Shoot an email to Emile or the Dealer you ordered your Extreme from, and you get an invoice. Your Extreme while be shipped with the USB board installed
Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème
- Thread starter CKKeung
- Start date
I could have been more clear with the wording, as I already own the Extreme. I'll contact Emile today. Thanks!
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Output tubes are KR-242
As for the rectifier tube I started with RK-KR242 5u4g, then NOS Philco 1946 5u4g Hanging Filament Black Plate and presently Shuguang gz480
I just spent the last 3 hours in my listening room with my youngest son who happens to be in the film industry and does a lot of film editing involving sound mixing. He's here with us for the weekend and I wanted his opinion as to what he was going to hear. He knows my system inside out and has grown up with many iterations. I wanted to get his feedback
The music was entirely streamed. I listened to nothing yet in my library. I sat my son down and we did a search of an album that he uses a lot in mixing
Rome by Danger Mouse
I have never heard of this album so I was keenly interested and we found it on Qobuz
The entire album was placed into the queue and I pushed play
My son was glued. He listened to a few tracks and then made a few comments. He said that he has never heard such clarity in my system
He said that the sound stage was filled everywhere with music giving the impression of a massive soundstage and that the layering of sound was like nothing he has ever heard in my system. He mentions how he feel immersed in the sound as some tracks even had sound above us and way up along the side walls
The sound decay was terrific as the blossoms of the sound into the soundstage just seemed to be everywhere. This album is highly recommended if you want to get an idea of what the soundstage becomes with the Taiko USB Board and I have made a playlist of the entire album as IMO it . Vocals by Norah Jones
Rome is an album written by the American music producer Danger Mouse and the Italian composer Daniele Luppi. The album took five years to make and was inspired by the music from Spaghetti Westerns.
The album was recorded using vintage equipment and, as well as featuring musicians who recorded Spaghetti Western soundtracks, also features a reunited Cantori Moderni – the choir put together by Alessandro Alessandroni – that performed on the soundtrack to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The album also includes vocals by the American singers Jack White on the tracks "The Rose with the Broken Neck", "Two Against One" and "The World", and Norah Jones on the tracks "Season's Trees", "Black" and "Problem Queen". White additionally chose to provide lyrics for his three songs
We also listened to many of my demo disks
Let me try to put in perspective how I describe what I heard and maybe people can understand my analogy
Simply put "this is my first glimpse into the world of 8K"
I'm sure everyone has a TV that at the very least does 1080 p. Pretty damn good until 4K showed up and my whole world in video changed and I now own several large screen 4K TV's. Well now we go to shows and see 8K TV's and it is better still than 4k. Well how much better I asked when I saw 8K and I remember saying it looks "real"
So for me the best way I can describe TAS with the Taiko USB Audio Board, my answer is "it's like 8K TV". Same soundstage but there is so much more information everywhere over the sound stage with absolutely perfect sound layering, immersion. IOW if this were a screen, its the same size as the 4K but there are now so many more pixels on that screen filled with information". To my ears this increased resolution is bringing us closer and closer to a sense of reality. Not sure if we audiophiles will ever be able to capture the absolute sound in our listening rooms but todays listening experience for me was an 8K experience
In short
1080p = TAS
4K = TAS, TAS Driver
8K = TAS, TAS Driver, Taiko USB Audio Board
Today was quite amazing for streaming. I have yet to listen to my personal library stored in the Extreme
Bob said earlier and I have to totally agree that for the price the Taiko USB board is the most significant audio purchase one can make this year.
The music was entirely streamed. I listened to nothing yet in my library. I sat my son down and we did a search of an album that he uses a lot in mixing
Rome by Danger Mouse
I have never heard of this album so I was keenly interested and we found it on Qobuz
The entire album was placed into the queue and I pushed play
My son was glued. He listened to a few tracks and then made a few comments. He said that he has never heard such clarity in my system
He said that the sound stage was filled everywhere with music giving the impression of a massive soundstage and that the layering of sound was like nothing he has ever heard in my system. He mentions how he feel immersed in the sound as some tracks even had sound above us and way up along the side walls
The sound decay was terrific as the blossoms of the sound into the soundstage just seemed to be everywhere. This album is highly recommended if you want to get an idea of what the soundstage becomes with the Taiko USB Board and I have made a playlist of the entire album as IMO it . Vocals by Norah Jones
Rome is an album written by the American music producer Danger Mouse and the Italian composer Daniele Luppi. The album took five years to make and was inspired by the music from Spaghetti Westerns.
