Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

jbrrp1

Well-Known Member
Aug 3, 2020
337
500
163
Cancelled my monthly roon subscription today.............gapless XDMS is coming next month :cool::cool::cool:
You hear that, Taiko team? Now you HAVE to deliver in May!
 
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2ndLiner

Well-Known Member
Dec 16, 2015
297
603
335
Been a month or so for run in.
In so many ways the Extreme meets or exceeds 15ips... The sensation of "live" is palpable.. That's at 70 to 80db..
Ordered new amps and pre.
Regards to all
Marc
What new toys did you order?
 

Kris

Well-Known Member
Mar 4, 2019
955
973
183
Important info for those with early Extreme like myself.

I have Taiko Extreme for almost 3 years now and it's been fantastic journey and great learning experience. Emile and his Team are simply the best.

I noticed the music presentation for last 6 or 8 months has become more and more aggressive with higher notes being more present.
Could not really find any reason for that.
If you experience harshness like myself try one simple trick.
Replace the original fuse with identical but new.
It's amazing improvement. I can't believe how good it is now.
The new fuse is only 6 hours so not fully burned in but sounding already much better then the one I got with my Extreme long ago.

I think multiple turning my Extreme off and back on for this 3 years destroyed the fragile wire inside the fuse , but not completely, so it kept working.
I am not sure if Emile noticed it already with other customers but I am an example of that.

Schurter T 2A 250v
manufacturer part number
0001 2770 11
I got mine from Farnell.

It is very cheap, but has excellent quality.
Picture attached

Report here if you see BIG improvement after replacing the fuse for identical but new.
 

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Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Important info for those with early Extreme like myself.

I have Taiko Extreme for almost 3 years now and it's been fantastic journey and great learning experience. Emile and his Team are simply the best.

I noticed the music presentation for last 6 or 8 months has become more and more aggressive with higher notes being more present.
Could not really find any reason for that.
If you experience harshness like myself try one simple trick.
Replace the original fuse with identical but new.
It's amazing improvement. I can't believe how good it is now.
The new fuse is only 6 hours so not fully burned in but sounding already much better then the one I got with my Extreme long ago.

I think multiple turning my Extreme off and back on for this 3 years destroyed the fragile wire inside the fuse , but not completely, so it kept working.
I am not sure if Emile noticed it already with other customers but I am an example of that.

Schurter T 2A 250v
manufacturer part number
0001 2770 11
I got mine from Farnell.

It is very cheap, but has excellent quality.
Picture attached

Report here if you see BIG improvement after replacing the fuse for identical but new.
Kris

why don’t you just leave your Extreme on 24 x 7. My rear switch is always on as is the front switch other than an occasional Team viewer that required a restart of the Externe. Other than that mine has never been off and it too is coming up in 3 years. I have noticed none of the brightness you mention. Last time mine was off was to install the new TAS USB board
 

Christiaan Punter

Well-Known Member
Important info for those with early Extreme like myself.

I have Taiko Extreme for almost 3 years now and it's been fantastic journey and great learning experience. Emile and his Team are simply the best.

I noticed the music presentation for last 6 or 8 months has become more and more aggressive with higher notes being more present.
Could not really find any reason for that.
If you experience harshness like myself try one simple trick.
Replace the original fuse with identical but new.
It's amazing improvement. I can't believe how good it is now.
The new fuse is only 6 hours so not fully burned in but sounding already much better then the one I got with my Extreme long ago.

I think multiple turning my Extreme off and back on for this 3 years destroyed the fragile wire inside the fuse , but not completely, so it kept working.
I am not sure if Emile noticed it already with other customers but I am an example of that.

Schurter T 2A 250v
manufacturer part number
0001 2770 11
I got mine from Farnell.

It is very cheap, but has excellent quality.
Picture attached

Report here if you see BIG improvement after replacing the fuse for identical but new.
An electrical engineer explained to me that a fuse does not behave like a light bulb in that the conducting wire does not become thinner over time. The fuse retains its value and current capacity (which is way more than the component should normally draw) until so much current flows through it that it melts, as is the case with a short. I realize that this does not explain what you heard and surely there may be other mechanisms at work but I thought it good to share this. Perhaps it can "spark" other ideas? :)
 

jbrrp1

Well-Known Member
Aug 3, 2020
337
500
163
An electrical engineer explained to me that a fuse does not behave like a light bulb in that the conducting wire does not become thinner over time. The fuse retains its value and current capacity (which is way more than the component should normally draw) until so much current flows through it that it melts, as is the case with a short. I realize that this does not explain what you heard and surely there may be other mechanisms at work but I thought it good to share this. Perhaps it can "spark" other ideas? :)
Could be a contact resistance phenomenon, where the contacts oxide over time? Then simply pulling the fuse out and pushing it back in would typically scrape a fresh contact, rejuvenating things. I have certainly experienced this with tubes...
 

