Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Don´t misunderstand me, but ,at this level, after 9000 posts, discovering an update operating system running Roon outperforms the current operating system is very surprising and hoping that XDMS "should" be solid is only a guess.
Excuse me, but this kind of trial and error method is very disturbing.
You are talking about this from months ago. IMHO you should present your discoveries when they will be ready.
There are a lot of people who can feel frustated with so many words and promises followed by these changes that doesn't correspond to any clear goal and path.
Just my 2+.
truly an unnecessary statement. As dminches says it was great news to all of us who are Extreme users
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
We remain committed to extract the best possible sound quality we can achieve for both Roon and our own software.
And we all know that to which Taiko is committed becomes reality
 

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,626
5,435
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E. England
Stereophonic, there are audiophiles who have to wait a year or more for simple orders to be fulfilled, or frustrating updates to be announced... I'd say these are an order of magnitude more irritating than Emile's process.
 

audioquattr

VIP/Donor
Sep 7, 2016
307
413
280
Netherlands
Don´t misunderstand me, but ,at this level, after 9000 posts, discovering an update operating system running Roon outperforms the current operating system is very surprising and hoping that XDMS "should" be solid is only a guess.
Excuse me, but this kind of trial and error method is very disturbing.
You are talking about this from months ago. IMHO you should present your discoveries when they will be ready.
There are a lot of people who can feel frustated with so many words and promises followed by these changes that doesn't correspond to any clear goal and path.
Just my 2+.

Sorry i'm trying but i find it hard to understand you.

I completely don't see this as trial and error. Perhaps when you just read 1 or 2 posts or a few more instead of the 9000.

The Taiko Extreme has always performed superb. From the first day i bought it (2019) till this day.
At that time there was no Taiko music playback software. Roon performed very well on it. It was somewhere in 2020 that Roon became more 'intensive' by its updates that it sounded less good on the Extreme aswell as on much other competitor servers.

To get more control over it and to supply loyal and new customers a better sounding solution, the Taiko team was working on its own music playback software. I think most people have no idea how extremely much time and money is involved with that.

Next to these discoveries also some hardware upgrades were developed the last few months/year.
The new Extreme USB card and some new coming products. Since the usb drivers from most DAC manufacturers where not optimal Taiko also developed its own USB driver.

It is because of all these changes that the Taiko team continuously is working on its updates and operating system.
And it is because of new coming hardware to complete the correct working XDMS including the right config and calibrations that it will take a little longer. In this world 'today' its hard to get the parts...
To do several hundreds of teamviewer sessions (30 minutes) now and again in ? weeks.......

I know and see the team is working very hard on a lot of new exciting things to come :) .
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Stereophonic said:
Don´t misunderstand me, but ,at this level, after 9000 posts, discovering an update operating system running Roon outperforms the current operating system is very surprising and hoping that XDMS "should" be solid is only a guess.
Excuse me, but this kind of trial and error method is very disturbing.
You are talking about this from months ago. IMHO you should present your discoveries when they will be ready.
There are a lot of people who can feel frustated with so many words and promises followed by these changes that doesn't correspond to any clear goal and path.
Just my 2+.
One of the most important points of being an Extreme user is the unequaled customer service that comes from being a Taiko owner. IMO there isn't another company in this industry that has such unbelievable customer service. We users of TAS have become the broader part of Taiko's beta platform from which XDMS evolved and is soon to. be delivered. The fact that Emile keeps all of his users in the loop as to what is going on, is for me, and I bet all other users, is not only beneficial but so also our feedback helps Taiko in the R and D of their new platform.

