Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

[Taiko Audio]

@onlychild , you might be surprised to find you are not our only customer using a dragon fly

@Kris , nice description of 1310 vs 1550, I'd agree to that assuming Startech 80km 1550nm versus Planet tech 20km 1310nm

 

[Kris]

this is sfp cage. You can use any kind of sfp.
singlemode or multimode , but everyone here likes singlemode.
there is more in single mode you have 1310 nm and 1550 nm wave
of with majority likes 1310.
1550 is much more precise and offers incredebile focuse , but lacks musicality.
it is much more mechanical sounding.

Thank you Emile.
This was little to short explanation.
I should be adding info that planet 1310 nm 20 km is much more musical and relaxed v startech 1550 nm 80 km, but lacks little precision and focuse.
I have both and tend to like both , but prefer the Planet at this time, for their relaxed SQ.
I hope to find the way to be able to get back to the startech 80 km 1550 nm to have fun with their incredibile precision and spacing between the singers / instruments.

 

[nuway]

Kris, I mix both with great results: Edgerouter with Planet tech > SOTM planet tech > SOTM using startech module > Melco with Startech module.

 

[musicfirst1]

1...186,187,188. Done!! Whew...

 

[Kris]

This is great idea NUWAY.
I just need one more switch with 2 sfps.

I tested little crazy connection one day .
I tested if Planet 1310 nm SFP will work with Statrtech 1550 nm SFP.
Many say there is no chance this could work.
Well I tested it and it works both ways .
Planet SFP to Startech SFP and
Startech SFP to Planet SFP.

Now in regards to the sound quality. I don't recommend this. It works but just sounds little strange.
It is a way better to use them as designed in pairs and in the same optical wave window .

 

[Taiko Audio]

1...186,187,188. Done!! Whew...

It has become a lengthy read

 

[kswanson27]

It has become a lengthy read

This is great idea NUWAY.
I just need one more switch with 2 sfps.

I tested little crazy connection one day .
I tested if Planet 1310 nm SFP will work with Statrtech 1550 nm SFP.
Many say there is no chance this could work.
Well I tested it and it works both ways .
Planet SFP to Startech SFP and
Startech SFP to Planet SFP.

Now in regards to the sound quality. I don't recommend this. It works but just sounds little strange.
It is a way better to use them as designed in pairs and in the same optical wave window .

Do you guys install your own SFPs on the fiber or do you order it to length with the SFP installed?

 

[pleroma]

Do you guys install your own SFPs on the fiber or do you order it to length with the SFP installed?

You mean the fiber connector (e.g. LC) which fits into the SFP, right? I ordered mine made:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0099S4MZI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[kswanson27]

You mean the fiber connector (e.g. LC) which fits into the SFP, right? I ordered mine pre-made:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0099S4MZI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Right. I need to get up to speed on fiber nomenclature.

 

[musicfirst1]

So guys, do fiber optic cables make a difference on one's network to the Extreme, either in terms of length or brands?
Specifically from my Edgerouter X SFP to my Buffalo switch?

 

[Taiko Audio]

So guys, do fiber optic cables make a difference on one's network to the Extreme, either in terms of length or brands?
Specifically from my Edgerouter X SFP to my Buffalo switch?

Hi musicfirst100,

There are some differences, but they are completely dominated by the SFP modules. The better stuff is single mode OS2 grade fiber of which you have found some links and references to in this thread. Length is somewhat audible with for example 1 meter being ever so slightly tighter/cleaner/brighter, 10 meter slightly softer. You can also insert attenuators which soften/loosen the sound to a much larger degree.

 

[pleroma]

Right. I need to get up to speed on fiber nomenclature.

I think we all have recently. Also, I watch that I insert the SFP properly into the cage by looking the mating connectors on the device end first (particularly in the case of the Extreme where the cage is sideways in the expansion slot; maybe it won't even go in the wrong way, but I didn't want to try that). There is a small spring on the bottom of the SFP which clicks into place, which in turn may be released for extraction of the SFP by lowering the handle halfway down the SFP (you'll see how it works if you play around with one). The other thing I've read about the cable is to be careful when you remove the end caps, to not get finger oils on the fiber itself (I saw some under magnification and it's nasty).

