Anyone Listen to the Taiko Extreme Server and Go With Something Else? Anyone Make a Change from Taiko?

[Skanda]

that's fair, i had an outstanding circumstance that made it tough to say no - and i detailed that in my opening paragraph. in terms of differences that's tougher as i have only compared it to lesser servers (that were still very good but lower price points). i am in the process of speccing out a new system for a new room and, for me, i would like to use a taiko again but practical considerations around deliver time, cost, energy use, etc may make me switch for this system. ive used aurender a few times in the past - never as an owner but i really did not like thier software...maybe that has improved in the newer versions. i am also not keen on using roon since TAS sounded so much better to me and i like how light weight it is.

to be fair, i think all are good options and i would let software + a good deal be my guide here. just my $0.02. what server are you currently using?

 

[bryans]

what server are you currently using?

I have been demoing a few servers and plan on making my decision soon.

 

[Skanda]

I have been demoing a few servers and plan on making my decision soon.

awesome, good luck - the journey is as fun as the destination. after you have made your decision or even prior would love to read your feedback on the components you are trying out

 

[sbo6]

It is not an significant thing to mention that prior to purchasing any other server, you may wish to ask this question...

You have a really bad server issue and its 3 am. Who you gonna call, ghostbusters? There is no other service organization in audio that is as responsive or as professional as Emile and his team at Taiko. For goodness sake, the guy doesn't sleep and responds in a flash almost 24/7! That alone, is a feature that goes well beyond price and performance and is worth serious consideration. There is a commitment to excellence there that is almost unheard of elsewhere in a field of rapidly changing digital technology and for which there is a strong unblemished track record.

While it's valuable to have good tech support IME many of us into servers and streaming have enough tech background to not need much if any assistance. That's plus forums like this help us share issues and provide support.

 

[gentcan]

I honestly believe the company should be the deciding factor as sound quality is a moving target. The big question is how well does the company allow you to say current should you want to take advantage of their latest advancements. The server market is still in the maturing phase, and things are moving so quickly that a point in time assessment is far less meaningful than it would be for a preamp or amp.

Taiko is spectacular at allowing their customers to stay current. I would feel really bad for the person who might have auditioned and passed on an Extreme before their USB card became available. There was an OS update that came just after the card came out and I got to hear the difference these two things made to a friend’s system. It brought about one of the most jaw dropping improvements I’ve heard through all the many changes he’s made.

I wish I could afford an Extreme but unfortunately it’s well beyond my means. I landed on Antipodes because they checked many of the same boxes that Taiko checked. At some point they will offer an upgrade for my K30 or make it easy for me to trade it in on another model. Antipodes are very transparent about the upgrades they offer and that was a huge deal to me. I had previously owned an Innuos Zenith Mk2. Innuos promised an upgrade that would bring it the Mk3’s power supply. I was told that I would receive an email once the upgrade program was launched. I have yet to receive that email. This contributes to why I say that the company should be the deciding factor.

I think you should upgrade to Oladra so nothing to regret. I flew from Antipodes S30 to Oladra and happy now.

 

[Willgolf]

While it's valuable to have good tech support IME many of us into servers and streaming have enough tech background to not need much if any assistance. That's plus forums like this help us share issues and provide support.

I have to disagree. I think tech support is critical and Companies like Taiko and Lucas Audio provide outstanding tech support. I like the comfort of knowing that if anything goes wrong, I can call Lucas Domansky any time of the day and he will help me with any issue I might have.

 

[kennyb123]

I think you should upgrade to Oladra so nothing to regret. I flew from Antipodes S30 to Oladra and happy now.

Heck of a step forward you made there. Oladra is unfortunately a bit rich for my blood, but I’m hoping the advancements will eventually trickle down to their more affordable servers. Having said that, I couldn’t be happier with my K30.

 

[sbo6]

I have to disagree. I think tech support is critical and Companies like Taiko and Lucas Audio provide outstanding tech support. I like the comfort of knowing that if anything goes wrong, I can call Lucas Domansky any time of the day and he will help me with any issue I might have.

Critical for some, however if the product is reliable and intuitive you shouldn't need tech support. The fact that you know the guy's name says something about that.

 

[Willgolf]

Critical for some, however if the product is reliable and intuitive you shouldn't need tech support. The fact that you know the guy's name says something about that.

I should have said I have never had any issues with my LDMS. I do discuss ways to improve my music with Lucas. I am functionally blind so I am not as lucky as you in being technologically astute. I do like the peace of mind and I understand that some people do not need that. For me, it is a major plus and a factor in my decision making.

