Finally installed the XDMI Analog DAC card on the Olympus-I/O on Thursday.
I’ve been in a virtual heaven listening to the Olympus-I/O XDMI digital (AES) break-in over the last three weeks, but especially the last week.
It’s been a delightful progression of musical engagement above any past system configurations I’ve ever heard before in my room.
On Thursday, I felt that the performance of the XDMI digital card had stabilized sufficiently to try the XDMI analog card.
After a number of self-inflicted unforced errors (including blown fuses and incorrect cable connections), I was finally able to get music through the XDMI analog card on Friday evening - due in no short measure to the patient, timely, and expert help of the usual suspects at Taiko.
Thank you kindly Gents!
However, what became immediately and abundantly clear after just a couple of hours of listening was that the XDMI analog card performance exceeded the XDMI digital card in no uncertain terms.
And what’s become clearer now, after just a little over 36 hours of break-in, that rather than being in heaven as I thought when listening to the digital XDMI card, that I was just in the lower basement - about to ascend in the opposite direction of Dante’s nine circles of hell.
Every few hours, the performance leaps forward.
All along, Emile has been modest and downplayed the expectations of the XDMI Analog DAC.
After less than 48 hours, and given previous reports that the XDMI analog card would take weeks to stabilize, I can only imagine where the performance will end up.
Emile and the Taiko team have pulled a lion out of their collective hat!
Bottom line, all that’s need now is a couple of more inputs to the XDMI DAC for flexibility, the potential addition of XLR outputs, and which when combined with I’m sure a couple of additional treats up Emile’s sleeve - and it’s GAME OVER!
Well at least for Steve Z, myself, and a couple of other crazies!