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Article: Reality Quest: Going to Extremes with the Taiko Audio SGM Extreme (Part 4 of 5)


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Hi Raydude,

 

It is great to read your review of the Taiko Audio Extreme. I've just finished reading parts 1 to 4. It is especially interesting to read of your experimentation with the network and usb ends of the system.

 

I hope you don't mind a few niggly technical questions.

 

You write that:

"The Monoprice SlimRun is not quite galvanically isolated, since there is a power line for the end connector and USB Vbus that runs the length of the cable, but there is an option to externally power the cable with a micro USB connector on the DAC end of the cable."


My Monoprice SlimRun fiber USB cable has a micro USB power input on the server end of the cable. Can you please point me in the direction of the option that allows the DAC end of the cable to be externally powered?

 

While I know your music is stored on the Extreme in ASUS base NVME drives, your diagram shows a NAS as well.  How does playback from the NAS sound in comparison?  As good as Tidal?

 

Anyway thanks again for your write-up of the Extreme. You write very well, and clearly have a great understanding of the technology, so it is a pleasure to read.


Enjoy,

Larry

Pareto Audio aka nuckleheadaudio

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1 hour ago, ray-dude said:

I am thinking of getting out a drill and soldering iron and putting DC leads on the DAC side of the cable

Same thoughts here. Funny, I burned through several Corning cables trying to power the DAC end 5 years ago.  It's best to proceed slowly. Like the Corning cable, the voltage is probably boosted for the long cable run in the Monoprice so you may need to find the output of the buck on the DAC end for connection at 5 volts.

 

I am successfully using the Monoprice USB as a server connection to the network, with the remote end powering an USB NIC and Monoprice CAT 8 into a LPS powered network extender. Just for grins I've moved a backup USB HDD to my NAS on the router (dirty) side of the network. Despite this, and surprisingly, SQ between Qobuz and the NAS based HDD is tough to distinguish. Indeed local files stored on the servers Optane drive are tough to distinguish from the same tracks on the NAS. More long term listening may tell the story, but no doubt, the Monoprice does sound awfully good.

 

Anyway thanks again for the terrific write-up.

 

Larry

 

 

Pareto Audio aka nuckleheadaudio

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