When Emile says that with the new OS, Roon is not only sonically better than TAS but so also XDMS. This is an incredible discovery because it has lead the Taiko team to rewrite code so that XDMS will remain sonically superior to Roon. I find the interaction and the release of news here to be anything but what stereophonic claims to be disturbing. To my mind all of we Extreme users are part of the beta testers and it is our feedback that has given direction to the Taiko team. So not disturbing but refreshing to know that the something better we have been expecting is now going to be even better

Thank you Taiko team for keeping in in the loop
 

2ndLiner

Well-Known Member
Dec 16, 2015
297
603
335
If the sound quality I hear coming from my speakers as a result of adding the Taiko Extreme (with Taiko USB card and TAS) is as good as it gets I would be quite content. But it is exciting as heck that the Taiko team feverishly seeks to upgrade the SQ and imagine they will continue this as long as the company exists! I think for Extreme users it's a matter of trust based upon experience in that the Taiko Team has continuously delivered SQ improvement to an already amazing component along with incomparable customer support. I believe @Stereophonic is a Wadax user or deep appreciator of their approach and apparently for good reason. Reading about Mike's recent experience (along with an another audio friend's Wadax experience) they've made some incredible components. I get mostly vicariously excited (and admittedly a little bit jealous) when reading about the latest and greatest but feel more than fortunate to have what I have in my system. And I won't be ragging on the Wadax approach any time soon, especially in a thread devoted to them...
 

Kingsrule

VIP/Donor
Feb 3, 2011
1,444
704
1,430
With the reports that Roon on the Wadax is so awesome I was thinking there must be something going on in its OS that makes Roon so good. For obvious reasons I'm glad Emile and team found an improvement in the OS. And for Emile to put this out, it must be a not subtile upgrade.....
I can't wait to get my Extreme updated!
 

oldmustang

Well-Known Member
Dec 1, 2012
1,072
3,177
1,445
One of the most important points of being an Extreme user is the unequaled customer service that comes from being a Taiko owner. IMO there isn't another company in this industry that has such unbelievable customer service. We users of TAS have become the broader part of Taiko's beta platform from which XDMS evolved and is soon to. be delivered. The fact that Emile keeps all of his users in the loop as to what is going on, is for me, and I bet all other users, is not only beneficial but so also our feedback helps Taiko in the R and D of their new platform.

When Emile says that with the new OS, Roon is not only sonically better than TAS but so also XDMS. This is an incredible discovery because it has lead the Taiko team to rewrite code so that XDMS will remain sonically superior to Roon. I find the interaction and the release of news here to be anything but what stereophonic claims to be disturbing. To my mind all of we Extreme users are part of the beta testers and it is our feedback that has given direction to the Taiko team. So not disturbing but refreshing to know that the something better we have been expecting is now going to be even better

Thank you Taiko team for keeping in in the loop
From one Steve to another -- well said!

But then, I'd expect no less. You're a Steve. And *the* oneobgyn!

Steve Z
 

ctydwn

Well-Known Member
Aug 23, 2019
350
1,371
208
Couldn't agree more with all the supportive posts above and the last thing I would wish on the Taiko Team is greater pressure or stress than I'm sure they all ready put on themselves. We are a patient group with full faith in Emile and his team and know such 'bleeding edge' SW improvements take time and trials. The updates are much appreciated, informative and exciting. In the meantime, will continue enjoying how wonderful the Extreme sounds currently.

@Stereophonic, and now posting vitriol on the Wadax thread is truly poor form. Not welcome here.
 
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Stereophonic

Well-Known Member
Jun 9, 2013
891
674
410
Spain
Which part of the "trial and error" concept is disturbing to you?

Trial and error is a fundamental method of problem-solving.[1] It is characterized by repeated, varied attempts which are continued until success,[2] or until the practicer stops trying.

