Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

[Di-fi]

Hi, I meant to write DC cable (not digital). My original DC cable had a 2.1 -> 2.5 adapter. I don’t know the adapter had a huge impact though. Easy enough to test when I’m able. As for the isolation, I originally used a Butcher Block Acoustics Maple platform with 4 Gaia I feet. When I read there was an issue with Daiza platform/switch combo, I put 5 (due to the weight) Bronze Orea feet under the switch. That seemed to really help. However there was some reduction in sibilance before the isolation change which is why I think burn-in to be a factor. As for the topology, I’m connected to a Mojo Illuminati 3 via that DC cable, RJ45 from an Eero node to the switch’s transceiver using a Tellurium Q Black Diamond Ethernet cable, the DAC cable from the switch to the Extreme, and Ethernet (using Ravenna) from the Extreme to a Merging NADAC. Eventually I’m going to try a second network card.

Thank you joet, for quickly sharing the other details. I was still editing my post ;-)...

I put 5 (due to the weight) Bronze Orea feet under the switch.

Eventually you could swap with 3 Indigo feet (16lbs vs. 8lbs) or an equivalent to reduce the total contact points.
To understand correctly, you put the Orea feet under the Switch that is still installed on the Butcher block with 4 Gaia feet?

I meant to write DC cable

Last question and I won't bother you anymore. What brand / type DC cable did you end up installing?

- - "God is in the details" = ''Best SQ is in the details '' - ​

 

[Steve williams]

I have a new Extreme. This is my second. I sold my first for complicated reasons, but am happy to be back!

I've hit a roadblock in trying to get it up and playing music. Despite my wired internet to the Extreme being fine, Roon can't find the Taiko Core. This morning, Christian kindly responded to my help call and wanted to get on Vnc to check things out but could not do so without the Extreme's IP ..... And apparently the only way to get this info (other than having XDMS) is going on an app like FING to look it up. However FING requires wifi and I only have a uselessly weak wifi signal in my dedicated listening space 70' from our house.

Is there another way to unearth the Extreme's IP? I guess I could get a wifi extender for the sole reason of getting on FING.

This was not an issue setting up my first Extreme.

I always use Fing but I have an Orbi based network. When I go to the Orbi network app on my smart phone and search devices, I always see the Extreme and it has the IP address there as well which is aways the correct IP

 

[joet]

Hi Joet,
Did you run the network card file? Sorry if you’ve already mentioned it.

Yes, I did.

 

[joet]

Thank you joet, for quickly sharing the other details. I was still editing my post ;-)...


Eventually you could swap with 3 Indigo feet (16lbs vs. 8lbs) or an equivalent to reduce the total contact points.
To understand correctly, you put the Orea feet under the Switch that is still installed on the Butcher block with 4 Gaia feet?


Last question and I won't bother you anymore. What brand / type DC cable did you end up installing?

- - "God is in the details" = ''Best SQ is in the details '' - ​

No, I used the Orea disks instead of the butcher block with the Gaia feet. I bought the DC cable from Mojo Audio, the manufacturer of my PSU.

 

[StefanK]

Hi Stefan,

That does not sound good, I’ve pinged the support team to check for any unanswered support calls, some of them do continue working during the weekends. I’m confident you’ll receive a reply soon.

Thank you Emile,
Got contacted by Ted and a new replacement optane drive will be shipped to me next week. Thank you for the prompt support.

 

[Kingsrule]

I'm thinking you guys need to set your Extreme with a static IP Address. It would eliminate a bunch of angst for many of you...

 

[nuway]

For context - some switches are "locked" to use their own branded cables and transceivers only (that cost a lot more than generic cables.. so, yes, not only the audio industry makes money from expensive cables). Essentially if you connect a cable from a different manufacturer it will either not work at all or work but the switch manufacturer will not support you until you replace it with their brand of cables.
When you select the compatible brand, the cable reseller makes sure the chip inside the cable (if there is one) is programed to reflect the selected manufacturer hardware code. It's essentially "hacking" the cable, so the switch thinks it's an original cable.
None of that matters for the Taiko switch, so "Generic" is fine.

