Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

[Kawero]

Hi all,

I am glad that Emile has given me the opportunity to test the upgrade on my Wadax Ref Dac.
The first listen to the initial upgrade was a bit disapointing. Very clear (extrem clear) but loss of midrange density and emotions, Staging clear better. Loss of punch in the lower range

I chated with Emile and he said he has an idea and will provide another USB driver for the Wadax within 24h. Think about this service!!!!

So I got a new update a few hours later (much less than 24 h) and had 4 different settings or drivers which I could select by powershell script and reboot.
What a difference!!!!!!!
Every setup sounded better than the initial upgrade. Currently setup3 with dedicated 24 bit USB configuration is what I like most in my system.
USB config 2 is very close.

I don´t know what magic Emile has inserted in this new upgrade (#2) but the sound is unbelievable. Clarity, density staging, everything.

Be prepared for a new experience

Best

Rainer

 

[oldmustang]

Hi all,

I am glad that Emile has given me the opportunity to test the upgrade on my Wadax Ref Dac.
The first listen to the initial upgrade was a bit disapointing. Very clear (extrem clear) but loss of midrange density and emotions, Staging clear better. Loss of punch in the lower range

I chated with Emile and he said he has an idea and will provide another USB driver for the Wadax within 24h. Think about this service!!!!

So I got a new update a few hours later (much less than 24 h) and had 4 different settings or drivers which I could select by powershell script and reboot.
What a difference!!!!!!!
Every setup sounded better than the initial upgrade. Currently setup3 with dedicated 24 bit USB configuration is what I like most in my system.
USB config 2 is very close.

I don´t know what magic Emile has inserted in this new upgrade (#2) but the sound is unbelievable. Clarity, density staging, everything.

Be prepared for a new experience

Best

Rainer

Great minds think and evidently hear in the same paths, Rainer.

I have had exactly the same experience and driver preference as you with my dCS Vivaldi and the new drivers Emile placed on my desktop. USB 2 and 3 are very close, the original or default (USB4) is next and USB1 was disappointing and very easy to eliminate. Right now, I think I would give the nod to USB3 with the 24-bit configuration.

Of course I'll do more listening -- as if someone had to twist my arm to do that!

Best regards,

Steve Z

 

[Taiko Audio]

Hi all,

I am glad that Emile has given me the opportunity to test the upgrade on my Wadax Ref Dac.
The first listen to the initial upgrade was a bit disapointing. Very clear (extrem clear) but loss of midrange density and emotions, Staging clear better. Loss of punch in the lower range

I chated with Emile and he said he has an idea and will provide another USB driver for the Wadax within 24h. Think about this service!!!!

So I got a new update a few hours later (much less than 24 h) and had 4 different settings or drivers which I could select by powershell script and reboot.
What a difference!!!!!!!
Every setup sounded better than the initial upgrade. Currently setup3 with dedicated 24 bit USB configuration is what I like most in my system.
USB config 2 is very close.

I don´t know what magic Emile has inserted in this new upgrade (#2) but the sound is unbelievable. Clarity, density staging, everything.

Be prepared for a new experience

Best

Rainer

Thank you Rainer for helping us figuring this out. It does appear at least Wadax and DCS have a somewhat diverting USB implementation. We do suspect Esoteric and EMM Labs to have similar behaviour but we need more feedback.

We may end up having to employ different DAC profiles to extract the maximum possible performance from each DAC USB implementation. So much for USB is USB

Something like that we could integrate into XDMS, when you load that profile it could then also be effectuated for Roon. Or we can create a separate hardware control (&service) app which we have started working on already anyway.

I will have a good think on how to make this possible for the update rollout starting on Monday.

 

[Taiko Audio]

hello Emile, who like me is waiting for delivery in January, will already receive the update. Or not, so that we too can experience the improvement?

Everything shipping starting next week will have this update applied.

