Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

[kimurastanley]

At the end, I cant help but purchase my own M12 Gold switch. The 2 Plixir LPS power M12 Gold switch and Intona USB isolator 3.0 respectively.

Need some advise about how I can improve on my network chain
RT-AC87U -> Supra Cat8 cable -> Cisco Enterprice switch-> Telegartner Gold LAN-> Telegartner M12 Gold switch-> Telegartner Gold LAN -> SGM Extreme

And have anyone tried to place the switch on proper platform and any benefits of isolation to the performance?

 

[EuroDriver]

Heard an Extreme at the Bristol HiFi Show (UK) on Friday, playing through the new T+A PA 1100E integrated amp with on-board DAC, and then out of a small pair of T+A Talis standmounts...not the expensive end of the T+A range for sure...but WOW, what a superb presentation!!
And yes, I'm definitely scraping together my finances for one...

Hi nic10pin,

Thank you for your report, it’s a significant data point for me !

I have been spoilt by a lot of Uber systems and I have become a poor judge of good mid Fi

The experience of X-Fi in September 2019, and now Bristol Hi Fi tell us that the RF emission signature of the Extreme delivers to the playback chain a sonic presentation which can be enjoyed with modest electronics and speakers.

The tonality of parts from Mundorf , Dueland and others shines through even when the electronics are just competent

It really makes one think about allocation of budget to the components in the signal chain

Matthias’s “source first” Mantra gets my vote !

 

[wil]

Ughhh
I did not know the Extreme was available in black.View attachment 61976

Not to go OT, but I see you have a Bacch DSP unit just above the Extreme. I'm getting ready to set up the Mac mini version next week.

 

[nonesup]

Wow, fantastic service offering to exchange the chassis

I am so looking forward to the Extreme Miguel is getting for his shop in Lisbon (Ultimate Audio), and having an audition

Ultimate Audio will sell Extreme?

 

[EuroDriver]

Ultimate Audio will sell Extreme?

Their listen tests will decide I expect

 

[Steve Williams]

Their listen tests will decide I expect

Well, then it’s a no brainer

 

[nonesup]

I just had a conversation on WhatsApp with Miguel Carvalho. If in the end he sells Extreme, it will be great news for me. He is very kind, has great brands (he sold me my previous Lumin and my Rockport) and although from Malaga to Lisbon there are 650 Km, spending a weekend in Lisbon with my wife, it is always a great pleasure

 

[OAudio]

This is a fascinating thread.

I have read most (but not all) of the thread and have the impression the SGM Extreme does not use a replacement precision clock on its motherboard (eg an OCXO or other type). This would seem quite unusual for an statement level PC server.

Can anyone clarify if this correct, or have I may have missed something in the long thread ?

Can any light be shed on the reason precision clock is not nessasary ?

 

[oldmustang]

I just had a conversation on WhatsApp with Miguel Carvalho. If in the end he sells Extreme, it will be great news for me. He is very kind, has great brands (he sold me my previous Lumin and my Rockport) and although from Malaga to Lisbon there are 650 Km, spending a weekend in Lisbon with my wife, it is always a great pleasure

If you have not discovered it already, a trip to my wife's and my favorite restaurant in Lisbon is well worth the evening:

http://www.solardospresuntos.com/en-us/therestaurant.aspx

It was one of the high points of many high points of our last trip to Portugal!

Best regards,

Steve Z

 

[Ackcheng]

This is a fascinating thread.

I have read most (but not all) of the thread and have the impression the SGM Extreme does not use a replacement precision clock on its motherboard (eg an OCXO or other type). This would seem quite unusual for an statement level PC server.

Can anyone clarify if this correct, or have I may have missed something in the long thread ?

Can any light be shed on the reason precision clock is not nessasary ?

Yes. The Extreme does not use OCXO clock. The SGMS 2015 and EVO both have OCXO clock. So there must be some reason for Emile to decide leaving it out in Extreme. May be Emile can explain a bit more. I have SGMS 2015 which was then upgraded to EVO. Just placed an order for the Extreme. The sonic improvement is not small!

 

[darkfrank]

As mentioned before, I have the chance to try Telegartner M12 Gold Switch and Melco S100 with identical LAN cables (Telegartner Gold LAN cables).