According to W.H. Thorpe, the term was devised by C. Lloyd Morgan (1852–1936) after trying out similar phrases "trial and failure" and "trial and practice".[3] Under Morgan's Canon, animal behaviour should be explained in the simplest possible way. Where behavior seems to imply higher mental processes, it might be explained by trial-and-error learning. An example is a skillful way in which his terrier Tony opened the garden gate, easily misunderstood as an insightful act by someone seeing the final behavior. Lloyd Morgan, however, had watched and recorded the series of approximations by which the dog had gradually learned the response, and could demonstrate that no insight was required to explain it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_and_error
Hi.
I'll will answer from your same recommended "Wikipedia" link, if we can take seriously this site:
You forgot to mention:
"Methodology:
The trial and error approach is used most successfully with simple problems and in games, and it is often the last resort when no apparent rule applies. This does not mean that the approach is inherently careless, for an individual can be methodical in manipulating the variables in an attempt to sort through possibilities that could result in success. Nevertheless, this method is often used by people who have little knowledge in the problem area."
And more:
"Features:
Trial and error has a number of features:
- Solution-oriented: trial and error makes no attempt to discover why a solution works, merely that it is a solution.
- Problem-specific: trial and error makes no attempt to generalize a solution to other problems.
- Non-optimal: trial and error is generally an attempt to find a solution, not all solutions, and not the best solution.
- Needs little knowledge: trials and error can proceed where there is little or no knowledge of the subject."
So, yes, it is disturbing to me. For example, your hardware have to answer a software needs. If your software is still developing, how could you assure me you don't need to change the hardware to get best solution? It could be the case that you would discover that with this new OS discover there is no need to implement dual CPUs and the almost amplifier power supply you use.
How could you explain this to all costumers that would have a product with unnecessary parts and more expensive than necessary because it was designed from trial and error?
It would be something like; "Excuse me, but i didn't research too much about OS so i did need so much hardware to make it sound nice but now i've discovered this wasn't neccesary....my apologizes.."
 
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oldmustang

Well-Known Member
Dec 1, 2012
1,072
3,177
1,445
Hi.
I'll will answer from your same recommended "Wikipedia" link, if we can take seriously this site:
You forgot to mention:
"Methodology:
The trial and error approach is used most successfully with simple problems and in games, and it is often the last resort when no apparent rule applies. This does not mean that the approach is inherently careless, for an individual can be methodical in manipulating the variables in an attempt to sort through possibilities that could result in success. Nevertheless, this method is often used by people who have little knowledge in the problem area."
And more:
"Features:
Trial and error has a number of features:
- Solution-oriented: trial and error makes no attempt to discover why a solution works, merely that it is a solution.
- Problem-specific: trial and error makes no attempt to generalize a solution to other problems.
- Non-optimal: trial and error is generally an attempt to find a solution, not all solutions, and not the best solution.
- Needs little knowledge: trials and error can proceed where there is little or no knowledge of the subject."
So, yes, it is disturbing to me. For example, your hardware have to answer a software needs. If your software is still developing, how could you assure me you don't need to change the hardware to get best solution? It could be the case that you would discover that with this new OS discover there is no need to implement dual CPUs and the almost amplifier power supply you use.
How could you explain this to all costumers that would have a product with unnecessary parts and more expensive than necessary because it was designed from trial and error?
It would be something like; "Excuse me, but i didn't research too much about OS so i did need so much hardware to make it sound nice but now i've discovered this wasn't neccesary....my apologizes.."
It isn't enough for some folks to celebrate the achievements of people they are invested in for one reason or another. Perhaps because they feel threatened they must also denigrate those they see as competition. The audio pursuit then becomes not the enjoyment of music, but a contact sport with a zero sum -- my team must win and the other team must lose.

I know I don't feel that Wadax' achievements somehow invalidate Taiko's accomplishments or my purchase. Too bad you don't feel the same.

First and last time I feed the troll. . .

Steve Z
 

MarkusBarkus

Well-Known Member
Feb 6, 2021
1,013
1,673
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@Stereophonic ...it's not that there is zero merit in some of your points, but you farted in church here, and some members are calling P.U. in the pew. That may not translate.

It probably won't help for you to explain to a group of people from around the globe, who have bought into a platform *and* a process, and who seem to be enamored with what the Extreme is, *and what it can become*...that their thinking is wrong and the baby is ugly.

I think the First Law of Holes applies here: when over your head, stop digging.

I suspect most Extreme owners read Emile's messaging as a celebration, not a fire-alarm.
 

Stereophonic

Well-Known Member
Jun 9, 2013
891
674
410
Spain
It isn't enough for some folks to celebrate the achievements of people they are invested in for one reason or another. Perhaps because they feel threatened they must also denigrate those they see as competition. The audio pursuit then becomes not the enjoyment of music, but a contact sport with a zero sum -- my team must win and the other team must lose.

