Taiko Extreme

Thank you for the information. I know Mike mentioned Taiko was working on developing their own OS too.

dminches said:
You would have to ask them that. I don't know if it has to do with being able to run Process Lasso (which I don't believe runs in Linux), or something else.
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nc42acc said:
Thank you for the information. I know Mike mentioned Taiko was working on developing their own OS too.
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No, they are building their own music software, called XDMS. They are not developing their own OS unless Mike has insider information!
 
dminches said:
No, they are building their own music software, called XDMS. They are not developing their own OS unless Mike has insider information!
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Nope. No idea what it will run on.


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AThrillOfHope said:
Okay, Mr. Mike. You can't do this to us. How does the Taiko Extreme compare to the Aurender N30(SA?)?

Our next step is upgrading the music streamer/DAC. We currently have a Linn Selekt with Klimax DAC, a great "all-in-one" DSM that combines the streamer and DAC, but has no storage. Nothing beats it, IMHO, for the price.

We just had major medical bills, so it will be a while before we can spend money more wisely on audio equipment, but we are looking at:

1) Linn Klimax with Organik DAC (top-tier "all-in-one" DAC/Streamer): approx. $40K.
2) Taiko Extreme
3) MSB Premiere OR Reference DAC
4) Playback Designs Dream DAC
5) ... something from Esoteric DAC
6) Berkeley Audio Designs DAC
7) ... maybe dCs Rossino with clock DAC

So the question is: may we assume that it is always best sonically to go with seperate DAC + Streamer? If so, then of the DAC of choice (is it your Taiko or MSB?), what STREAMER do you prefer? In other words, what is your "dream combo" of DAC and Streamer?

Any feedback appreciated (hope this did not step on any toes).
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There's almost never only a single approach or methodology that is best. This is a foundational principle of Geinrich Altschuler's TRIZ (Teoriya Resheniya Izobretatelskikh Zadatch) or Theory of Inventive Problem Solving. TRIZ - Wikipedia

So, I don't think one can generalize that an "all-in-one" solution e.g. the Linn Klimax DSM/3 is better than a "component-based" solution. This is because there is almost always more than one way to mediate a transfer function, and...everything is a transfer function.

Here's some additional VOC (Voice of the Customer) for you: I had the Linn Klimax DSM/3 here for 4 months while I reviewed it for TAS. While it is a truly excellent DAC/streamer and has superb sound quality, in my system, an Aurender N20 and a Lampizator Baltic 3 DAC sounds just as good. By that I mean as resolving, engaging, and immersive with fully comparable imaging and a soundstage that's actually wider than the Linn. The upside the Linn has is its Space Optimization software, which corrects for room response variance due to dimensional ratios, windows, window glazing and doors, etc. It's a very cool feature, but, IMHO, a "nice to have" rather than a "must-have".

I know lots of folks are waxing ecstatic about the Taiko Extreme, but IMHO, Aurender has f***in' got it goin' on. Plus their overall integration, ease of set-up, and ease of use make them very compelling value propositions.

Just my 2¢ from my direct experience with both for several months. Cheers.
 
Looks like just two pins and voltage should be 5 volts like most pci x usb cards are
But taiko does make things as they see best for there severs a good idea
 
jRiver compatible? I read in another forum last year that Taiko's stripped down version of Windows 10 has removed certain software pieces, so that it could not accommodate jRiver. Anyone know if that has changed?
 
Scotty said:
jRiver compatible? I read in another forum last year that Taiko's stripped down version of Windows 10 has removed certain software pieces, so that it could not accommodate jRiver. Anyone know if that has changed?
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I don’t think that has changed. I haven’t heard that name (JRiver) in a long time. The last time I used it, I think they were on version 18 or 19 and it was total bloat ware. Hopefully they’ve freshened it up and improved it. Reminded me of 90’s windows apps at the time.


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jRiver is now up to version 28. I have used if for years, trouble-free, and the audio quality and functionality is excellent, imho. I think that it is a very popular server. Old habits are hard to break, and would hate to lose the familiarity and ease of use of jRiver.
 