 

[kennyb123]

Critical for some, however if the product is reliable and intuitive you shouldn't need tech support.

I think that’s an extremely challenging target for most server manufacturers to hit because of the overall complexity and because manufacturers have to depend on others for many key pieces.

On the software side, there are so many moving pieces - especially if the manufacturer supports multiple software options.

On the hardware side, the reality is that these are computers. While the computer industry as a whole has higher quality than it had in the past, achieving perfect reliability is still not easy to achieve. Drives can fail, motherboards can fail, and memory can fail.

Audiophiles don’t want their servers to remain static either. This is especially true on the software side but it can also be true on the hardware side where some owners hope to take advantage of hardware upgrades that are made available.

I guess this is my long way of saying that reliability and intuitiveness aren’t as meaningful of indicators as they would be with a mature product that remains unchanged while the customer owns it.

 

[sbo6]

I think that’s an extremely challenging target for most server manufacturers to hit because of the overall complexity and because manufacturers have to depend on others for many key pieces.

On the software side, there are so many moving pieces - especially if the manufacturer supports multiple software options.

On the hardware side, the reality is that these are computers. While the computer industry as a whole has higher quality than it had in the past, achieving perfect reliability is still not easy to achieve. Drives can fail, motherboards can fail, and memory can fail.

Audiophiles don’t want their servers to remain static either. This is especially true on the software side but it can also be true on the hardware side where some owners hope to take advantage of hardware upgrades that are made available.

I guess this is my long way of saying that reliability and intuitiveness aren’t as meaningful of indicators as they would be with a mature product that remains unchanged while the customer owns it.

I partially agree. As a comparison - try using the repeat tech support intervention for medical (JCAHO) or defense (MIL spec) tech devices.

Compared to the gamut of compute devices, these are simple task machines that should be remote SW upgradable and remote management - capable. And stable. For example, to upgrade the FW on my LinQ it's a flick of 2 switches over the internet. I've owned it for years and have never had to call or email anyone for tech support. They just run.

Also, hardware longevity should outpace user customer device retention, especially with everything now solid state (no moving parts).

Hardware upgrades are another story which often require manufacturer shipping and efforts. This applies to all devices, not just digital.

 

[kennyb123]

Compared to the gamut of compute devices, these are simple task machines that should be remote SW upgradable and remote management - capable. And stable. For example, to upgrade the FW on my LinQ it's a flick of 2 switches over the internet. I've owned it and the LinQ for years and have never had to call or email anyone for tech support. They just run.

Yes the LinQ does come a lot closer to being an appliance. They’ve achieved this by reducing complexity. It looks to me to be pretty close to a single purpose box that’s dedicated to running HQPlayer. It may have more in common with one of my IoT devices then with a full-featured device like the Extreme. My Antipodes server falls somewhere in between.

The server I owned that got closest to an appliance was a Sonore microRendu. Great little device and I don’t believe I ever had to contact tech support. The original Auralec Aries tried to be an appliance but their Lightning software was so buggy that I had to contact support often. Also I guess my Innuos server were pretty close to being appliances too.

 

[sbo6]

Yes the LinQ does come a lot closer to being an appliance. They’ve achieved this by reducing complexity. It looks to me to be pretty close to a single purpose box that’s dedicated to running HQPlayer. It may have more in common with one of my IoT devices then with a full-featured device like the Extreme. My Antipodes server falls somewhere in between.

The server I owned that got closest to an appliance was a Sonore microRendu. Great little device and I don’t believe I ever had to contact tech support. The original Auralec Aries tried to be an appliance but their Lightning software was so buggy that I had to contact support often. Also I guess my Innuos server were pretty close to being appliances too.

How much more complicated do you believe the Extreme is vs. the LinQ? If anything the Extreme uses an off the shelf MB + processor, the LinQ is fully custom. I encourage you to not dilute yourself into believing the Extreme is as custom as you might think, it's custom Win install with a few modded HW (USB + ??).

 

[kennyb123]

I encourage you to not dilute yourself into believing the Extreme is as custom as you might think, it's custom Win install with a few modded HW (USB + ??)

You wave your hand at “custom Win install” as if it’s something not too difficult to arrive at. You seem to not grasp well what leads to challenges in supporting a platform that combines software and hardware.

You say that your LinQ is fully custom. If so that meant that the manufacturer had full control except for the software - and with the software there is only one choice, HQPlayer, That should be a very easy product for a manufacturer to support.

I made the point that when manufacturers have to depend on others for many key pieces, supporting the product can be more challenging. This is the reality.