 

[howiebrou]

I think we all have recently. Also, I watch that I insert the SFP properly into the cage by looking the mating connectors on the device end first (particularly in the case of the Extreme where the cage is sideways in the expansion slot; maybe it won't even go in the wrong way, but I didn't want to try that). There is a small spring on the bottom of the SFP which clicks into place, which in turn may be released for extraction of the SFP by lowering the handle halfway down the SFP (you'll see how it works if you play around with one). The other thing I've read about the cable is to be careful when you remove the end caps, to not get finger oils on the fiber itself (I saw some under magnification and it's nasty).

Brain surgery seems simpler!

 

[howiebrou]

It has become a lengthy read

Publish a book Emile.

 

[pleroma]

Publish a book Emile.

LOL. Maybe I obsessed a little guys, after sweating out getting this server thru US Customs.

 

[howiebrou]

LOL. Maybe I obsessed a little guys, after sweating out getting this server thru US Customs.

you better open it up and check the customs boys didn't replace your panzerholz with some cheap chipboard...

 

[pleroma]

you better open it up and check the customs boys didn't replace your panzerholz with some cheap chipboard...

Fortunately I don't think that happened

But I did just get some DC cable from Ghent which was clearly interrogated by inspectors.

 

[Kris]

Do you guys install your own SFPs on the fiber or do you order it to length with the SFP installed?

There are connectors on each side of a fibre so
I don't see a problem to connect them to SFP.
You can have 5 different lengths of cable home and swap them very easy.
You can also add attenuators of your choice if the SFP is designed for much longer distance (80km) and you use 15m fibre .

 

[tsaett]

Roon Clock Master Priority Settings

Hi all,

I am just coming from a lenghty listening session in the Taiko Audio reference room (what a great way to start your week) and would like to report some findings that I made – they are very convenient to try at home, since you can perform the changes right from your seat in a matter of seconds.

The Clock Master Priority settings in Roon are accessible via the following steps:

Volume icon bottom right --> Gears icon --> Device Setup --> Show Advanced

You will find a range from 1 (Highest) to 10 (Lowest), as well as Default.


A look in the Roon Knowledge Base explains what it does:

“Since MQA authorization by an MQA device requires MQA signaling information to complete the decoding and rendering processes, in certain cases grouped zone playback may interfere with MQA devices’ abilities to authenticate and decode the stream.

If you’d like your MQA device to be able to authenticate and decode an MQA stream while playing in a grouped zone, you should set its “Clock Master Priority” setting to the highest in the group.”

Interestingly, although we do not use Zone Grouping, the chosen settings seem to have a slight but consistent effect on the resulting sound. We have no explanation yet why this would affect non-MQA non-grouped playback, but you can easily try this at home and report if you hear a difference. We do not believe you can measure that effect with any tool known to us.


All findings solely within the context of our reference system, I want to start with the extremes that will show you the two polar sides between you can move:

1 – Shifts focus on the upper frequency spectrum (“top down”), harsh and shrill highs compared to all other settings, very taught timing and focus resulting in a mechanical feeling of the rendition, lower color intensity, little bloom and dimensionality, a sound I associate with badly made silver cables, not good match to our system.

10 – Shifts focus on the lower frequency spectrum (“bottom up”), sluggish, slow and loose sounding relative to all other settings, very bloomy, less control and focus, “sleepy” feeling resulting in quickly lost attention. Maybe similar to underdamped ported bass speakers in too small a room, also no good match.

You can probably already imagine, that somewhere between those extremes there might be a sweet spot depending on your tastes and of course your system. You can have basically all shades there are in between.

For me in our system the fun began between settings 3 and 8.

While at first I was enamoured with 3 as being very incisive, quick, “alive”, toe-tapping and open without the harshness of 1, the more I listened I tended to choose higher and higher numbers, effectively landing at 7 for a more sonorous, more dimensional sound, more suited to the solid state gear that we have. In another system that needs a little life injected, I might as well have chosen 4.

The beauty is that it is a very nice tool to slightly bring your sound closer to what you like – for free!

The last option that I did not mention would be “Default”, which I believe is either 1, 2 or 3.

If you want to try that at home, I suggest you start with the extremes like I did and then slowly find your sweet spot. I would be happy if you would share your favorite settings (and of course please also share should you not hear a difference, this would also be valuable data points).


Very curious for your feedback, have fun testing!


Christoph

 

[howiebrou]

I prefered 7.I found 3 to be sluggish and sleepy.