Article: Reality Quest: Going to Extremes with the Taiko Audio SGM Extreme (Part 2 of 5)

[ray-dude]

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[ray-dude]

Based on what I’m hearing, I’m very excited to hear some of the new generation ASM chipsets. Without spoiling too much, the 3142 built into the motherboard left my beloved tX-USBultra SE in the dust.  There is something special going on with these ASM chipsets, and I can’t wait to hear if the newer higher bandwidth versions are able to take it higher still!

[ray-dude]

Thank you @jrobbins50, this is a fast moving discussion around Roon (and alas, all my listening tests and write up were basically complete before that discussion even started).  Except for the paragraph on Roon upgrades above, please consider this review a snapshot in time prior to the changes referred to above. Appreciate you posting the above

[ray-dude]

3 hours ago, matthias said:

@ray-dude

 

Hi Ray,

do you think it would be possible to get an Extreme tuned for Audirvana for Windows (not Roon)?

 

Thanks

 

Matt

 

Matt, that's a question for Emile on whether he would do the tuning, but there is nothing to prevent one to install and run Audirvana (it is a normal Windows box).  I'm sure at some point I'll experiment with the different Windows players on the market.

[ray-dude]

9 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I believe there were Taiko changes made that had an impact.

 

I'll be happily corrected if wrong though.

 

Chris, I don't think any of us have anything definitive (other than the note posted above).  

 

@bbosler as near as I can reconstruct, a couple weeks ago coincident with the timing of the Roon upgrade, there was a big change in sound quality.  For the purpose of this review, that happened after I had completed all my listening tests and basically completed the initial drafts of this review. 

 

The timing led Taiko (and others) to initially attribute the change in sound quality to the Roon upgrade. As I understand it, the Roon team and Taiko teams then worked together and looked into it, and late last week Taiko posted the above retraction.  In the interim, Taiko made a bunch of changes to retune the system.

 

I wish I had more definitive answers on this one, but as a music listener, I am delighted with what I am hearing.  

[ray-dude]

19 minutes ago, Downtheline said:

Ray-dude, this is great reading, thank you. 

 

You mentioned "six 80W capable heat pipes". How do you know that? How does one determine this for other passive cooling systems?

 

The information on heat pipes came from Taiko.  My expertise in this area is only Google-deep, but the world of CPU cooling is pretty wild!

[ray-dude]

11 minutes ago, MarkS said:

I've heard great things about this server from the local dealer but have not had a chance to listen to it yet.  I look forward to Part 3.  

 

If possible, can you please compare your impressions to the Innuos Statement, if you are familiar with that server too.  Those two and the Pink Faun and W20 seem like the heavy hitter servers right now, however, this one truly seems the most "extreme" of the bunch.

 

I see (and you report) two ethernet jacks, plus optical ethernet on the server.  Can one run optical ethernet from a router/switch into the server then bridged network out directly from a remaining ethernet port on the server into the ethernet input of a network enabled dac (e.g., your Rossini) thereby keeping the dac off the network?

 

Mark, I wish I had access to a Innuos Statement to listen to them side by side.  I did poke around, but the current circumstances don't lend themselves to dealers or individuals bringing things like that over to my home for extended listening tests.  Ditto for the other servers you mention.

 

I don't have an answer for you on your network enabled DAC question.

[ray-dude]

2 minutes ago, bbosler said:

I do want to thank you for the Qobuz playlist and notes about the recordings you used. Although I will never spend that kind of money on a server, I do enjoy the reviews and discovering new music. I ordered 10 MA CDs yesterday so at least they got some benefit from it. 

 

 

This is wonderful, thank you for sharing.  Todd Garfinkle (chief everything at MA Recordings) does such amazing work, and his care and musicianship really comes through on his recordings.  I hope you enjoy the albums, and please share your favorites!  (I'm always keen to find a new favorite in Todd's catalog)

[ray-dude]

9 minutes ago, taipan254 said:

@ray-dude, these write-ups are making my week. 

 

Question for you - do you see any off-the-shelf regulators in use in the power supply? I know Taiko has previously used Belleson regulators, but this power supply, ostensibly, looks like a standard CLC / Pi-Filter with substantial emphasis on the C's. As such, it seems like Emile could be letting the motherboard handle all regulation from a power source with VERY small, sinusoidal, low-frequency, ripple? Or is Emile using a discrete regulator instead of a monolothic regulator following the pi-filter? 

 

 

 

I did not see any obvious mods to the motherboard (my presumption is that it is stock), so my focus was much more on the substantial C's.  Alas, I don't have answers for your question. I think one would need to disassemble the supply assembly to really get a sense of the topology and components used, and I didn't have the heart (or nerve) for that.

