SGM Taiko Extreme

[bmichels]

4 hours ago, isquirrel said:

 

No there are no such optimisations needed to match your system other than installing your DAC's driver which Taiko Audio do for you. Which DAC are you using now? 

 

Today I have a Denafrips TERMINATOR, but the plan is to upgrade (soon ?) to the NAGRA Tube DAC.   

[StreamFidelity]

16 hours ago, bmichels said:

Because I do not like the idea of upsampling and because I was afraid by the complexity of the optimisation needed by the myriad of HQ Player filters....

 

I can understand those worries. Some are more concerned with computer settings than listening to music. 😁

 

You have many to try with HQPlayer. I needed some time to find the right settings for me. But then it is very easy and great. The power of algorithms! This happens in HQPlayer. An audio PC without support HQPlayer would be a non buy for me.

 

I find it interesting that Taiko uses a Windows 10 variant as OS. Many swear by Windows Server solutions 2016/2019 or Linux. I tried some of it. Nothing reached the solution of my reduced Windows 10 Pro OS.

 

I admire the design of Taiko Extreme. 👍

[isquirrel]

I have an MCSE, which is now out dated as it focused on Windows 7. However when I look into the registry I see a lot of familiar Control Key's. 

 

I was expecting to go into the registry and apply some of the tweaks I have learned over the years. However I can see and Emile has already done this before installation instead of applying these tweaks after installation.

 

Emile has cleverly customised his installation of Windows 10 so that the settings and modules which would normally be there are simply not installed at all. This is a much better way of doing it and I have to applaud Emile he knew exactly what I was talking about when I mentioned all kinds of settings to him. Emile had either removed that component from installation or had applied the necessary tweaks beforehand.

 

I have no doubt that Emile has gone to exhausting lengths to make sure that his custom installation of Windows is the optimum sounding one. 

 

Emile continues to hunt for the ultimate Windows installation and will in time release service packs if he considers them to be of significant importance. 

 

So owners of the Extreme can rest easy knowing that Emile continues to work away constantly refining his version of Windows.

 

Having owned a couple of Music Servers that use a custom install of Linux I can attest to the fact that they all have a familiar lean mid range. Windows does not have that and properly configured outperforms any Linux or non Windows based Music Servers.

[isquirrel]

19 hours ago, bmichels said:

 

Today I have a Denafrips TERMINATOR, but the plan is to upgrade (soon ?) to the NAGRA Tube DAC.   

 

Which Nagra DAC the Classic Line DAC or the new HD DAC X?

 

https://www.nagraaudio.com/product/hd-dac-x/

 

Frankly whichever Nagra DAC you choose you can't go wrong.

[bmichels]

Isquirrel, as I mentioned, I plan to go for the Tube DAC with the Classic PSU, which is the "successor" of the "old" NAGRA HD DAC.  Same small housing. It is NOT the HD DAC-X.   

 

Only drawback of the Taiko Extreme paired with the NAGRA is that the Taiko will not use the new I2S proprietary Digital interface that is implemented in the Tube DAC and the HD DAX X (Only the Playback Design MPT-8 dream Server offer such interface since this interface was developped for NAGRA by...  Andreas Koch 🙂 ).  So... Taiko's USB will be the best choice I guess ? 

[wwc]

I've enjoyed the Extreme in my system for a few months and can say that music (99% Qobuz streaming) is sounding the best I have heard.  Digital audio has really come of age and I am confident Emile will continue to push the envelope.  (Bad recordings/mastering still sound bad of course-- there's no tech to solve that problem.)

 

I have a theoretical question for those here who, in particular, have first-hand technical knowledge of digital audio:  that is, how servers, clocks, usb and dacs work together as a complex system.  

 

I am planning to try the Bacch cross-talk cancellation dsp software and it unfortunately requires the Mac OS.    In my system, this removes the Extreme in it's role as Endpoint and so functions as only the  Server (and Roon Core). The Extreme is connected via optical to my switch and the Mini via ethernet from switch and  usb to my Dac (Lampi Pacific).  So, the Mini is the Endpoint before the Dac.  (The Mini's smps is removed and powered by a linear Keces P8.)

 

I expected the Mini as endpoint to degrade the sq, but with blind A/B listening, neither I nor my friend could hear a difference between the system with the Mini connected to Dac through Bacch software  and the Extreme connected to  Dac through JPlay.

 

I plan to listen again to the comparison before committing to Bacch, but am curious about the results so far.  Perhaps most of tech sq benefits of the Extreme are realized at the Core level and are not undermined by the influence of the Mini as Endpoint?

 

 

[matthias]

On ‎1‎/‎7‎/‎2020 at 10:37 PM, wwc said:

I expected the Mini as endpoint to degrade the sq, but with blind A/B listening, neither I nor my friend could hear a difference between the system with the Mini connected to Dac through Bacch software  and the Extreme connected to  Dac through JPlay.

 

May I ask why do you go for the additional Bacch software when there is no difference to the Extreme direct output?

 

Matt

[wwc]

2 hours ago, matthias said:

 

May I ask why do you go for the additional Bacch software when there is no difference to the Extreme direct output?

 

Matt

 

We haven't activated the actual purpose of the Bacch software yet which is for inter-aural cross talk cancellation. https://www.theoretica.us/bacch4mac 

 

But I've been using the Mini as endpoint for a few weeks now to make sure I don't hear a sq cost by not using the Extreme as endpoint.

[matthias]

10 hours ago, wwc said:

 

We haven't activated the actual purpose of the Bacch software yet which is for inter-aural cross talk cancellation. https://www.theoretica.us/bacch4mac 

But I've been using the Mini as endpoint for a few weeks now to make sure I don't hear a sq cost by not using the Extreme as endpoint.

 

Interesting,

the first time I come across someone using the Extreme with an endpoint.

 

Matt

[wwc]

22 minutes ago, matthias said:

 

Interesting,

the first time I come across someone using the Extreme with an endpoint.

 

Matt

Right, I'd rather not, but the Bacch software is Mac OS only.   If the 3d imaging from Bacch turned out not to be to my liking, I would go back to the Extreme as endpoint.

[matthias]

4 hours ago, wwc said:

Right, I'd rather not, but the Bacch software is Mac OS only.   If the 3d imaging from Bacch turned out not to be to my liking, I would go back to the Extreme as endpoint.

 

The software is rather expensive.......

Can you give it back if not to your liking?

 

Matt

[wwc]

44 minutes ago, matthias said:

 

The software is rather expensive.......

Can you give it back if not to your liking?

 

Matt

  I got the cheapest version.  It also includes hardware and it's returnable.

[dmance]

On 11/11/2019 at 1:29 PM, EuroDriver said:

Hi Nenon,

 

Think of each clock like a radio transmitter with a carrier wave at the clock frequency.  Vibration causes frequency modulation, power supply fluctuations result in amplitude modulation.  RF emissions in the MHz to GHz range are very hard to stop, they get everywhere

Only possible to stop MHz-GHz is with a RF isolation chamber. And i don't quite understand the mechanism ...but DACs become much more transparent when they measure zero ambient RF noise.

[MarkS]

If there is anyone here with a Taiko Extreme server and dCS gear (Vivaldi or Rossini) please pm me. 

[seeteeyou]

 

[Darryl R]

16 hours ago, seeteeyou said:

 

 

Emile has always been so kind over email, and this was nice to finally put a face and personality with it.  Looking forward to Part 2.  Sounded like Part 1 ended mid-sentence.

[seeteeyou]

https://www.facebook.com/TaikoAudio/posts/1056178995116154