Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

[Zeotrope]

As I understand the PCIe card allows analog outputs in high quality but the owner has the option to connect via the digital outputs external DACs.

Matt

Right, thanks for clarifying. I think Emile meant that it will better a $10-20k DAC but not the world’s best DACs.

 

[matthias]

Windows only and thank you!

Hi Emile,
please, please consider a batch which is compatible with Mac if there is sufficient demand.......
Thank you

Matt

 

[kswanson27]

Right, thanks for clarifying. I think Emile meant that it will better a $10-20k DAC but not the world’s best DACs.

TACDA is the name Emile has applied to the technology that makes the new card work. The new card will ave an assortment of unbalanced analog and digital outputs and can function as a DAC or output a digital signal to DAC that has an input set up for TACDNA technology. All this betters the sound from the existing USB card to a good but not great DAC. Did I get all that right?

 

[matthias]

We have not thought of a name for it yet but internally we refer to it as: TACDA and TACDD for Taiko Audio CPU Direct to Analogue and Taiko Audio CPU Direct to Digital.

Hi Emile,
please can you shed some light on the TACDD interface between Extreme and external DAC?
Thx

Matt

 

[Zeotrope]

TACDA is the name Emile has applied to the technology that makes the new card work. The new card will ave an assortment of unbalanced analog and digital outputs and can function as a DAC or output a digital signal to DAC that has an input set up for TACDNA technology. All this betters the sound from the existing USB card to a good but not great DAC. Did I get all that right?

I think TACDA will replace a good but not world-class DAC and will better the output from any DAC. Did I get that right?

 

[kennyb123]

I think TACDA will replace a good but not world-class DAC and will better the output from any DAC. Did I get that right?

I am not sure “better the output from any DAC” is correct. I think most DACs will still benefit most from their USB card.

 

[steve williams]

Is there a reason anyone would want the TACDA card if they are using their own external DAC. And are people saying this new card is better than the Taiko USB card

 

[cat6man]

Is there a reason anyone would want the TACDA card if they are using their own external DAC. And are people saying this new card is better than the Taiko USB card

i hope so. i'm assuming it will be configurable to either output normal usb or to carry tacdd on its digital output. this would let the card be universal. will it sound better than today's usb card, that would be nice.
@emile?

 

[dminches]

Is there a reason anyone would want the TACDA card if they are using their own external DAC. And are people saying this new card is better than the Taiko USB card

Steve, unless Lukasz implemented an interface to match the TACDA card it would not be worth using with the Horizon.

 

[matthias]

IIUC, the TACDA PCIe card offers no interface for a TACDD connection to Lampizator, MSB or Totaldac DAC.
I can imagine for ultimate quality with special DACs a TACDD card will replace the existing USB card.

Matt

 

[kswanson27]

I think TACDA will replace a good but not world-class DAC and will better the output from any DAC. Did I get that right?

Steve, unless Lukasz implemented an interface to match the TACDA card it would not be worth using with the Horizon.

Haven't Lampizator and MSB agreed to do that?

 

[oldmustang]

Steve, unless Lukasz implemented an interface to match the TACDA card it would not be worth using with the Horizon.

We're speculating now. Emile said several digital output options will be supported on the card, including SPDIF. If you can live with 24/192 and DSD64 via DoP a DAC having that input should/could play from the new Taiko card.

This might might prove to be a (surprising) step above the sound quality of even higher resolution files via USB. The card plugs into the Extreme"s motherboard, it eliminates some cabling, it takes advantage of the Extreme's excellent power supply which will only get better with the BPS. Finally, Taiko can optimize their code to get the best sound quality specifically for digital or analog output.

But I'm speculating now myself. The proof will be in the listening.

Steve Z

 

[steve williams]

We're speculating now. Emile said several digital output options will be supported on the card, including SPDIF. If you can live with 24/192 and DSD64 via DoP a DAC having that input should/could play from the new Taiko card.

This might might prove to be a (surprising) step above the sound quality of even higher resolution files via USB. The card plugs into the Extreme"s motherboard, it eliminates some cabling, it takes advantage of the Extreme's excellent power supply which will only get better with the BPS. Finally, Taiko can optimize their code to get the best sound quality specifically for digital or analog output.

