Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème
- Thread starter CKKeung
- Start date
The Good Ship Lollipop Has Landed
Well mine finally hit home today as for some unknown reason it sat in New Jersey since Saturday but all good today. My FedeEx man knocked on my door short of breath (and he's pretty buff). He smiled and asked "what do you have in there, gold ingots"...I smiled back and said, "pretty much"
I shlepped the little box up my steps and into my sound room and carefully unpacked it. As someone said earlier be careful it doesn't slip and fall on you because it will break bones and do a lot of damage.As for the looks, it is truly a thing of beauty and will be a joy forever" I posted several times that I lusted for the copper finish switch but when I saw the chrome I couldn't resist. For those of you holding out, I say bite the bullet and order the chrome version. It is drop dead gorgeous.
Got it safely onto the platform under my Extreme.I knew delivery was coming today ad I watched that damn 80 second video as to how to take out the old card and insert the new. I also read Christiaan's PDF many times. So I had the top off and old card removed in anticipation of the new. Installation initially seemed easy until I tried to screw down the bracket But it was too high. I sent a picture to Emile and he nicely replied you got it in the wrong slot
. How I did that was sheer stupidity but I quickly removed it and got it easily inserted in slot two. I was worried as to whether I would have a problem with the bracket based on several reports here but mine screwed down easily and installing the new DC cable was also easy.
I kept my original network connection and Emile had installed the script on my Extreme desktop and with his instructions it was easy to run the script. I was stoked until I looked and saw the red message "XDMS server not found" and also saw that my IP address had not changed. Emile said, "impossible" and TV into my Extreme and that was when the fun and trouble shooting began. I might add that even though it as afternoon for me it was 1100 PM for Emile but Emile is not your ordinary person who would say " I'll call you in the morning", he TV into the bowels of my Extreme and found the card was showing as fine but for whatever reason there was no internet connection to my Extreme. Emile had me doing a bunch of tasks at my end with changing ports, AC, outlets, different AC outlet, changing the port on my router etc etc. Emile even had me remove and reinsert the card to make certain it was seated properly I finally suggested to switch to my LPs which I did and finally there was a connection that Emile quickly found the new IP address for the card and in a flick of the eye I was connected to XDMS server.
It was now past 0100 for Emile and he still hung around until I confirmed to him that I had music. I mention all of this as it goes to the core of who and what Taiko is. Taiko , lead by Emile and with a group of audiophiles and coders have created a customer service that truly makes you blush when the CEO of the company is TV into my Extreme well past midnight . Dminches found the same last night as Emile helped him as well for many hours late into the evening. So many Taiko users are the recipients of this beyond amazing customer care
As to how it sounds, I need to wrap my head around things after I have a few days of use but for me, I have never used a switch in my system as I always felt they added coloration to the signal and that was not something that interested me. I said I would only use a switch if Emile brought one to market, for several reasons,, first he would only do it if he felt it would be an uptick in SQ but most importantly, Emile believes in a neutral and uncolored sound and that for me was the clincher.
I can say a few preliminary things, .....I agree with nenon (I think it was he) who said there was a slight edge in using the right rear port for the DAC cables. It's definitely slightly better to my ears. Dminches commented about his impression listening to the strings of a bass and feeling it vibrate. Thats there and I've never heard that before.
@oldmustang who used "Fink" to get a feel for the dynamics, I too am a Fink fan and my go to track is "Sort of revolution" as the drug set is spectacular. I heard it today like I've never heard. I heard things in the deep bass which I have never heard before.
@Rhapsody who commented on the beautiful organic midrange which made imaging such that you felt you could touch the singer, I felt the same.....
I still need a few days for this to break in as my sense is this is early and it's only going to get better plus I feel that turning off the rear switch which is necessary to insert the board, I'm sure results in the capacitors discharging.