[ray-dude]

@jrobbins50 @bbosler This is a fast moving discussion around Roon updates (and alas, all my listening tests and write up were basically complete before that discussion even started).  

 

Rather than inadvertently sharing incorrect information, I asked Chris to update the review content to remove the reference to Roon updates (my main point was to speak to the sensitivity of the tuning and the responsiveness of Taiko, which the updated text reflects).

 

I appreciate you highlighting the issue in your comments above so we could take care of that.

[ray-dude]

14 hours ago, StreamFidelity said:

Thank you for the very good description. Very beautiful pictures. Are you test Roon + HQPlayer too?

 

Roon + HQplayer is my default configuration @StreamFidelity.  I have a section on the combination in Part 3 tomorrow, along with first impressions and a review of other basic configurations.

[ray-dude]

17 hours ago, Audiophile Neuroscience said:

okay, I have to ask, there is no optical output?

 

I have not seen an optical out option from Taiko.  Alas I don't have my Matrix Audio XSPDIF DDC (it is on loan to a friend), or I'd be happy to see whether the Extreme (vs NUC) is impactful with it.

 

 

[ray-dude]

Two system iterations ago, my reference was NUC end point (battery) to ISORegen (LPS 1.2) to Matrix Audio to toslink to DAVE. Getting mains isolated was the last extra icing on the cake (DAVE is particularly good at dealing with jitter, so I didn’t have that wrinkle to deal with). Absolutely loved it. 
 

it wasn’t until I got the tX-USBultra that I found something better. The clock in the tX tipped things in its favor I think. 
 

Even compared with the tX, the USB implementation in the Extreme is way ahead of the game.  It would be very interesting to hear Extreme USB direct vs Extreme USB to Matrix Audio, just to hear the real impact of the DDC

[ray-dude]

3 minutes ago, Audiophile Neuroscience said:

 

I don't want to labor the point but why offer an allegedly outmoded toslink interface on their DDC in the first place and why not offer an SFP optical out on their extremely expensive server.

USB audio may have been chosen as simply superior in their view (and it may well be). It would be interesting to find out their reasons.

 

There is that very intriguing square cut out on the back of the case.  I have to assume (wish?) that is for some future I/O option (and presumably to a DAC, otherwise it would more likely be in a PCIe form factor).  **COMPLETE** speculation on my part (absolutely no inside knowledge, other than going "huh" when I saw the optional port on the back panel and the spare power connector on the interior), but I think all of us would LOVE a no compromise interface standard to connect a server to a DAC.

[ray-dude]

5 minutes ago, Axial said:

Ray dude, do you wear white gloves when you remove the top cover? 

 

 

Surgical mask, with sterile clothes draped around the surgical field 

 

 

[ray-dude]

11 minutes ago, Superdad said:

Hi Ray:

Here is a link to one of my favorite MA Recordings CD.  

https://www.marecordings.com/main/product_info.php?products_id=56&osCsid=ile1b52cogbu8g8mcqvc2rcfg6

 

I absolutely ADORE that album Alex!  Murakkaz Ah Ya Muddasin is absolutely magical, transports you to a completely different time and place.

 

If you like that album, you should definitely give Maria Ana Bonbone "Senhora da Lapa" a listen.  I did not know about Fado before this album, but it convinced me that I must have been Portuguese in a previous life.

 

With all this well deserved love for MA Recordings, anyone with a vague interest in Todd's work should snag the MA on SA compilation:

 

https://www.marecordings.com/main/product_info.php?products_id=108

 

It has a SACD layer with an incredible collection, but then the redbook CD layer has an incredible collection of different songs.  Basically two albums in one, and a wonderful sampler of the catalog. (if you purchase the SACD and don't have a SACD player, please drop a PM...we'll take care of you)

[ray-dude]

From your mouth to Todd's ears Ted!  I would love to hear those tapes, even if raw and in need of remastering.  The recordings are so magical and real, they don't need anything added to them.  Alas, Todd would have the unenvious task of (re)mastering all those recordings.  All that being said, I would be first in line to prepurchase any part of his catalog that Todd decides to go back to the master tapes for.

[ray-dude]

https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/taiko-audio-sgm-extreme-the-crème-de-la-crème.27433/page-238#post-668042

 

For those interested in the incredible attention to detail that went into the physical/mechanical design of the Extreme, Emile just posted details on the heat sink/passive cooling assembly.  Incredibly impressive to strive for these types of tolerances on a commercial product.

[ray-dude]

USB Card is in my system, switch/NIC, and (hopefully) router are soon inbound.

 

When all the dust (and testing) settles, looking forward to doing an update to this review encompassing all that has happened in the Taiko ecosystem over the last several years