 

[QSA-LANEDRI]

Thank you Rainer for helping us figuring this out. It does appear at least Wadax and DCS have a somewhat diverting USB implementation. We do suspect Esoteric and EMM Labs to have similar behaviour but we need more feedback.

We may end up having to employ different DAC profiles to extract the maximum possible performance from each DAC USB implementation. So much for USB is USB

Something like that we could integrate into XDMS, when you load that profile it could then also be effectuated for Roon. Or we can create a separate hardware control (&service) app which we have started working on already anyway.

I will have a good think on how to make this possible for the update rollout starting on Monday.

Hello Emile,

Great to hear, once again, about the step up on the SGM Extreme SQ experience!

What about Chord Dave DAC users, will we benefit from both OS and USB driver upgrade? From the shared feedback so far, it looks like it is the USB driver update that is ensuring that the OS upgrade results in the optimum experience.


Thanks,
Anas

 

[Taiko Audio]

Hello Emile,

Great to hear, once again, about the step up on the SGM Extreme SQ experience!

What about Chord Dave DAC users, will we benefit from both OS and USB driver upgrade? From the shared feedback so far, it looks like it is the USB driver update that is ensuring that the OS upgrade results in the optimum experience.


Thanks,
Anas

Unfortunately we cannot do anything for Amanero USB interfaces, it employs a non standard proprietary format which makes it impossible for us to implement it in our driver, meaning you will be forced to use the Amanero supplied driver.

There are still a few improvements which should make the update beneficial to you.

 

[simorag]

Hello Emile,

Great to hear, once again, about the step up on the SGM Extreme SQ experience!

What about Chord Dave DAC users, will we benefit from both OS and USB driver upgrade? From the shared feedback so far, it looks like it is the USB driver update that is ensuring that the OS upgrade results in the optimum experience.


Thanks,
Anas

As many DAVE users already have experienced, I have got a nice sound quality bump by adding the Audiowise SRC-DX USB to Dual BNC adapter.

Unfortunately this adds a box and one or more cables, but my system never sounded so good (more details via DM if you are interested).

Please note I have not yet received my Extreme. However, the additional benefit of the SRC-DX - and a major motivation for me to acquire it - is that the Extreme USB driver can work with it as it uses a modern ComTrue USB chip.

Is that true, Emile?

 

[Taiko Audio]

As many DAVE users already have experienced, I have got a nice sound quality bump by adding the Audiowise SRC-DX USB to Dual BNC adapter.

Unfortunately this adds a box and one or more cables, but my system never sounded so good (more details via DM if you are interested).

Please note I have not yet received my Extreme. However, the additional benefit of the SRC-DX - and a major motivation for me to acquire it - is that the Extreme USB driver can work with it as it uses a modern ComTrue USB chip.

Is that true, Emile?

We did remove SRC-DX support due to some issues which popped up but there's an updated driver from Dan Mance sitting in my e-mail box which should work reliably, to be tested, don't expect any further serious issues.

 

[Lojay]

Hi Emile, just to clarify, I am wondering whether Chord Dave users with SRC-DX will benefit from or be entitled to this new OS and USB update?

 

[nonesup]

A couple of questions Emile.
A.- Monday's update brings the OS modification to 100%, since Steve was talking about his being at 75%.
B.- The Aries Cerat USB driver presents a problem similar to those described for Wadax, DCS….. etc. or not.

 

[Taiko Audio]

Hi Emile, just to clarify, I am wondering whether Chord Dave users with SRC-DX will benefit from or be entitled to this new OS and USB update?

OS yes, USB no.

 

[Taiko Audio]

A couple of questions Emile.
A.- Monday's update brings the OS modification to 100%, since Steve was talking about his being at 75%.
B.- The Aries Cerat USB driver presents a problem similar to those described for Wadax, DCS….. etc. or not.

A. Yes.
B. No, and it’s not a problem, it looks like we’ll end up having 2 configurations for 2 types of USB interfaces between which you will be able to switch yourself.

 

[cmarin]

A. Yes.
B. No, and it’s not a problem, it looks like we’ll end up having 2 configurations for 2 types of USB interfaces between which you will be able to switch yourself.