Taiko’s customers are looking for the best sounding server. That cannot be achieved at the current time with a simple appliance. An appliance that’s able to run only HQPlayer isn’t something Taiko’s customers are interested in. Same for Innuos, same for Aurender, same for Wadax, same for Antipodes.

It’s wonderful that you are delighted with your LinQ but it is a mistake for you to think it belongs in the same category as these other servers. It is a unique product that somewhat stands on its own. Heck, it doesn’t even have a USB output, which eliminates it from consideration by most audiophiles. It can’t be a Roon Core either, which a deal breaker for many as well.

 

[Alrainbow]

While it's valuable to have good tech support IME many of us into servers and streaming have enough tech background to not need much if any assistance. That's plus forums like this help us share issues and provide support.

There is truth to ur comment but even though I build them , you can only get so far and hit the windshield like a bug
atleast for me anyway

 

[Alrainbow]

Critical for some, however if the product is reliable and intuitive you shouldn't need tech support. The fact that you know the guy's name says something about that.

Way off bass on your thoughts

 

[Alrainbow]

Taiko or LDMS both are considered custom as far as most would consider
the two above are very different in how they achieve the sound needed.
methods and features can collide if not careful
playback softwares used
each have different ideals to be met or sound suffers.
I do agree support is needed but a stable product is first for me.
most brands on the posts above meet this goal
Im partial to LDMS due to his off the typical path for customers wants in shaping the sound its paramount to me
and while some might say true to this source is above I laugh
what source are they considering?
me I like jump , visceral music no digital glare like well setup vinyl
LDMS allows this to be achievable under his care
I don’t know anyone beyond him doing this.
digital is not music unless it’s made to be as you feel it is

 

[Audire]

Of the top contenders we choose the Aurender N30SA (app one year ago). For us the Taiko was a close second and with the new Taiko updates it may now surpass the N30, I’m not sure. A friend has the Taiko, so I‘m going to do another comparison … This said, I did an update of the N30 this morning, and it was a significant change in the sound - for the better.

 

[sbo6]

You wave your hand at “custom Win install” as if it’s something not too difficult to arrive at. You seem to not grasp well what leads to challenges in supporting a platform that combines software and hardware.

You say that your LinQ is fully custom. If so that meant that the manufacturer had full control except for the software - and with the software there is only one choice, HQPlayer, That should be a very easy product for a manufacturer to support.

I made the point that when manufacturers have to depend on others for many key pieces, supporting the product can be more challenging. This is the reality.

Taiko’s customers are looking for the best sounding server. That cannot be achieved at the current time with a simple appliance. An appliance that’s able to run only HQPlayer isn’t something Taiko’s customers are interested in. Same for Innuos, same for Aurender, same for Wadax, same for Antipodes.

It’s wonderful that you are delighted with your LinQ but it is a mistake for you to think it belongs in the same category as these other servers. It is a unique product that somewhat stands on its own. Heck, it doesn’t even have a USB output, which eliminates it from consideration by most audiophiles.

You wave your hand at “custom Win install” as if it’s something not too difficult to arrive at. You seem to not grasp well what leads to challenges in supporting a platform that combines software and hardware.

You say that your LinQ is fully custom. If so that meant that the manufacturer had full control except for the software - and with the software there is only one choice, HQPlayer, That should be a very easy product for a manufacturer to support.

I made the point that when manufacturers have to depend on others for many key pieces, supporting the product can be more challenging. This is the reality.

Taiko’s customers are looking for the best sounding server. That cannot be achieved at the current time with a simple appliance. An appliance that’s able to run only HQPlayer isn’t something Taiko’s customers are interested in. Same for Innuos, same for Aurender, same for Wadax, same for Antipodes.

It’s wonderful that you are delighted with your LinQ but it is a mistake for you to think it belongs in the same category as these other servers. It is a unique product that somewhat stands on its own. Heck, it doesn’t even have a USB output, which eliminates it from consideration by most audiophiles. It can’t be a Roon Core either, which a deal breaker for many as well.

You seem to make assumptions based on no knowledge of others - think before you judge. WRT to your statement, "Taiko’s customers are looking for the best sounding server. That cannot be achieved at the current time with a simple appliance". If that's true, I assume you are all looking to switch to Wadax then? Also, FYR, the LinQ can run HQPlayer NAA, HQPlayer Core + NAA, UPNP DLNA and Squeezelite. You can have the last word, thanks for the conversation. have a good one!

 

[sbo6]

Way off bass on your thoughts

A) It's spelled base B) To you they may be off base, but in the end it's my opinion. ;-)