Taiko Audio APL Hi-Fi DSD-GR Supported DACs and USB Profile Extreme Music Server User Guide
- June 1, 2024
- TAIKO AUDIO
Table of Contents
Taiko Audio APL Hi-Fi DSD-GR Supported DACs and USB Profile Extreme
Music Server
Specifications :
- Supported DACs: Various DAC models listed in the user manual
- USB Profiles: Multiple USB profiles available for different DACs
- Output Bit Rate: Adjustable in Roon
- TAS Buffers Setting: Legacy setting for TAS installation
Step 1 – Selecting USB Profiles:
- Look up your DAC in the provided DAC list to find the ideal USB profile.
- Note down the USB profile and bit-setting for your DAC.
Step 2 – VNC Remote Desktop Connection:
- 1. Download and install realVNC on a device connected to the same WiFi network as the Music Server.
- Run the VNC app and click on the + symbol in the top right corner.
- Enter the IP address of the server obtained from the Roon app and save the connection profile.
- Click on the saved connection profile and then click on Connect.
- Enter the VNC name and password of the server, select
Remember password, and click Continue.
Note
If you have previously accessed the server’s desktop and its IP address hasn’t
changed, you can skip steps 1-4.
Supported DACs and USB Profile Guide
Guide to selecting USB Profiles on the Extreme Music Server
There are 5 steps in this process
- Look up your DAC in the DAC list below to find the ideal USB profile.
- Make a VNC remote desktop connection to your Music Server.
- Execute the selected profile by right-clicking it and selecting “Run with Powershell”.
- Select the appropriate output bit rate in Roon.
- Setting TAS Buffers (Legacy – only required when you have TAS installed).
- Optionally, follow our “Recommended Roon Settings” to perfect the Roon setup.
Step 1 – Taiko USB driver-supported DACs
Look up your DAC in the list below and make a note of the USB profile and the
bit-setting
Note
All DACs in black are embedded part of the initially installed version of the
Taiko USB Driver. The DACS in blue are later additions and are present only in
the versions of the Taiko Driver as installed for the users that requested
this. Contact us via support@taikoaudio.com
if you have acquired a new DAC that has been added recently or if you have a
DAC that is not on this list.
- Analog Domain DAC1 – USB2 – Roon 32-bit
- Anthem STR – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- APL DSD-MR – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
- APL DSD-SR – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
- APL Hi-Fi DSD-GR Galactic Reference DAC – USB4 – Roon 32-bit (same interface as earlier APL models) Aries Cerat Helene – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
- Aries Cerat Kassandra – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
- Aqua Formula (V1.0) – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- Aqua Formula xHD (V2.0) – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
- Aqua La Scala – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- Ayre QX-5 with USB2 upgrade – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
- Benchmark – USB3 – Roon 24-bit (added 16-08-2022)
- Berkeley Alpha DAC Reference Series 3 (No recommended settings available) (added 02-08-2023) Berkeley Alpha USB interface (No recommended settings available) (added 02-08-2023)
- B&O Beolab 50 – USB1 or USB3 – Roon 32-bit (added 28-07-2022)
- B&O Beolab 90 – USB1 or USB3 – Roon 32-bit (added 07-07-2022)
- Boulder 2120
- Bricasti MDx – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
- Brinkmann Nyquist – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- CH Precision – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- DCS Bartok – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- DCS Lina – USB1 (recommended to also try USB2 and USB4) – Roon 24-bit (added 10-10-2023)
- DCS Rossini – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- DCS Rossini Player – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- dCS Scarlatti – USB3 – Roon 24-bit (added 12-03-2024)
- DCS Vivaldi – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- DCS Vivaldi Up-sampler – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- DCS Vivaldi One – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- Denafrips Gaia
- Denafrips Terminator Plus
- Devialet Expert Pro
- EMM Labs DA2 – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- EMM Labs DAC2V2 – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- EMM Labs DAC2X – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- Esoteric Grandioso D1X (PCM only) – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
- Esoteric Grandioso K1X (PCM only) – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
- Esoteric K-01X (PCM only) – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
- Esoteric K-01XD (PCM only) – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
- Esoteric K-03 (PCM only) – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
- Exogal Comet – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- Grimm LS-1 Active loudspeakers – USB3 – Roon 24-bit (added 03-2023) Goldmund Mimesis 20H Nextgen – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- Gustard X26 Pro – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
- Holo Audio May – USBx – Roon 24-bit
- Ideon Absolute – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
- iFi Pro iDSD
- JLsounds I2SoverUSB – USB4 – Roon 32-bit (added 07-2022)
- Kii Control Digital Preamp and USB Interface (added 25-11-2022) Lampizator – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
