Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

[Rhapsody]

As we contemplate a cornucopia of innovations from Taiko, I think it’s important to enjoy the ride. By this I mean, experience each innovation in turn, for as far as you can, or prefer, to take it.
To use a car analogy, you could jump from a Corolla to a Ferrari, but it’s more fun to experience the models in between.
You also appreciate the gains more if you experience each step: Extreme -> Switch -> Router -> BPS -> TACDA (or however we individually chose to do it).

Personally, I think I’ll stop at the Switch (+ LPS). The sound quality is already superlative, and my financial outlay, at around $500K, is about what I should spend.
It’s great to have options and nice to see that Taiko is continually pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

Most people that I know that have $500K invested in their system and could DRAMATICALLY improve the overall sound and experience of the system, by adding another X$K over even a year or two, would be pulling the trigger without even thinking about it. But that's people that I know and does not pertain to everyone. Everyone's formula is different.

Like I said, sonically I'm happy right now, BUT I love being on the Taiko Train and look forward to all of the goodies coming down the road.

 

[Nils]

We're not DAC designers, the innovation is in the superior interface, we've incorporated a Rohm BD34301EKV DAC chip because we thought it sounded best of the available "off the shelf" DAC chips and added a JFET class A output stage, but that's about all we could fit on a PCIe card sized PCB. Sure it may outperform 10-20K DACs but to directly compete with a top level DAC like a Lampizator Horizon, MSB Select 2, or Totaldac D1-12 is a bit much to ask for

WOW!

When my dealer told me (two years ago) that he had "the best" music server ordered and it was called 'Taiko' I was clueless... At the time I was investigating stuff like Antipodes, Grimm Audio and Innous

After a lot of investigation and A/B/A testing I ended up buying the Extreme (it was an easy decision), from Taiko Audio - that was my best buy ever...

I do love getting lost in music - just listening, drifting away...

But - the evolutionary roller-coaster that is Taiko R&D Process might (I am not sure) be even better (I am an engineer at heart) and the transparency/inclusion in that R&D Process is like being apart of (another!) start-up - it really excites me!

Thank you Emile - just keep doing what you are doing!

Luckily for me I am on the MSB DAC bandwagon (for now)...

 

[Zeotrope]

Most people that I know that have $500K invested in their system and could DRAMATICALLY improve the overall sound and experience of the system, by adding another X$K over even a year or two, would be pulling the trigger without even thinking about it. But that's people that I know and does not pertain to everyone. Everyone's formula is different.

Like I said, sonically I'm happy right now, BUT I love being on the Taiko Train and look forward to all of the goodies coming down the road.

Thanks for advising me on how to spend my money. Spoken liken a true dealer!
Why not spend $1M? $2M?
There’s no end if you’re continuously pursuing the best. If you enjoy that and have unlimited funds, and time, then great. I’m not in that camp. Ultimately I want to spend my time enjoying music not swapping or adding gear.

 

[steve williams]

It’s great to have options and nice to see that Taiko is continually pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

Seeing what will soon be released and reading todays posts I would suggest the word “boundary” does not exist in Emile’s vocabulary

 

[Taiko Audio]

Thank you for your kind remarks everybody. I’m aware there’s a lot launching now in a short timeframe, it should’ve been much more gradual over the past year(s) but a lot was held up by the supply chain component and material shortages.

 

[Bobvin]

This is a remarkable thread. Bravo team Taiko. Thank you for giving us a glimpse behind the scenes — very, very few manufacturers dare to make announcements of their R&D before releasing a product.

I would love to sit in the conference room listening and watching the white board frantic scribbling as new ideas pour forth from fertile minds. Agh, creativity!

 

[ctydwn]

wow, just caught up over a pot of coffee. picking up my jaw off the counter.
one of the top 3 morning coffee reads on this thread to date. I swore I would not try to create more rack space for a BPS.
Wishful thinking.

Congrats to Team Taiko for the unfathomable brain power and sweat that is bringing these innovations to fruition.

 

[onlychild]

We're not DAC designers, the innovation is in the superior interface, we've incorporated a Rohm BD34301EKV DAC chip because we thought it sounded best of the available "off the shelf" DAC chips and added a JFET class A output stage, but that's about all we could fit on a PCIe card sized PCB. Sure it may outperform 10-20K DACs but to directly compete with a top level DAC like a Lampizator Horizon, MSB Select 2, or Totaldac D1-12 is a bit much to ask for

A better DAC for my system without needing an extra HRS shelf, Uber power cable, spaghetti cable mess, an open AC outlet, another ground post, etc!!

THIS is what I’ve been waiting for!!

My current Dac is a single ESS saber chip from many moons ago. The Taiko dAc is a welcomed addition. Bravo!

 

[nenon]

@simorag - I can elaborate in my earlier post now.
I will be using the TACDA RCA output and running this through a killer analog line stage. The simple JFET class A output stage on the TACDA should be very transparent. And I'll be adding some tube magic to it. Have been working on an analog stage for over 8 months now (for myself, not for a commercial release). It has been the most ambitious project I've ever done.

An even better approach might be what Emile is doing with Lampizator and MSB and completely bypass the analog stage and go digital to another DAC with a proprietary interface. But that needs to be tested and developed. While in theory it makes sense, those things not always sound better in practice. But I have no doubt people like Emile and Lukasz know what they are doing, and so that will be a very interesting to see how it develops.