I'll have more to say tomorrow, but the message from me is just how extraordinary Emile is and how he will go to the mats, regardless of day, time or length of time required. I did the easy part today but it wasn't until we needed to get the new IP address when the poop hit the fan that Emile gave up precious hours of sleep to help this computer nerd
The exciting part of the switch is not only the amazing sound but this is the first of many new Taiko products to hit the market in the next few months along with a totally new interface designed by none other than Taiko. I do believe that with this strong growth and consumer satisfaction Taiko will become the global leader in audio streaming. I'm glad to be a part of it.
Well mine finally hit home today as for some unknown reason it sat in New Jersey since Saturday but all good today. My FedeEx man knocked on my door short of breath (and he's pretty buff). He smiled and asked "what do you have in there, gold ingots"...I smiled back and said, "pretty much"
I shlepped the little box up my steps and into my sound room and carefully unpacked it. As someone said earlier be careful it doesn't slip and fall on you because it will break bones and do a lot of damage.As for the looks, it is truly a thing of beauty and will be a joy forever" I posted several times that I lusted for the copper finish switch but when I saw the chrome I couldn't resist. For those of you holding out, I say bite the bullet and order the chrome version. It is drop dead gorgeous.
Got it safely onto the platform under my Extreme.I knew delivery was coming today ad I watched that damn 80 second video as to how to take out the old card and insert the new. I also read Christiaan's PDF many times. So I had the top off and old card removed in anticipation of the new. Installation initially seemed easy until I tried to screw down the bracket But it was too high. I sent a picture to Emile and he nicely replied you got it in the wrong slot
. How I did that was sheer stupidity but I quickly removed it and got it easily inserted in slot two. I was worried as to whether I would have a problem with the bracket based on several reports here but mine screwed down easily and installing the new DC cable was also easy.I kept my original network connection and Emile had installed the script on my Extreme desktop and with his instructions it was easy to run the script. I was stoked until I looked and saw the red message "XDMS server not found" and also saw that my IP address had not changed. Emile said, "impossible" and TV into my Extreme and that was when the fun and trouble shooting began. I might add that even though it as afternoon for me it was 1100 PM for Emile but Emile is not your ordinary person who would say " I'll call you in the morning", he TV into the bowels of my Extreme and found the card was showing as fine but for whatever reason there was no internet connection to my Extreme. Emile had me doing a bunch of tasks at my end with changing ports, AC, outlets, different AC outlet, changing the port on my router etc etc. Emile even had me remove and reinsert the card to make certain it was seated properly I finally suggested to switch to my LPs which I did and finally there was a connection that Emile quickly found the new IP address for the card and in a flick of the eye I was connected to XDMS server.
It was now past 0100 for Emile and he still hung around until I confirmed to him that I had music. I mention all of this as it goes to the core of who and what Taiko is. Taiko , lead by Emile and with a group of audiophiles and coders have created a customer service that truly makes you blush when the CEO of the company is TV into my Extreme well past midnight . Dminches found the same last night as Emile helped him as well for many hours late into the evening. So many Taiko users are the recipients of this beyond amazing customer care
As to how it sounds, I need to wrap my head around things after I have a few days of use but for me, I have never used a switch in my system as I always felt they added coloration to the signal and that was not something that interested me. I said I would only use a switch if Emile brought one to market, for several reasons,, first he would only do it if he felt it would be an uptick in SQ but most importantly, Emile believes in a neutral and uncolored sound and that for me was the clincher.
I can say a few preliminary things, .....I agree with nenon (I think it was he) who said there was a slight edge in using the right rear port for the DAC cables. It's definitely slightly better to my ears. Dminches commented about his impression listening to the strings of a bass and feeling it vibrate. Thats there and I've never heard that before.
@oldmustang who used "Fink" to get a feel for the dynamics, I too am a Fink fan and my go to track is "Sort of revolution" as the drug set is spectacular. I heard it today like I've never heard. I heard things in the deep bass which I have never heard before.