Christiaan Punter

Well-Known Member
Could be a contact resistance phenomenon, where the contacts oxide over time? Then simply pulling the fuse out and pushing it back in would typically scrape a fresh contact, rejuvenating things. I have certainly experienced this with tubes...
Indeed a valid observation. And the oxidation or contamination need not even be visible to have an effect. The same can happen with power connectors where removal and reinsertion make an improvement. But for me, the sound was always duller and less exciting before and opener and more direct after cleaning. I don't think it explains the increased aggression that Kris noted.
 
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Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Indeed a valid observation. And the oxidation or contamination need not even be visible to have an effect. The same can happen with power connectors where removal and reinsertion make an improvement. But for me, the sound was always duller and less exciting before and opener and more direct after cleaning. I don't think it explains the increased aggression that Kris noted.
a quick question


Do you leave your Extreme on 24 x 7 or are you turning it on and off with each listening session.
 

Kris

Well-Known Member
Mar 4, 2019
955
973
183
Indeed a valid observation. And the oxidation or contamination need not even be visible to have an effect. The same can happen with power connectors where removal and reinsertion make an improvement. But for me, the sound was always duller and less exciting before and opener and more direct after cleaning. I don't think it explains the increased aggression that Kris noted.
Thanks to all trying to explain it.
After additional day it's really great sounding.
You might be right with oxydation.
I remember that some time ago after removing and placing it back again normally I was unable to turn it on. There was no power .
I had to screw fuse very hard to get the power on.

I still have it so if there is interest from your end I can send it so you can
Perform autopsy.
Not sure if it makes sense.
Bad fuse , easy to be solved.
 

Kris

Well-Known Member
Mar 4, 2019
955
973
183
a quick question


Do you leave your Extreme on 24 x 7 or are you turning it on and off with each listening session.
Wanted to ask Taiko Team same question.
Christian has no Extreme as far as I remember.
Please correct me if that has changed.

Also after purchesing Lampi Emile also was turning his Extreme off every night ( but keeping mains on).
Before that I think he kept his extreme all the time on.

So there was recommendation to keep it connected to mains at all times and turn off only with front switch.
 

Taiko Audio

Industry Expert
Feb 10, 2017
4,305
13,403
1,925
The Netherlands
taikoaudio.com
I never turn it off, if you want to turn it off it would be best to only use the front button. The rear mains powerswitch I would only use if power needs to be removed for functional reasons. The amount of full powercycles tested is 5.040 with no lasting detrimental effect on SQ. Naturally recovering from a full powercycle can take 2 or 3 days.

Wanted to ask Taiko Team same question.
Christian has no Extreme as far as I remember.
Please correct me if that has changed.

Also after purchesing Lampi Emile also was turning his Extreme off every night ( but keeping mains on).
Before that I think he kept his extreme all the time on.

So there was recommendation to keep it connected to mains at all times and turn off only with front switch.
 
Last edited:

jbrrp1

Well-Known Member
Aug 3, 2020
337
500
163
I never turn it off, if you want to turn it off it would be best to only use the front button. The rear mains powerswitch I would only use if power needs to be removed for functional reasons. The amount of full powercycles tested is 5.040 with no lasting detrimental effect on SQ. Naturally recovering from a full powercycle can take 2 or 3 days.
Emile, by "full power cycle", do you mean more than just shutting it down with the front button? Do you mean throwing the back power switch?
 

marty

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
3,039
4,207
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United States
And the oxidation or contamination need not even be visible to have an effect.
Let's take it one step further. In the 3 years after which Kris noticed some creeping harshness, has he ever cleaned his interconnect wire and speaker terminations (w Caig's DeoxIT or equivalent)? It has long been recommended (by HP and others) that audiophiles do this once per year. You might try that and see if it makes a difference.
 
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