I've answered from same article Emile has sent as example. If a 30K€ server is still discovering the potential of Roon after saying the opposite during months, it isn't my problem. Competition? I'm not a member of any team, but it is true that this one doesn't admit even well argumented answers. Everybody is free to express his opinion, don't you think this?
I know I don't feel that Wadax' achievements somehow invalidate Taiko's accomplishments or my purchase. Too bad you don't feel the same.
First and last time I feed the troll. . .
Steve Z
Who talked about Wadax? Only yourself. I was reffering only to trial-error weakness....
 

Taiko Audio

Industry Expert
Feb 10, 2017
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taikoaudio.com
I've answered from same article Emile has sent as example. If a 30K€ server is still discovering the potential of Roon after saying the opposite during months, it isn't my problem. Competition? I'm not a member of any team, but it is true that this one doesn't admit even well argumented answers. Everybody is free to express his opinion, don't you think this?

Who talked about Wadax? Only yourself. I was reffering only to trial-error weakness....

Well, it’s been a year or so..

24A1FB1F-CDD0-45CC-9D5F-99C9EE901AC1.png
 
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Stereophonic

Well-Known Member
Jun 9, 2013
891
674
410
Spain
@Stereophonic ...it's not that there is zero merit in some of your points, but you farted in church here, and some members are calling P.U. in the pew. That may not translate.

It probably won't help for you to explain to a group of people from around the globe, who have bought into a platform *and* a process, and who seem to be enamored with what the Extreme is, *and what it can become*...that their thinking is wrong and the baby is ugly.

I think the First Law of Holes applies here: when over your head, stop digging.

I suspect most Extreme owners read Emile's messaging as a celebration, not a fire-alarm.

I'm glad to every owner who is happy to read these news. Once again, i was only impressed by the trial and error methodology.
It seems nobody wants to answer with a well argumented message...
 

dminches

Well-Known Member
Oct 22, 2011
3,482
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I've answered from same article Emile has sent as example. If a 30K€ server is still discovering the potential of Roon after saying the opposite during months, it isn't my problem. Competition? I'm not a member of any team, but it is true that this one doesn't admit even well argumented answers. Everybody is free to express his opinion, don't you think this?

Who talked about Wadax? Only yourself. I was reffering only to trial-error weakness....

At least be honest. You post in here like a troll and then tell everyone in the Wadax forum that we are fanboys.

This isn’t a competition among users. Pick whatever server suits you best. But don’t act like your questions are genuine. You have no interest in buying an Extreme. Of course, correct me if I am wrong.
 
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Stereophonic

Well-Known Member
Jun 9, 2013
891
674
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Spain
Well, it’s been a year or so..

View attachment 88452
That is all? No mention to my answer? Do you want to open Pandora's box again? Please, i have a lot of messages to show, but i will be more serious............ I encorage you to delete this message. I was waiting an argumented message...... If this is only you can tell, everything is said by your side. I only answered your message using your same Wikipedia link....No Wadax mention by my side.
Didn't you liked it? Maybe you should have read it before....
 
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Taiko Audio

Industry Expert
Feb 10, 2017
4,314
13,458
1,925
The Netherlands
taikoaudio.com
I'm glad to every owner who is happy to read these news. Once again, i was only impressed by the trial and error methodology.
It seems nobody wants to answer with a well argumented message...

There is no argument:

1) Yes trial & error is part of our ongoing development.

2) I have zero doubt the Wadax Reference server with Akasa interface is the best partner for the Wadax Reference DAC.
 

simorag

Well-Known Member
Sep 14, 2017
160
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Florence, Italy
Trial and error, among many other intelligent strategies, is at the root of every R&D endeavour.

Setbacks, rethinking and reworking are ordinary challenges for cutting edge products, being hardware or software.

I am happy that Taiko does not use consumers as guinea pigs or intentionally releases immature / inferior products just to hold on to announcements.

Emile's open and candid approach is appreciated here.
 

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