I stilll use JRiver (version 25) on a couple of the back-up systems (use a Lumin U1 in the main system with the Lumin software). I like the JRiver format but it does require knowing how to set it up to get the best sound and you still have to deal with Windows issues. With JRiver you need to set-up the device properly along with the output format and most importantly load the decoded file into memory. For the main PC, I have Vanatoo Transparent One Encore power speakers and it's (JRIver is) perfect for it's simplicy. I do the same with a cheaper pair of powered speakers on a back-up computer. I have an old small fanless PC in one other back-up system and it's not out-of-the question somewhere down the road, that could change. That's my fun back-up system for now where I have a modded Carver C-9 Sonic Hologram Generator with an Oppo 103D (which reads files from my NAS) as a transport. It doesn't see tons of use and that's why I haven't been in a rush to make changes.
 
Interesting that nearly all individuals that did the head-to-head shootout between the Taiko Extreme and the Aurender N30SA at Suncoast Audio preferred the sound of the N30SA. However, there is one big item that favors the Taiko Extreme, it can use any software. With the recent improvement in sound quality of Roon 1.8, the Taiko Extreme/Roon combination remains a very attractive option, as the functionality of the Roon interface is second to none.

Ken
 
Alpinist said:
Interesting that nearly all individuals that did the head-to-head shootout between the Taiko Extreme and the Aurender N30SA at Suncoast Audio preferred the sound of the N30SA. However, there is one big item that favors the Taiko Extreme, it can use any software. With the recent improvement in sound quality of Roon 1.8, the Taiko Extreme/Roon combination remains a very attractive option, as the functionality of the Roon interface is second to none.

Ken
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Actually, once I got familiar with the Aurender interface, I found it to be more "Roon-like" than it initially appears. There's functionality and features there that is not immediately obvious at first glance.

In software parlance, it's a little bit more "modal" than Roon in the sense you have one more step than Roon to play a track or album in that the music needs to be "loaded" in the to playback Queue to be played, but the playback Queue also has an advantage that you can add multiple albums or tracks that can be played one after the other in sequence.

I found that, as I generally listen to an album in it's entirety, if you just select "Replace Queue", it loads that album into the Queue and immediately starts playing it.

There are a couple of features that are nice in the Aurender Conductor software that I only discovered recently and that may not be obvious to users at first glance that make the experience more "Roon-like".

The first is if you simply touch on the icon for the album art at the upper left of the playback section here...
Conductor-SoftwareAlbum.jpg


it brings up the album cover art with the track info and controls overlaid onto it.

And...if you touch at the lower right of the album, it brings up an icon with three lines on it that overlays all the tracks for the album or...all the albums in the Queue. Then you can control the playback of tracks in the Queue directly from that overlay on the album art. It's pretty darn cool.

Album%20Art%20PIC.png


So, all that being said, after using the Aurender Conductor software for 4-5 months and being a long-time Roon fan and user, I've come the conclusion that the only practically significant* difference between Roon and the Aurender Conductor software is the Radio mode you can invoke on Roon.

*-practically significant is all that matters...in the REAL world.
 
Alpinist said:
Interesting that nearly all individuals that did the head-to-head shootout between the Taiko Extreme and the Aurender N30SA at Suncoast Audio preferred the sound of the N30SA.

Ken
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Is that true? Maybe you should put together a poll since some people may not want to express their preference publicly.

I have seen a couple people express that view but not many.
 
dminches said:
Is that true? Maybe you should put together a poll since some people may not want to express their preference publicly.

I have seen a couple people express that view but not many.
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Yes, it’s true. Trust me. I wouldn’t have posted it if it wasn’t. Anyone can vote on those polls, even those that never did the head-to-head shootout. I don’t own either, so I have no investment in the outcome.

Ken
 
Alpinist said:
Yes, it’s true. Trust me. I wouldn’t have posted it if it wasn’t. Anyone can vote on those polls, even those that never did the head-to-head shootout.

Ken
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I would hope people would be honest in voting.

So, how many people, approximately, have stated their preference of the Aurender over the Taiko? Just curious.

I don’t have a horse in the game since I am already committed to the Extreme.
 
I would say Roon 1.8’s sonic improvements could make it interesting. Can’t wait for Taiko’s new software.

I really like how we are hearing how the network transport/software side of things has really become so important.

There is no loser. They are both exceptional. Choices are a good thing.


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I am going to go out on a limb and say the differences are probably very subjective to each persons preferences. At the level of the N30SA and Taiko there is no good/bad or best/worst just different.

Mike beat me to it.
 
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