The album was recorded using vintage equipment and, as well as featuring musicians who recorded Spaghetti Western soundtracks, also features a reunited Cantori Moderni – the choir put together by Alessandro Alessandroni – that performed on the soundtrack to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The album also includes vocals by the American singers Jack White on the tracks "The Rose with the Broken Neck", "Two Against One" and "The World", and Norah Jones on the tracks "Season's Trees", "Black" and "Problem Queen". White additionally chose to provide lyrics for his three songs
We also listened to many of my demo disks
Let me try to put in perspective how I describe what I heard and maybe people can understand my analogy
Simply put "this is my first glimpse into the world of 8K"
I'm sure everyone has a TV that at the very least does 1080 p. Pretty damn good until 4K showed up and my whole world in video changed and I now own several large screen 4K TV's. Well now we go to shows and see 8K TV's and it is better still than 4k. Well how much better I asked when I saw 8K and I remember saying it looks "real"
So for me the best way I can describe TAS with the Taiko USB Audio Board, my answer is "it's like 8K TV". Same soundstage but there is so much more information everywhere over the sound stage with absolutely perfect sound layering, immersion. IOW if this were a screen, its the same size as the 4K but there are now so many more pixels on that screen filled with information". To my ears this increased resolution is bringing us closer and closer to a sense of reality. Not sure if we audiophiles will ever be able to capture the absolute sound in our listening rooms but todays listening experience for me was an 8K experience
In short
1080p = TAS
4K = TAS, TAS Driver
8K = TAS, TAS Driver, Taiko USB Audio Board
Today was quite amazing for streaming. I have yet to listen to my personal library stored in the Extreme
Bob said earlier and I have to totally agree that for the price the Taiko USB board is the most significant audio purchase one can make this year.
Steve, Many thanks for this illuminating report.
Would you believe on Thursday night, Emile played some Spaghetti Western tracks to see what the SQ Trifecta would do to the presentation of these oldies. It was my first time to hear them, but I could discern the various effects boxes being used, which, and how the mixing engineer was deploying them. Quite fascinating
On my next visit to Oldenzaal, I am going to add Rome by Danger Mouse to the queue !
I guess I need to try the KR-242s at some point. I did start listening to the PX25s again and I am still feeling that they are too dynamic for my taste.
Is Best300B the only place to buy the KR-242s?
I listen to Radio Swiss Classic for at least 4-5 hours every morning. I have to switch over to Roon to hear it on Live Radio.
After first installing the new usb card, 3 days ago, I listened to RSC but it didn't seem to be as CRAZY GOOD sounding as even Roon did, especially after the first 12 hours of streaming/warm up.
Three days in and RSC sounds pretty close to the streaming on Roon. Not quite but I don't think that I would be able to differentiate between the same recording on RSC or if it were streaming on Qobuz or Tidal.
It's a big thing for me as I love RSC. If I had one choice of something to listen to for the rest of my days it would be RSC. Now the new usb card has enhanced RSC to the point that I don't know if I will ever turn it off
I think I know the reason that the new usb card has elevated RSC on Live Radio to such an extent. I can imagine that there is possibly even more "un-hearable noise" attached to the Live Radio Signal than say a streaming file from Qobuz/Tidal.
When the noise floor is lowered via the new usb card, it allows the Live Radio, especially the excellent recordings on RSC to reap the benefits of a lower noise floor.
It's funny but for me this is probably the strongest benefit of the Extreme with the usb driver and the new usb card. Go figure.
After first installing the new usb card, 3 days ago, I listened to RSC but it didn't seem to be as CRAZY GOOD sounding as even Roon did, especially after the first 12 hours of streaming/warm up.
Three days in and RSC sounds pretty close to the streaming on Roon. Not quite but I don't think that I would be able to differentiate between the same recording on RSC or if it were streaming on Qobuz or Tidal.
It's a big thing for me as I love RSC. If I had one choice of something to listen to for the rest of my days it would be RSC. Now the new usb card has enhanced RSC to the point that I don't know if I will ever turn it off
I think I know the reason that the new usb card has elevated RSC on Live Radio to such an extent. I can imagine that there is possibly even more "un-hearable noise" attached to the Live Radio Signal than say a streaming file from Qobuz/Tidal.
When the noise floor is lowered via the new usb card, it allows the Live Radio, especially the excellent recordings on RSC to reap the benefits of a lower noise floor.
It's funny but for me this is probably the strongest benefit of the Extreme with the usb driver and the new usb card. Go figure.
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I agree that if there was only a single source of music for the rest of my life, I’d also pick RSC. Why?I listen to Radio Swiss Classic for at least 4-5 hours every morning. I have to switch over to Roon to hear it on Live Radio.
After first installing the new usb card, 3 days ago, I listened to RSC but it didn't seem to be as CRAZY GOOD sounding as even Roon did, especially after the first 12 hours of streaming/warm up.
Three days in and RSC sounds pretty close to the streaming on Roon. Not quite but I don't think that I would be able to differentiate between the same recording on RSC or if it were streaming on Qobuz or Tidal.
It's a big thing for me as I love RSC. If I had one choice of something to listen to for the rest of my days it would be RSC. Now the new usb card has enhanced RSC to the point that I don't know if I will ever turn it off
I think I know the reason that the new usb card has elevated RSC on Live Radio to such an extent. I can imagine that there is possibly even more "un-hearable noise" attached to the Live Radio Signal than say a streaming file from Qobuz/Tidal.
When the noise floor is lowered via the new usb card, it allows the Live Radio, especially the excellent recordings on RSC to reap the benefits of a lower noise floor.