Thank You for sharing. Interesting how manufacturers can stamp an electronic signature in such small circuit. Yes, I have experiencing this on my own. Also I have tried a cisco branded finisar and the original finisar dac cables and both sounds different. Like the Cisco more -Cisco SFP-10G-AOC5M 10GBase SFP+ (More space 3d dark sounding)

 

[Kris]

I'm thinking you guys need to set your Extreme with a static IP Address. It would eliminate a bunch of angst for many of you...

Can that be considered by Emile and his Dream Team Taiko ?
I belive this is an easy fix for everyone when Taiko Router will be installed.
That can be prepared in the router settings to always give specyfic address to the port,
or can be done during extreme update .

it is not an easy fix for all others as every router brand has different IP address .
One more reason to get Taiko Router !

 

[Taiko Audio]

Can that be considered by Emile and his Dream Team Taiko ?
I belive this is an easy fix for everyone when Taiko Router will be installed.
That can be prepared in the router settings to always give specyfic address to the port,
or can be done during extreme update .

it is not an easy fix for all others as every router brand has different IP address .
One more reason to get Taiko Router !

The easiest way is just to configure the dhcp server for the port you connect the Extreme to to just have a range of 1 address.

 

[seatrope]

The easiest way is just to configure the dhcp server for the port you connect the Extreme to to just have a range of 1 address.

That's assuming you can configure per-port DHCP address ranges.. not a given for every router i don't think.

 

[Taiko Audio]

That's assuming you can configure per-port DHCP address ranges.. not a given for every router i don't think.

We can.

 

[wil]

There are other free apps that will run on a wired-connection laptop such as LanScan, although there is a Windows version of Fing for laptops or PCs. Also, as seatrope said, logging into your router will give a list of devices attached to your network.

Steve Z

LanScan divulged all the devices on my audio network. Bravo!

 

[marty]

Has anyone compared the Taiko switch with the synergistic research ethernet switch uef? The SR switch seem to be a much more advanced design than the Taiko one…

Janne, you're asking us to believe that a guy who sticks little dots on a wall and claims that revolutionizes the sound heard in a room, is capable of the same sort of technological breakthroughs as Taiko's products that have demonstrated genuine leading edge digital engineering accomplishments over the past few years. Snake oil salesmen have been around for decades. The good news is that what you ask is testable directly. Listen to the two switches and then please tell us what you hear.

 

[Backo NYC/SF]

There are two main ideas behind Roon Arc:


A - To be able to access your music library outside your home. For instance, from your smartphone, in your car, etc.

B - It's also possible to listen to music offline, in a mobile context. That is, stored on a smartphone.


Roon Arc is a brilliant addition. Clearly, it's the one thing Roon was missing.


So you can now use Roon at home, in a HiFi context if I may say so. Or in a mobile context: for sports, in the car, when travelling, etc.

I love it, and use it a lot when I work out.

Cheers,

Thomas

Thanks Thomas

 

[oldmustang]

Janne, you're asking us to believe that a guy who sticks little dots on a wall and claims that revolutionizes the sound heard in a room, is capable of the same sort of technological breakthroughs as Taiko's products that have demonstrated genuine leading edge engineering accomplishments over the past few years. Snake oil salesmen have been around for decades. The good news is that what you ask is testable directly. Listen to the two switches and then please tell us what you hear.

Well, at least they didn't use the word quantum in their advertising copy. . .

Steve Z

 

[seatrope]

Well, at least they didn't use the word quantum in their advertising copy. . .

Steve Z

kind of shocking actually

 

[joet]

Has anyone compared the Taiko switch with the synergistic research ethernet switch uef? The SR switch seem to be a much more advanced design than the Taiko one…

Hi Janne, I haven't heard the SR switch so I can't comment on how effective it is. However, regarding their claim of a more advanced design, what their marketing seems to state is they've created technologies in the past that makes their products better, and now they're applying those same technologies to a switch, making it better. There really isn't anything that empirically supports any of those claims, nor indicates that the design is truly advanced. It very well might be, but what's written isn't particularly compelling to me. As for their design being superior to Taiko's, from what I've read Emile never really discusses his design. So we can't compare. He does discuss his approach, but we don't really know what the Taiko product is doing under the covers. In addition, Emile is the only audio designer I've seen who is looking at networking holistically and logically, which to me adds credence to the innovation of his design.
However, to your point, I'd love to compare the two. Although I'd be very surprised if SR surpasses what i heard from the Taiko switch, which is truly special. I've tested 4 audiophile switch solutions, double SOtMs, EtherRegen, Innuos PhoenixNet, and Taiko. And the Taiko is in its own league. I haven't heard the JCAT switch, which was supposedly the best at one time, but others on this thread have said the Taiko is superior. All this said, youre right to ask the question and should continue to do so.

