Introducing Olympus & Olympus I/O - A new perspective on modern music playback

For those who just started reading up on Olympus, Olympus I/O, and XDMI, please note that all information in this thread has been summarized in a single PDF document that can be downloaded from the Taiko Website.

https://taikoaudio.com/taiko-2020/taiko-audio-downloads

The document is frequently updated.

Scroll down to the 'XDMI, Olympus Music Server, Olympus I/O' section and click 'XDMI, Olympus, Olympus I/O Product Introduction & FAQ' to download the latest version.

Good morning WBF!​

We are introducing the culmination of close to 4 years of research and development. As a bona fide IT/tech nerd with a passion for music, I have always been intrigued by the potential of leveraging the most modern of technologies in order to create a better music playback experience. This, amongst others, led to the creation of our popular, perhaps even revolutionary, Extreme music server 5 years ago, which we have been steadily improving and updating with new technologies throughout its life cycle. Today I feel we can safely claim it's holding its ground against the onslaught of new server releases from other companies, and we are committed to keep improving it for years to come.

We are introducing a new server model called the Olympus. Hierarchically, it positions itself above the Extreme. It does provide quite a different music experience than the Extreme, or any other server I've heard, for that matter. Conventional audiophile descriptions such as sound staging, dynamics, color palette, etc, fall short to describe this difference. It does not sound digital or analog, I would be inclined to describe it as coming closer to the intended (or unintended) performance of the recording engineer.

Committed to keeping the Extreme as current as possible, we are introducing a second product called the Olympus I/O. This is an external upgrade to the Extreme containing a significant part of the Olympus technology, allowing it to come near, though not entirely at, Olympus performance levels. The Olympus I/O can even be added to the Olympus itself to elevate its performance even further, though not as dramatic an uplift as adding it to the Extreme. Consider it the proverbial "cherry on top".

 

Indeed, and with using the very good SEARCH I always found what I was looking for...

Thanks. I’ll leave it at this, but just to clarify—WBF’s search is powerful and definitely helps when you know what to look for. But for a brand like Taiko, with such advanced and evolving gear,, I think search alone doesn’t really cut it.

The real issue is the overall layout and interface—it’s hard to get a clear visual overview of what's current, what applies to which product, or how things have progressed over time. WBF is a mix of great insights, side discussions, and buried updates. It’s just not easy to navigate in a meaningful, visual way.

That’s where a dedicated Taiko team managed forum really adds value. It gives users:

• Pinned, organized updates by product
• Clear firmware/software version tracking
• Structured guides and FAQs
• Separate spaces for support vs. general discussion
• Bookmarks, notes, and timeline tools to keep track of key info
• AI-supported search to help surface relevant info faster and more intelligently

Not saying WBF isn’t valuable—it absolutely is—but a more purpose-built Taiko platform would go a long way in making things easier and clearer for everyone. And of course, all of this is in service of what matters most—enjoying the music.

 

As time goes on I think a lot of what you are asking for will be developed. It just takes time and man power, most of which is likely devoted to building and supporting the current Taiko products.

 

I actually think Taiko has outgrown a purely forum-based platform. Between this thread and the Crème de la Crème thread, there are nearly 5 million views and over 1300 pages. In my opinion, some of this content really needs to evolve into more structured, informational videos.

An "Ask Emile" series - similar to PS Audio’s "Ask Paul" - could be a great direction. Of course, the forum would still remain essential for everything else. Needless to say, all of your feedback is incredibly valuable, even when we occasionally disagree.

The challenge is that Emile doesn’t have the time to take that on. So maybe... “Ask Nenon”?
Just kidding - the two people who want to hear from me already call me daily.

Methinks you need to add a couple of zeroes to that two, Vassil

 

#92 arrived earlier than expected on Monday. A quick run to Chicago and back lead to a midnight install of the 145 lb. package myself. Oof! This is not a featherweight like the Extreme.

With months of anticipation it was done in a flash. Morning was the first attempt to operate. There was a small glitch to work through and Nenon did not hesitate to assist immediately. A short bit later I was up and running. Much thanks to Nenon and the factory for making this quick work. None better.

I’m running-in with the analog out card. After three plus days of continuous playback, it's improving steadily. It’s been said before, don’t be quick to judge analog out. Initially it was silky smooth, but the sound hit the ditch quickly after. Regardless, it’s easy to hear the potential. Unwavering is the immense spatial presentation with a solid, visceral low end that I’ve never had here before. This will be fun. Micro detail is starting to reappear, but all along I’m hearing new things. Very curious to find out how much farther this goes.

Farther and farther...and beyond

 

As time goes on I think a lot of what you are asking for will be developed. It just takes time and man power, most of which is likely devoted to building and supporting the current Taiko products.

Totally agree—it’s clear the team’s focus has to be on engineering and product support. That’s where their expertise really shines. But that’s also exactly why it might make sense to bring in someone with a different skill set—maybe a technical copywriter, content person/strategist—who can help build and maintain a more dynamic, structured layer of info.

Christiaan clearly does a lot—and it shows. But working with PDFs and the WBF forum format has real limits. These tools weren’t really meant for structured, evolving documentation or for quick navigation. And I think that’s something more and more users just sort of expect now.

The TAIKO website looks great, no doubt, but it’s more like a catalog than an interactive platform. With support pages off-site and updates only in PDFs, it’s kinda missing a chance to be a real-time, searchable hub. For Taiko, improving that part could be a real edge—and honestly, it doesn’t seem out of reach at all.

 

Since Taiko has to increase staff to meet our requests, Olympus will be set at €150,000.

 

Ha, ha. Totally get where you're coming from—but I don’t think better communication necessarily means more cost passed on to the product. It’s not just overhead—it’s actually leverage. When people can find clear answers, understand what they're buying, and feel confident using it, it often reduces support load and increases sales. A small investment in structure and clarity can go a long way—for both users and the company.

 

Thanks for reading all—I only bring this up because I believe in what Taiko’s doing. Just hoping we keep moving toward even better clarity and support.

 

Scale good.
Words bad.
% misleading.
Brevity good.

Four legs good, two legs bad.

Steve Z