Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème
- Thread starter CKKeung
- Start date
your question has no simple answer. but i will tell you how this looks to me.
oh yes, there is a difference between redbook and dsd. but how can we hear the music at it's best?
i find that any recording sounds it's very best in it's native format. so if it started as a 16/44 recording, then that can sound very very good. and i would likely prefer that 16/44 recording to a dsd transfer of it. but then you introduce the dac and server or transport variables and that can change that equation.
most recordings these days are higher rez PCM of some sort. and these can downsize to 16/44 very well. many times a 16/44 transfer of a higher rez PCM recording will be preferable to a dsd transfer since the transfer math is simpler.
if it's an analog recording then dsd might have an advantage in the transfer if it's done optimally.
but again i'd rather hear the higher rez PCM recording in it's original format than any change, as well as any dsd recording.
ok.....that's a lot of information.
simply put; CD redbook is still where i find lots of music and it can sound fantastic. 4-5 years ago i was a dsd snob and wanted most music in that format. but that was because my dac converted everything to dsd, and PCM dacs were still getting better. now the best dacs are equally good at PCM and dsd so now we want native files when we can get them.
Thanks Mike, that makes things easier to understand, I use to have a Dac too which was more focused towards DSD than PCM but the DAC I have now is more the other way PCM than DSD and they’ve put all the effort into that. I agree with you on the higher res PCM recording too, some 24/88 or 24/92 can sound fantastic and I have noticed on Qobuz in the last year or so there are more and more albums coming out which are higher res PCM than DSD there are very few music websites which actually sell DSD recordings whereas there are twice as many doing high res PCM, thanks again for your explanation
Best USB cable I never heard....if u are using MSB Pro USB run to this
we need a name or link to that connector. you sir, are a tease.
in the past my experience was that the proper length of USB cable was superior to even a plug like that. but my mind is open. and i expect it's cheap so i will have to try it. i have a clamp that would allow me to hang my Pro USB 'box' if it was better.
IME Qobuz (almost always) sounds better than Tidal
One caveat: I use a Lampizator SuperKomputer and not an Extreme or an EVO.
But I'm sure that doesn't make a difference regarding "Q or T"
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IME Qobuz (almost always) sounds better than Tidal
Christoph I have always thought the same,
You don't have to subscribe to roon but I seriously recommend it because roon is wonderful to use and to discover new Music
I would want to have roon if I were you
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You don't have to subscribe to roon but I seriously recommend it because roon is wonderful to use and to discover new Music
I would want to have roon I were you
Christoph thanks, I did have it before when I had a Devialet and a DCS dac, I just found having the Mac on all the time when running it a bit of a pain but if its better with it than without then maybe that's what I will have to do.
For a long time, using Devialet with roon was a Major PITA
(now it works rather flawlessly)Some of the excellent Servers (Lampi SK, LDMS or the Extreme/EVO) are designed to have roon running on them, so no extra Hardware needed to run roon anymore
Hi Shaned,
Yes the output of the Extreme/Evo is a digital signal. You connect it to a dac via usb/spdif/AES-EBU and then you connect the dac to your preamp via analog interconnects.
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I'd be interested in any users who have a SGM server but whose dac doesn't have a usb input, do you use a card with an AES/SPDIF out or do you use a usb converter ? And which one sounds better or is the difference not noticeable, I know I might have asked this yesterday but I would appreciate other users experience in this area and what their thoughts are
AES/SPDIF is only a high quality datastream if you have an external clock to synchronize the whole system. Probably Emile will chime on this subject, but considering the Extreme does not have clock input or output lines and is essentially an asynchronous server I think that the answer will depend on the particular DAC and USB converters being considered.
You remembered me I have a Berkley Audio Design Alpha USB converter somewhere, I must try it with the Kondo KSL DAC!
Hi Micro, luckily enough the dealer in the Uk I would be buying it from who I also get most of my gear from would obviously be testing it first and so he would have a much better opinion of what works best , thanks for the reply
Still feeling it is too good to be true! I must cool down a bit before posting too many superlatives on it ...
walk on the wild side Micro, do ya good!Still feeling it is too good to be true! I must cool down a bit before posting too many superlatives on it ...
Steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Having owned one now for the past month I have to agree with Mike and micro as hyperbole about this server can run rampant as it seems we are all gobsmacked by what we hear
I do agree with Mike that native format does always sounds best as so many times I find a redbook piece of music sounds better than the same music upsampled to something else
Kudos Emile. You have made many people happy with this piece of equipmente made
I do agree with Mike that native format does always sounds best as so many times I find a redbook piece of music sounds better than the same music upsampled to something else
Kudos Emile. You have made many people happy with this piece of equipmente made