My network chain as below:
RT-AC87U -> Supra Cat8 cable -> Cisco Enterprice switch-> Telegartner Gold LAN-> Melco S100/Telegartner M12 Gold switch-> Telegartner Gold LAN -> SGM Extreme

Both Melco S100/Telegartner M12 Gold switch powered by PliXir Elite LPS with the statement DC cables. Power cable used for the LPS is the generic cable comes with M12 Gold switch. This is the best I can do to minimize the variability of different cables.

Hello, where did u get the special DC power plug for the M12 switch? I think its a special type M12 connector which is hard to find?

 

[nonesup]

If you have not discovered it already, a trip to my wife's and my favorite restaurant in Lisbon is well worth the evening:

http://www.solardospresuntos.com/en-us/therestaurant.aspx

It was one of the high points of many high points of our last trip to Portugal!

Best regards,

Steve Z

Dear friend, I've been twice
By the way beware of rice with lobster, they commit the "crime" of adding cilantro.

 

[EuroDriver]

This is a fascinating thread.

I have read most (but not all) of the thread and have the impression the SGM Extreme does not use a replacement precision clock on its motherboard (eg an OCXO or other type). This would seem quite unusual for an statement level PC server.

Can anyone clarify if this correct, or have I may have missed something in the long thread ?

Can any light be shed on the reason precision clock is not necessary ?

There are two factors at play, benefits from improved clock stability on CPU and thread execution performance and RF Emission signature from external clock, its power supply and cabling.

Clock stability is important for CPU process error rate reduction, but once the clocking has reached a certain level of timing performance, it is difficult to detect further improvement. Also Server grade motherboards have significantly better implementation of power supplies and clocking to keep CPU error rates low. Consumer grade CPU's and motherboards are optimized to deliver maximum CPU speed for the buck, with little regards for error rates. The SGM Evo actually uses cherry picked consumer grade CPU's for better performance and lower error rates

The RF emission of a well done OCXO and its sonic signature is definitely SQ adding and this nice signature was enjoyed on the original SGM 2015 and on the EVO. What Emile has discovered is how to replicate the well done OCXO sonics with other components for an even better sound. The harmonic textures which the Extreme delivers are at another level from the Evo

If I may use a cooking analogy, using an OCXO is a bit like adding MSG to a soup. You can achieve even better taste enhancement by other ingredients and not use MSG

 

[kimurastanley]

Hello, where did u get the special DC power plug for the M12 switch? I think its a special type M12 connector which is hard to find?

Hi, the special DC cable is provided with the Plixir LPS. I was told that the M12 connector is quite costly.

 

[Taiko Audio]

And have anyone tried to place the switch on proper platform and any benefits of isolation to the performance?

The Telegartner M12 gold is definitely sensitive to vibration control.

 

[Taiko Audio]

Hello, where did u get the special DC power plug for the M12 switch? I think its a special type M12 connector which is hard to find?

I've ordered Harting branded ones, available on mouser.com, will look up the part number later on, or maybe @Marcin_gps can chime in.

 

[matthias]

Clock stability is important for CPU process error rate reduction, but once the clocking has reached a certain level of timing performance, it is difficult to detect further improvement. Also Server grade motherboards have significantly better implementation of power supplies and clocking to keep CPU error rates low. Consumer grade CPU's and motherboards are optimized to deliver maximum CPU speed for the buck, with little regards for error rates.

+1
It is my impression so far that all audiophile devices which need "enhancements" by special clocks are made from consumer grade products.

Matt

 

[dminches]

+1
It is my impression so far that all audiophile devices which need "enhancements" by special clocks are made from consumer grade products.

Matt

I am not sure that is always the case. For example, the Pink Faun USB bridge comes with a TCXO clock but can be upgrade (by them) with one of 2 OCXO clocks. I don't' think that the bridge was a consumer grade product.

 

[EuroDriver]

I am not sure that is always the case. For example, the Pink Faun USB bridge comes with a TCXO clock but can be upgrade (by them) with one of 2 OCXO clocks. I don't' think that the bridge was a consumer grade product.

We have done a lot of listening comparison testing between an on PCB TCXO and outboard OCXO with stability specs which are not that far apart.

The OCXO was found to be consistently noticeably better

However there are better ways to achieve even better results, but if I told you, then Emile would duct tape my mouth and tie my hands ;-)

 

[microstrip]

(...) However there are better ways to achieve even better results, but if I told you, then Emile would duct tape my mouth and tie my hands ;-)

You or Emile told us a few interesting things about it in a post sometime ago, but it is now lying somewhere in one of the 148 pages of this thread ...