@Rhapsody who commented on the beautiful organic midrange which made imaging such that you felt you could touch the singer, I felt the same.....
I still need a few days for this to break in as my sense is this is early and it's only going to get better plus I feel that turning off the rear switch which is necessary to insert the board, I'm sure results in the capacitors discharging.
I'll have more to say tomorrow, but the message from me is just how extraordinary Emile is and how he will go to the mats, regardless of day, time or length of time required. I did the easy part today but it wasn't until we needed to get the new IP address when the poop hit the fan that Emile gave up precious hours of sleep to help this computer nerd
The exciting part of the switch is not only the amazing sound but this is the first of many new Taiko products to hit the market in the next few months along with a totally new interface designed by none other than Taiko. I do believe that with this strong growth and consumer satisfaction Taiko will become the global leader in audio streaming. I'm glad to be a part of it.
Superlative SQ observations aside with the new network card and switch, it is starting to sink in (ha, call me slow) how revolutionary and relieving Taiko's full network solution to hi end audio (network card, switch, router package, not to mention xdms, bps or future pipeline products) will become.
Albeit for Extreme owners primarily, the cost savings and time savings for Extreme owners not having to navigate/additional economic outlay for all the endless permutations of currently available routers/switches/cabling/LPSs/isolation etc and to simply simplify and focus on this path is exalting. But still exciting of course that we can tweak with LPSs in the interim for the Taiko switch.
Hearing/reading here switch user after switch user and serious DIY folks remove their auxiliary gear is as I think blackmorec put it the ultimate goal and Rhapsody nenon confirming etc, and Taiko delivering in spades. Doesn't take away from those incredible pieces of equipment, my M12 included, just a different ecosystem. The word is spreading clearly about this full package and I wish Taiko the best for their efforts blazing this full trail.
As mentioned earlier, goes without saying folks reaping these benefits are quite fortunate. Amazing to watch/hear this evolution in digital audio on this thread. I am sure more accolades will be pouring in.
late addition ps - Looks like Steve's and my msgs crossed paths in the night. Glad you are up and running there!
Albeit for Extreme owners primarily, the cost savings and time savings for Extreme owners not having to navigate/additional economic outlay for all the endless permutations of currently available routers/switches/cabling/LPSs/isolation etc and to simply simplify and focus on this path is exalting. But still exciting of course that we can tweak with LPSs in the interim for the Taiko switch.
Hearing/reading here switch user after switch user and serious DIY folks remove their auxiliary gear is as I think blackmorec put it the ultimate goal and Rhapsody nenon confirming etc, and Taiko delivering in spades. Doesn't take away from those incredible pieces of equipment, my M12 included, just a different ecosystem. The word is spreading clearly about this full package and I wish Taiko the best for their efforts blazing this full trail.
As mentioned earlier, goes without saying folks reaping these benefits are quite fortunate. Amazing to watch/hear this evolution in digital audio on this thread. I am sure more accolades will be pouring in.
late addition ps - Looks like Steve's and my msgs crossed paths in the night. Glad you are up and running there!
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I forgot to add one more thing. The sound floor on this is virtually non existent. I did say I was hearing things in the deep bass from songs I’ve played for years and with all this greatness it is uncolored to my ears. Emile says in his recent Masters and Makers Interview that uncolored is his goal. More tomorrow
Yes, it does.
With the stock SMPS, the switch is so good that you would never think a LPS will make a difference.
But then you plug in a good LPS, and you can immediately hear another level of refinement.
I made some experiments today and did not realize I had left the SMPS on the switch. I just started another listening sessions and felt like something was off. When I checked I realized I was using the SMPS. Switched back to a LPS and it all came back in place.
I am in a weird position to talk about power supplies (given my signature disclosure), and so you can take my comments with a grain of salt. However, the reality is that I am kind of downplaying the impact of a good power supply on the switch because of that.
Can't wait to hear all battery powered Extreme + network.