It's funny but for me this is probably the strongest benefit of the Extreme with the usb driver and the new usb card. Go figure.
Great music choices, with lots of beautiful, joyous music that I‘ve never previously heard. Great recordings, that sound a lot like a live orchestra sounds
Really good to great recordings that present the venue with all the instruments playing within with all the clues that you’d expect if you were sitting very close to the musicians, but not in a close miked sense....the music has really good balance, very like you hear in a concert hall. Some of the Piano recordings are really excellent.
For sure it lacks the deep layering, intensity, colour saturation and power that you can get streaming hi-res, but what it gives you instead is only slightly less involving or compelling. I used to use SRC as a warm-up and burn-in source, without seriously listening, but as I gradually improved and optimised my network stream, I found it more and more difficult to disengage from SRC. I’d be doing something on my iPad with SRC playing at low levels when suddenly something like a flute, oboe or piano would grab my attention and demand focus. I’d put down the iPad, turn it up, start to listen and before I knew it an hour or more had passed. I also found myself listening to and thoroughly enjoying pieces of music I’d never been attracted to in the past, vocals being a real standout. I suddenly discovered some of the most beautiful music in the World that I’d previously been totally unmoved by or indeed dare I say, irritated by. Music that would now send shivers down my spine and bring tears to my eyes. And an added benefit.....I’m always in relaxed musical enjoyment mode as opposed to analytical listening, which can tend to take over when striving for the very best sound.
Gradually, as SRC replay improved I realised that there are 2 very different types of upgrade. There‘s the upgrade that brings improvements to all the hi-fi related elements....soundstage, frequency extension, soundstage depth and width etc.....upgrades that are very rewarding for a certain time but that ultimately don‘t really alter your long term enjoyment level of the music. I call these cosmetic upgrades....I’ve made hundreds of these in my life, spent a small fortune in the process and generated a lot of immediate happiness as a result. Then there’s the upgrade that is much more profound and difficult to describe as its more about the music’s ability to create feelings and emotions. These typically convey more about the music itself, its inner beauty, its gorgeous harmonic tone, complexity and structure, the magical interplay between musicians, the way the instruments energise and light up their venue, how the notes form, bloom and decay, the musicians‘ abilities to shade, tone and subtly alter their music’s mood creation..... I call these upgrades fundamental, because they fundamentally positively impact both your short and long term musical enjoyment by making the feelings it generates more intense. Essentially they will change your experience for each listening session from ‘listening to recorded music’ to ‘enjoying a musical performance‘. It may not sound exactly like the live performance (it is after all a microphone recording with no live audience, atmosphere and anticipation), but it creates feelings, moods and emotions that are very close to a live event and that’s what’s most important.....does it make you feel the same way and experience the same intense emotions as live, beautifully created music?
Amazingly, RSC’s compressed, 128kbps transmissions manage to achieve exactly that, when played on the appropriate system. It may not reach the pinnacle of hi-res, but it certainly can create the desired listener reaction and that, above all is what’s important to me. It makes me feel intensely good and that for me is what this whole game is about.
Here are a few more albums to enjoy with TAS and your new USB cards:
Toy Yello
Rise Anoushka Shankar
Bullit Lalo Schifrin
The Vault Jeff Golub
Tales of the Inexpressible Shpongle
Mettal EP Rodrigo y Gabriela
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Thank you very much, not just for the additional music recommendations (please keep them coming!) but even more for taking the time to write about RSC and your reasons for choosing it. Your commentary could -- and should -- serve as a guidepost to what music should do for us.
With admiration and thanks,
Steve Z
Well said. Very much appreciated your comparative description of “cosmetic” (audiophile criteria based) vs fundamental (musical enjoyment based) upgrades/listening modes. The Taiko team’s work is definitely on the latter end of the spectrum. Truly transformative.
You can't use the radio function in TAS. It's a steady stream. Not sure if they will ever be able to enable radio in TAS. I would love it if they could, although Live Radio sounds REALLY great with the new usb card.
Hopefully Emile/team will correct me on this and tell how you can enable Radio in TAS
There is a plugin for radio that is shown under server settings, and is not installed in the default configuration, but I don't know if it is functional or tested.You can't use the radio function in TAS. It's a steady stream. Not sure if they will ever be able to enable radio in TAS. I would love it if they could, although Live Radio sounds REALLY great with the new usb card.
Hopefully Emile/team will correct me on this and tell how you can enable Radio in TAS
The radio plugins can be loaded but I get no sound. I set up SRC and pinned it to my home start page, but after loading on the playing page there is no sound, so the tas player is not yet set to work with radio. I'm sure it's somewhere on emile's list of things to do.
I'm going to uninstall the radio plugins just in case they have a deleterious effect on SQ.
The standard LMS players such as Squeezelite are needed to play with the radio plugins
None of the Taiko players, Serial, Batch or HQP are coded to accept streams
I have tested Squeezelite on several occasions, but the SQ Delta between the Taiko Players and Squeezelite has gotten very large over the months
I have not tested Squeezelite with the Taiko USB card
The nice SQ uplift that the USB card has given to roon makes testing Squeezelite again low priority
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