between them. And this can be heard with every component that I tried so far. Have to confess that I was unaware that there was an 004 in the Taiko but glad to know now!
 
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Uh oh, that may be alot to ask.

Personally I am just hoping to see the file resolution on the primary screen when streaming instead of TAS always showing "750kbps, FLC" until I click through "More Info" to find the album's resolution etc.

Rest is gravy for me given the SQ boost. I imagine additional features may be rolled out over time so XDMS can be released sooner than later. Above specific request aside, I definitely would prefer a simpler initial offering than waiting for a software that includes everyone’s wishlist.

So many requests, expectations and pressure have already been applied. Release the beast (waiver signed)...
Filetype, bit depth, and sample rate are also, as Ed puts it, on the list of functionalities:)
 
W
Nice! :)


I take this opportunity to ask you a question about XDMS features.

I'm Roon user.

The main reason I chose to use Roon is classical music.

Roon is able to recognise (I don't tag the files myself) an album containing several compositions by different composers and arrange them in a consistent way.

Everything is automatically tagged with :

- Composer
- Composition
- Movements

- Ensemble
- Soloist

- etc.

And the coolest thing is that it is able to recognise the same composition from the same composer across the entire library.

I especially like the latter feature.

I can, for instance, compare different interpretations of the first movement of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35.
A click shows them all.

Will XDMS be capable of something similar?

View attachment 94341
On the roadmap is identifying local music files using external database services so that we don't need to rely solely on embedded tags. This should go a long way toward organizing the library and making it search-friendly. Roon-like deep-linking functionality might be a possibility later but it is not on the radar right now. ATM, we're focusing on getting the core functionality ready for release.
 
Did you already fix the functional scope definition for the first release candidate of XDMS and is this something you could share with us?
We have a very detailed roadmap and a clear definition of what we want. At this time, I cannot get into the specifics but as we go along, bits will be revealed, as Ed has been doing all along.
 
Here is an update on my experiences with the Taiko Extreme in my system. First, it was set straight on the Artesania rack's Beechwood couplers that are on the Linear Carbon Fiber Arms. The position of these arms can be adjusted wider and narrower while the couplers themselves can also be positioned farther from and closer to each other. I have done some experiments with this and will relay the sonic differences.

First, a little theory

When it comes to the coupling of an audio component to the rack or other furniture, one of the predictable outcomes in audio as I have come to know them, is that equipment tends to sound tighter, more incisive, more articulate, and more precise, the more rigid the support. If the carrier has a tendency to bend, the sound will become rounder, smoother, and more relaxed. For any system and to all ears, there will be a different ideal point between these two extremes but the nice aspect of knowing this is that it can be applied with Artesania Exoteryc racks, as well as the old Finite Elemente Spider racks, and even when placing individual aftermarket feet under a component.

While there are also factors relating to power supplies and reader mechanisms, in general, one should take note of the component's own rigidity in comparison to that of the support. When the bottom plate is more solid than the support level of the rack on which the component is placed, then the placement of the feet relative to the rack's sides becomes more important than where they are underneath the component. This is because the rack's level will bend less easily when force is applied closer to its sides.

With the Artesania

4X3A8707.JPG
4X3A8710.JPG

The Exoteryc rack may appear to be very solid, and it is, but its levels will bend a little when confronted with the Extreme's 45KGs. When initially placing the Extreme on the rack, the Artesania feet were positioned such that they fit in between most components' own feet. Set up this way, the Extreme sounds great, as described earlier, but I did notice a tendency to sound a little slow and too calm at times. I knew this was due to the rack's feet but before moving them, I wanted to do another experiment.

Adding a platform

4X3A8712.JPG
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So far, I had bypassed the Extreme's own aluminum/Tigerwood feet. What if I inserted a platform between the Artesania's Beechwood feet and the Extreme? I only had a double-MDF board available. Nothing fancy, but it has worked quite well on many occasions. The constrained two layers prevent bending although the characteristic MDF tonality is sometimes still audible. As it was this time. Sure, the Taiko now sounded more forceful but also unnaturally colored, and still arguably a little slow at times.

Repositioning the Artesania feet and linear arms

4X3A8715.JPG

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Besides widening the linear arms, I also opted to move the front two feet one position to the rear side. At the outermost position, the front two feet are supported only on one side. Any other position on the linear arms is supported on both ends. And with the Extreme's 45 KGs, this really makes a difference.

4X3A8724.JPG

With the feet widened, there was a MASSIVE increase in bass control and articulation, as well as in terms of the incisiveness and overall dynamic impact. But still, I heard a thickness and coloration in the upper bass, no doubt, induced by the platform.

4X3A8741.JPG

Indeed, with the platform removed, the coloration was gone while all the aforementioned advantages remained. I'm sure I will gather more experience and of course, the Exoteryc rack is not the only great solution, but I can say with certainty that I have not heard better server performance in my system, ever. Every friend who has visited has been deeply impressed with the Extreme's performance.

On the matter of TAS versus Roon

As this thread has already neatly illustrated, this is very much a personal matter. To my ears, and in this system, Roon provides the lushest and most organic presentation while TAS provides the tightest and most expressive presentation and I must say that both have their inherent allure. Personally, I favor the more physical TAS presentation. Some might find it relatively dry or technical compared to Roon but I personally feel that Roon is just a little round. YMMV.

XDMS

Emile tells me that XDMS will offer the benefits of both Roon and TAS. The organic free-flowing lushness of Roon with the clarity and expression of TAS. Like all of you, I can't wait!
 
Rest is gravy for me given the SQ boost. I imagine additional features may be rolled out over time so XDMS can be released sooner than later. Above specific request aside, I definitely would prefer a simpler initial offering than waiting for a software that includes everyone’s wishlist.

So many requests, expectations and pressure have already been applied. Release the beast (waiver signed)...
1001% agree. I'm probably at the far end of the spectrum that just wants it sound great, look great, have a streamlined functionality and be rock stable. I don't need another Roon and all it's complex options. -- but I know there is pressure to do so.
 

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