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Steve, It's beyond hearing the voices, I'm seeing the people from where the voice emanate
As mentioned previously, I already have that in my system - and that’s with Roon. When I manage to get my switch installed and access XDMS, I’m expecting Katherine Jenkins to come and sit in my lap.
It’s a good job we have visitors to distract me because not yet being able to install my switch would be frustrating me no end. I’m going to give it a go tomorrow and reports on here are making me wonder just what the hell I’m going to hear next. Looking forward to it anyway.
So can I assume that since my combo hasn't arrived, when it does, the card will have passed quality control and fit perfectly?
I am going to try to make the change without moving the Extreme of the Rack (and it is not on the top shelf) which makes the operation complicated, if the card also does not fit well, it can be a "torment"
Please be careful not to get any metal slivers into the PCI slots... It's safest just to bend the clip a bit while waiting for a replacement.
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I'm sure Emile was being tongue-in-cheek
He's been quite vocal about liking Roon in combination with the new switch and network card.
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I would cover it with bubble wrap or some other material. Instead of drilling I would use a Dremel with a small grinding wheel attached. You don't need to take very much off. As indicated a thin small washer might be useful...Or just remove the bracket and modify away from the board...
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I knew thatI'm sure Emile was being tongue-in-cheek
I have been putting it off because of the need to protect the stitches in my back, however our guests have just left earlier than expected due to inclement weather affecting their travel. I think it’s a sign - so I’m here now hunting for the instructions.
100% I would recommend not doing it in situ, for reasons mentioned above. Better to place and evaluate multiple times than to get any junk inside the Extreme. That said, it's possible for a careful person to tape/mask off the area and work.
I'll be looking at mine later this morning for installation. I "discovered" it on my porch last night when I let the dog out to pee. It will be room temp by now and ready to rock!
Announcement regarding the "bracket issue":
As you can read on the last few pages there is an issue with the consistency of a part of the copper PCIe card mounting brackets which have shipped out. This can cause disconnect issues after a period of playback ranging from anywhere between 5 minutes to 12 hours. A new batch of brackets will be lasercut this weekend and will ship out to everybody at the start of next week by Fedex Priority. We will also replace the brackets of all cards which have not shipped yet. Although not all of you need to replace your bracket, if it slides in easy, fits well and works well you can just leave it as is, we feel better providing each and everyone with a replacement. We are also perfectly happy replacing the entire card but unfortunately don't have them in stock currently so that option would take several weeks while the replacement bracket can be with you end of next week.
Our most sincere apologies for this oversight, we simply never anticipated the possibility of a variance in the mounting brackets.
As you can read on the last few pages there is an issue with the consistency of a part of the copper PCIe card mounting brackets which have shipped out. This can cause disconnect issues after a period of playback ranging from anywhere between 5 minutes to 12 hours. A new batch of brackets will be lasercut this weekend and will ship out to everybody at the start of next week by Fedex Priority. We will also replace the brackets of all cards which have not shipped yet. Although not all of you need to replace your bracket, if it slides in easy, fits well and works well you can just leave it as is, we feel better providing each and everyone with a replacement. We are also perfectly happy replacing the entire card but unfortunately don't have them in stock currently so that option would take several weeks while the replacement bracket can be with you end of next week.
Our most sincere apologies for this oversight, we simply never anticipated the possibility of a variance in the mounting brackets.
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...stacking tolerances can be the silent killer! I hope my "get the Dremel tool" comment didn't create static for you guys, Emile. It is assumed that would be a last resort to be undertaken only by experienced people.
Update from MarkusBarkus: Don't screw up your Extreme using power tools, files, etc. if you don't know what you're doing!
Update from MarkusBarkus: Don't screw up your Extreme using power tools, files, etc. if you don't know what you're doing!
This is exactly where my gps is taking me.
Some people want the performers in their room. I want to be in the room where the performers are.
Marc
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