Emile,

how about B. In the case of the totaldac d1-12?

 

[Lojay]

OS yes, USB no.

Got it, thanks a lot Emile. Looking forward to the updates!

 

[Taiko Audio]

Emile,

how about B. In the case of the totaldac d1-12?

Early days, let's see how it develops over the weekend.

 

[cmarin]

Early days, let's see how it develops over the weekend.

it should be fun then

 

[nuway]

Hi Emile, MSB ref and Formula xHD (OS and USB) are supported in this new update?

 

[Taiko Audio]

Hi Emile, MSB ref and Formula xHD (OS and USB) are supported in this new update?

Update of the DACs supported by the Taiko Audio custom USB driver (note your DAC does not need to be supported by this driver to work with the Extreme, it is merely considered to be an upgrade over vendor supplied drivers):

-Analog Domain DAC1

-Anthem STR

-APL DSD-MR

-APL DSD-SR

-Aries Cerat Helene

-Aries Cerat Kassandra

-Aqua Formula xHD V2.0

-Aqua La Scala

-Ayre QX-5 with USB2 upgrade

-B&O Beolab 50

-Boulder 2120

-Bricasti MDxx

-Brinkmann Nyquist

-CH Precision

-DCS Bartok

-DCS Rossini

-DCS Rossini Player

-DCS Vivaldi

-DCS Vivaldi Up-sampler

-DCS Vivaldi One

-Denafrips Gaia

-Denafrips Terminator Plus

-Devialet Expert Pro

-EMM Labs DAC2V2

-EMM Labs DAC2X

-Esoteric Grandioso D1X (PCM only)

-Esoteric K-01X (PCM only)

-Esoteric K-01XD (PCM only)

-Esoteric K-03 (PCM only)

-Exogal Comet

-Goldmund Mimesis 20H Nextgen

-Gustard X26 Pro

-Holo Audio May

-Ideon Absolute

-Lampizator (all models with a jlsounds interface)

-LH Davinci MKII

-LH Virtuoso

-Luxman D10X

-Meitner MA-3

-Meitner XDS1 V3

-MSB Pro USB

-MSB V / Quad

-Mutec MC-3+

-Nagra HD-X

-Nagra Tube Dac

-Pilium Elektra

-Resolution Audio Cantata 3.0

-Sennheiser HE-1

-Singxer SU-6

-SoTM dx-usbHD

-Soulution 330

-Soulution 760

-T+A 3100 series

-Thrax Maximinus

-Totaldac

-Trinity 1st gen model

-Trinity Reference

-Vinnie Rossi L2

-Vitus

-Wadax Reference

-Weiss DAC-501

-Ypsilon 1000


To have your DAC added contact us at contact@taikoaudio.com or support@taikoaudio.com or run the Thesycon USB Descriptor Dumper utility downloadable here: https://thesycon.de/eng/usb_descriptordumper.shtml and e-mail us the output (use the save as file option).

 

[Tesuka]

Can't wait for the update...
Where should I register?

 

[wil]

Hi all,

I am glad that Emile has given me the opportunity to test the upgrade on my Wadax Ref Dac.
The first listen to the initial upgrade was a bit disapointing. Very clear (extrem clear) but loss of midrange density and emotions, Staging clear better. Loss of punch in the lower range

I chated with Emile and he said he has an idea and will provide another USB driver for the Wadax within 24h. Think about this service!!!!

So I got a new update a few hours later (much less than 24 h) and had 4 different settings or drivers which I could select by powershell script and reboot.
What a difference!!!!!!!
Every setup sounded better than the initial upgrade. Currently setup3 with dedicated 24 bit USB configuration is what I like most in my system.
USB config 2 is very close.

I don´t know what magic Emile has inserted in this new upgrade (#2) but the sound is unbelievable. Clarity, density staging, everything.

Be prepared for a new experience

Best

Rainer

The Taiko Wagon Train



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