On the BPS, I've said that before, but maybe it's a good time to mention it in the context of the recent posts from Emile. Our electrical grid gets noisier and noiser all the time with high frequency noise that is nearly impossible to completely eliminate. Power conditioners and transformers can do very little about that. I do expect the top high end audio products to all move towards batteries in the next 5 years. Most of us will eventually go there sooner or later.

 

[onlychild]

Well, since it feels like my birthday today, might as well ask for one more present….Emile, any chance the Taiko BPS can power one more piece of equipment that takes a regular AC plug, like the Sennheiser Orpheus?

If so, my Stromtank will be for sale faster than it’ll take the movers to move it downstairs.

 

[steve williams]

I do expect the top high end audio products to all move towards batteries in the next 5 years. Most of us will eventually go there sooner or later.

My guess is that almost all readers there who are Extreme users will be going that direction much sooner than later

 

[Kingsrule]

As we contemplate a cornucopia of innovations from Taiko, I think it’s important to enjoy the ride. By this I mean, experience each innovation in turn, for as far as you can, or prefer, to take it.
To use a car analogy, you could jump from a Corolla to a Ferrari, but it’s more fun to experience the models in between.
You also appreciate the gains more if you experience each step: Extreme -> Switch -> Router -> BPS -> TACDA (or however we individually chose to do it).

Personally, I think I’ll stop at the Switch (+ LPS). The sound quality is already superlative, and my financial outlay, at around $500K for the entire media room system, is where I should cap it. Maybe I’ll change my mind , but space is also a premium. I had to get very creative as to how to even fit the Extreme as a single chassis.

It’s great to have options and nice to see that Taiko is continually pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

Thanks for telling us what we should think. If this is how u view things for you than say it that way.....
How about changing your post:

We to I
You to I

And really, I could care less about your financial outlay or your situation. None of this pertains to Taiko and their upcoming products

 

[Taiko Audio]

Well, since it feels like my birthday today, might as well ask for one more present….Emile, any chance the Taiko BPS can power one more piece of equipment that takes a regular AC plug, like the Sennheiser Orpheus?

If so, my Stromtank will be for sale faster than it’ll take the movers to move it downstairs.

That would require designing a DC-AC converter, not saying we won’t do that but we will not have that come May for sure.

 

[jelt2359]

Given that there's only one power slot in the extreme that will be used with the USB Card + new network PCIE card via a splitter, how will the TACDA be powered? Or will it basically replace the USB card?

Also do we have a cost estimate for the Router yet?

The BPS sounds awesome, but there are other bottlenecks in my system. Already my Extreme costs more than my preamp and 300b monoblocks power amps. And unfortunately those items will not benefit from the BPS. Decisions decisions....

 

[Taiko Audio]

The guys here just told me they have a webshop preorder page ready to go live soon where both our direct customers and dealers (who will all receive instructions over e-mail) can order from. This is for the first 100 switches in Chrome which can ship on the 28th of February (possibly sooner but I’ve learned it’s good to add safety margins ). Black will be added next which by the looks of it takes about 2-3 weeks extra. Natural copper very likely similar to Black but awaiting confirmation. Bead blasted and anodised Aluminium (identical to the silver Extreme) looks like about 12 weeks later due to Aluminium lead times and the anodising process. We’re investigating if we can get the same colour finish by coating which would make it a lot faster. More information to follow!

 

[Taiko Audio]

Given that there's only one power slot in the extreme that will be used with the USB Card + new network PCIE card via a splitter, how will the TACDA be powered? Or will it basically replace the USB card?

Also do we have a cost estimate for the Router yet?

The BPS sounds awesome, but there are other bottlenecks in my system. Already my Extreme costs more than my preamp and 300b monoblocks power amps. And unfortunately those items will not benefit from the BPS. Decisions decisions....

Yeah you’d replace the USB card, or a 3 way splitter works too. The BPS would power the card directly individually.

Router we don’t know yet, there’s a substantial licensing and security support fee involved with that we are still negotiating for as our expected sales volume is magnitudes of orders lower then for say an ISP… Uncharted terrain..

 

[MusicFellow]

As we contemplate a cornucopia of innovations from Taiko, I think it’s important to enjoy the ride. By this I mean, experience each innovation in turn, for as far as you can, or prefer, to take it.
To use a car analogy, you could jump from a Corolla to a Ferrari, but it’s more fun to experience the models in between.
You also appreciate the gains more if you experience each step: Extreme -> Switch -> Router -> BPS -> TACDA (or however we individually chose to do it).

Very wise words, my friend!

 

[onlychild]

That would require designing a DC-AC converter, not saying we won’t do that but we will not have that come May for sure.

 

[Taiko Audio]

View attachment 102311

Yes

 

[cat6man]

We have talked to @Lukasz "Lampizator" Fikus who is open to incorporating this new interface into his DACs, to Jonathan Gullman of MSB who is willing to port this to their PRO/ISL interface, and have just approached Vincent Brient of Totaldac which would be a very nice next phase of this project.

re: TotalDAC

i'd love to see this but i imagine it would be a bit tricky. since Vincent's customers often have a multi-box setup (some have multiple reclockers, e.g. taiko usb => reclocker aes out => 2nd reclocker or DAC aes/ebu) i wonder

1] are the re-clockers still useful if you can go directly TACDA into the DAC
and
2] if the re-clockers would be even better with TACDA both in and out?