The Extreme was reviewed initially just 3 months ago in issue 199 and it didn’t have to wait long to win the award. Which isn’t surprising when you know what the Taiko is capable of delivering. Priced from £25,000 the Extreme will only be for the lucky few in reality and many people will never experience just how good the Extreme is and what it does to you your music and your reference point.
I often argue that if you are not in the position to purchase something it’s probably best not to listen to it as it can be a bit of soul-destroying experience, but I must say with the Taiko Extreme everyone should experience what it can accomplish, it is such a strong performer and stands so far apart from everything else that is classed a server or streamer, it’s actually quite unnerving!
I did a demonstration of an Extreme earlier in the week, for a customer who owns an Aurender W20, connected via USB into a Vitus SCD-025 mk2 and a Vitus SIA-030 integrated amplifier, his speakers are a pair of Vimberg Tonda Diamonds and the whole system is isolated on Stillpoints Ultra 5’s (speakers) and Ultra 6’s (electronics) and is wired and ground from top to bottom with Entreq. The room is treated with a substantial array of Acustica Applicata and it’s a system I’m immensely proud to have been able to put together, if any system is worthy of a source such as the Taiko this is it!
I’d jokily warned the customer that it would not take him very long to understand what the Extreme was about. I got a big smile and a thumbs up within about 10 seconds of the first track playing and he had asked me to order one for him after the 2nd track had ended. He was fully expecting to have to listen for a week, back and forth making comparisons between his Aurender and the Extreme.
The jump was colossal, the music was real, fluid, engaging like anything else the customer had ever experienced. After 30 minutes of playing a selection of music we knew well the customer was in tears and I was fighting them back as well. A musical and emotional tour de force if there ever was one!!!
Check out the link below to the Hi-Fi Plus review that led to the award.
I have a Taiko SGM Extreme on demonstration and if you want to experience the finest digital server/streamer money can buy don’t hesitate to get in touch. Even when used with a modest DAC the word Extreme has never been used more appropriately!