But I'm speculating now myself. The proof will be in the listening.

Steve Z

so once again if Lukasz creates this interface as does Taiko what is the difference in the SQ between USB that I use now with my Horizon (and love)? and the TACDA
Presently I can play native up to 8x DSD and 24/352.8 ( and higher only I lack the files)

 

[Rhapsody]

so once again if Lukasz creates this interface as does Taiko what is the difference in the SQ between USB that I use now with my Horizon (and love)? and the TACDA
Presently I can play native up to 8x DSD and 24/352.8 ( and higher only I lack the files)

Go back and read Emile's long post. It says this-
So we took it upon us to embark on a very ambitious project of designing an entire new interface not hindered by the limitations of either the USB or AES/SPDIF/I2S interfaces. This project involves coding a whole new driver stack with corresponding software from scratch and a whole new hardware interface. We have not thought of a name for it yet but internally we refer to it as: TACDA and TACDD for Taiko Audio CPU Direct to Analogue and Taiko Audio CPU Direct to Digital.

Steve, sure it sounds great now. It will sound even greater with this new interface.

 

[dminches]

We're speculating now. Emile said several digital output options will be supported on the card, including SPDIF. If you can live with 24/192 and DSD64 via DoP a DAC having that input should/could play from the new Taiko card.

This might might prove to be a (surprising) step above the sound quality of even higher resolution files via USB. The card plugs into the Extreme"s motherboard, it eliminates some cabling, it takes advantage of the Extreme's excellent power supply which will only get better with the BPS. Finally, Taiko can optimize their code to get the best sound quality specifically for digital or analog output.

But I'm speculating now myself. The proof will be in the listening.

Steve Z

I really don't think I am speculating. Based on what Emile wrote earlier, the card will improve the sound on external DACs if they have the same interface. Plus, as you mentioned, the card does have resolution limitations.

Emile did also say that the card could compete with $10k-$20k DACs. To use the card with an external DAC you would still have to a cable from the Extreme to the DAC.

I guess the proof is in the pudding, but I don't think I would do this without my Horizon having the new interface.

 

[steve williams]

Go back and read Emile's long post. It says this-
So we took it upon us to embark on a very ambitious project of designing an entire new interface not hindered by the limitations of either the USB or AES/SPDIF/I2S interfaces. This project involves coding a whole new driver stack with corresponding software from scratch and a whole new hardware interface. We have not thought of a name for it yet but internally we refer to it as: TACDA and TACDD for Taiko Audio CPU Direct to Analogue and Taiko Audio CPU Direct to Digital.

Yeh I saw that but I still don't understand in the great scheme of things what the uptick in SQ is to go from the existing Taiko card to this new one.

 

[dminches]

Yeh I saw that but I still don't understand in the great scheme of things what the uptick in SQ is to go from the existing Taiko card to this new one.

I don't think anyone knows since there aren't any external DACs with this interface (that we know of).

 

[steve williams]

I really don't think I am speculating. Based on what Emile wrote earlier, the card will improve the sound on external DACs if they have the same interface. Plus, as you mentioned, the card does have resolution limitations.

Emile did also say that the card could compete with $10k-$20k DACs. To use the card with an external DAC you would still have to a cable from the Extreme to the DAC.

I guess the proof is in the pudding, but I don't think I would do this without my Horizon having the new interface.

That was my understanding as well.

 

[kswanson27]

We're speculating now. Emile said several digital output options will be supported on the card, including SPDIF. If you can live with 24/192 and DSD64 via DoP a DAC having that input should/could play from the new Taiko card.

This might might prove to be a (surprising) step above the sound quality of even higher resolution files via USB. The card plugs into the Extreme"s motherboard, it eliminates some cabling, it takes advantage of the Extreme's excellent power supply which will only get better with the BPS. Finally, Taiko can optimize their code to get the best sound quality specifically for digital or analog output.

But I'm speculating now myself. The proof will be in the listening.

Steve Z

Post 13,761 is about all we have...except for the cable mentioned later.

 

[steve williams]

The fact that Lukasz and MSB is interested speaks volumes to me that Emile is again onto something. Perhaps it would highly improve the entry level DACs but I'd love to know what TOTL Taiko and TOTL Lampi sounds like with this new interface