 

[kyoya78]

Hi Emile and Taiko Team,

I have ordered a network card, switch, router, and DC-Power-Distributor, but they still need to arrive in Japan. I am looking forward to their arrival.

Well,

I am currently connecting my Extreme and Trinnov Altitude in two ways.

1, Extreme (Roon Core) --- Altitude (Roon Ready)
2, Extreme (XDMS) --- Matrix X-SPDIF (powers and clocks replacement) --- Altitude

The diagram is shown below.



Once I receive the Taiko switch and one network card, I plan to simplify the network and reassess if EtherRegens or M12 Switch Premium is necessary.
Also, I currently have 2T of music storage for Extreme, but I am considering adding one more PCIe card to increase that to 16T.
I also use a Taiko USB card.

I have a question.

When I receive the Taiko switch and one network card, I will connect the Taiko switch to the network card.
In that case, how would you recommend connecting the Extreme and Altitude?

Also, can we add one more network card and connect the Extreme (Roon core) and Altitude (Roon Ready) directly?
If so, how would you recommend connecting the PCIe cards, including the USB and two music storage cards?
(Suggestions that the second music storage card should not be used are also acceptable.)

Finally, Where will the second Network card be powered from?

 

[Di-fi]

Innuos PhoenixNet, and Taiko

To me it seems not very interesting neither helpful to post judgements about switches when you never heard them. But if it serves a purpose in this thread for some, why not? Whether that be switches from Synergistic Research (chassis milled from a solid billet of aluminum, use of carbon fibre to eliminate the effects of chassis vibration on the signal, direct connection port for star grounding, conditioning of signal while still in a component and power cords * ) or Melco, Innuos, Taiko, EtherRegen and so on.

That being said, unless this specific thread is not the place for comparison, it would also be very interesting to read about the above two switches compared. The Taiko- and the PhoenixNET- are both known to be appreciated by many. ‘’PhoenixNET will also improve your music playback from the files on the music server itself. Even though that music isn’t being streamed through the PhoenixNET’’. (*)

@joet , do you have both and could you compare them in writing? Maybe compare some audible qualities on a scale of some sorts? Much appreciated if you can (or an other reader who did hear them?).

 

[Taiko Audio]

Hi Emile and Taiko Team,

I have ordered a network card, switch, router, and DC-Power-Distributor, but they still need to arrive in Japan. I am looking forward to their arrival.

Well,

I am currently connecting my Extreme and Trinnov Altitude in two ways.

1, Extreme (Roon Core) --- Altitude (Roon Ready)
2, Extreme (XDMS) --- Matrix X-SPDIF (powers and clocks replacement) --- Altitude

The diagram is shown below.

View attachment 110783

Once I receive the Taiko switch and one network card, I plan to simplify the network and reassess if EtherRegens or M12 Switch Premium is necessary.
Also, I currently have 2T of music storage for Extreme, but I am considering adding one more PCIe card to increase that to 16T.
I also use a Taiko USB card.

I have a question.

When I receive the Taiko switch and one network card, I will connect the Taiko switch to the network card.
In that case, how would you recommend connecting the Extreme and Altitude?

Also, can we add one more network card and connect the Extreme (Roon core) and Altitude (Roon Ready) directly?
If so, how would you recommend connecting the PCIe cards, including the USB and two music storage cards?
(Suggestions that the second music storage card should not be used are also acceptable.)

Finally, Where will the second Network card be powered from?

Hi @kyoya78, this I cannot answer with 100% certainty, some experimentation on your side might be beneficial to getting the most out of this setup.

Yes you can connect the Trinnov directly to the Extreme.

You can also connect the Trinnov and Extreme directly to the Router, and you can insert switches between both..

A 3 way split DC cable is possible but you’ll be running out of slots if you also want to use 2 storage expansion cards, so I’d consider not getting a second storage card but in stead get larger drives, like 4*4TB or 2*8TB.

If you drop an e-mail at support@taikoaudio.com with a request to assign the support call to me personally (Emile) we can create a test plan to ensure you’re not spending more then you need to.