- Linn Klimax DSM – USB2 – 32-bit
- LH Davinci MKII – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
In this case, it is worth testing the following variants
- USB1 – Roon 32-bit
- USB1 – Roon 24-bit
- USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- Meitner MA-3 – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- Meitner XDS1 V3 – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- Mola Mola Tambaqui – USB2 or USB4 – Roon 32-bit (added 08-2022)
- MSB Pro USB – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- Please note that MSB ProISL may require an Extreme Server reboot to be recognized and connect. If this fails, then please contact Taiko Audio support for a TeamViewer session
- MSB V / Quad – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- Mutec MC-3+ – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- Nagra HD-X – USB2 – Roon 32-bit
- Nagra Tube Dac – USB2 – Roon 32-bit
- Omega Audio Concepts DNA DAC – USB1 – Roon 24-bit
- Playback Design MPD-8 (JL Sounds USB Board) – USB4 – Roon 32-bit (added 19-05-2022)
- Playback Design MPS-X (JL Sounds USB Board) – USB4 – Roon 32-bit (added 19-05-2022)
- Pilium Elektra – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- Resolution Audio Cantata 3.0
- Sennheiser HE-1 – USB2 – Roon 32-bit
- Singxer SU-6 – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- SoTM dx-usbHD – USB1 or USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- Soulution 330 – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- Soulution 760 – USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- SRC-DX – USB4 – Roon 32-bit (added 03-2022)
- T+A MP 2500R – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
- T+A R2500R (new model for 2024) – USB4 – Roon 32-bit (added 02-04-2024) T+A SD(V)3100 – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
- T+A HA 200 – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
- Thrax Maximinus – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
- Topping NX4DSD – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
- Totaldac – USB1 – Roon 24-bit
- Totaldac USB Reclocker – USB1 – Roon 24-bit
- Trinity 1st gen model – USB1 or USB3 – Roon 24-bit
- Trinity Reference
- Vinnie Rossi L2 (JL Sounds USB Board) – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
- Vitus (JL Sounds USB Board) – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
- Wadax Atlantis Reference – USB3 – Roon 24-bit (updated 20-04-2023) Wadax Arcadia – USB2 – Roon 32-bit (added 07-02-2023)
In this case, it is worth testing the following variants
- USB1 – Roon 32-bit
- USB1 – Roon 24-bit
- USB3 – Roon 24-bit
Weiss DAC-501 – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
- Weiss Helios – USB4 – Roon 32-bit (added 31-05-2022)
- Weiss Medus – USB3 – Roon 24-bit (added 06-09-2022)
- Ypsilon 1000 – USB4 – Roon 32-bit
Step 2 – VNC
Make a VNC remote desktop connection to your Music Server.
Tip
If you have accessed the desktop of the server before, and the IP address of
the server has not changed, you can start at step 4.
-
Download realVNC on a device connected to the same WiFi network as the server. You can find the app here: https://www.realvnc.com/en/connect/download/viewer/
-
Run the VNC app.
-
Click on the + symbol in the top right corner. Tip
You can find the IP address of the server in the Roon app. -
Enter the IP address of the server and choose any name.
-
Click Save.
You have now created a connection profile.
-
Click the connection profile with the name you entered in step 3.
-
Click on Connect. If you don’t know the VNC name and password of the server, contact your supplier.
-
Enter the VNC name and password of the server.
-
Select Remember password.
-
Click Continue
The desktop of the server is shown and can now be controlled.
Tip
If you need a keyboard, you can click the keyboard icon in the toolbar at the top of the screen to enable a virtual keyboard.
Alternative method (only MacOS)
When using a MacOS device you can also access the desktop of the server via
your browser. Do the following:
-
1Open your browser.
-
Type vnc:// followed by the IP address of the server in the search bar. For example: vnc://192.168.1.23
A popup appears, asking you if you want to open the screen sharing application. -
Click Yes.
If you don’t know the password of the server, contact your supplier. -
Enter the password of the server.
-
Click Enter.
The desktop of the server is shown and can now be controlled.
Tip
If you need a keyboard, you can click the keyboard icon in the toolbar at the
top of the screen to enable a virtual keyboard.
Step 3 – USB Profiles
- Execute the USB profile. Please note that this will immediately reboot the Extreme.
- The desktop will contain a range of USB Profiles. Select the one that is ideal for your DAC and execute it by right-clicking and selecting “Run with Powershell”.
- Mac users with single mouse buttons can use the Option key and click, Trackpad users can use a double finger tap to get to the context menu.
- This will reboot the Extreme. After that, the profile will be active. It will remain active throughout successive reboots and even after changing from Roon to TAS and back.
Step 4 – Bit Depth
Look up the appropriate output bit depth for your DAC in the table above.
Then, enter the value in Roon, as follows.
First, go to Settings (1).
Then, select the Audio page (2).
From there, find your main audio zone, which is normally the “Taiko Audio USB Audio Device”, and use the gear wheel on the right side to select Device Setup (4).
This brings up the below pop-up window.
Click on Show Advanced (5) and scroll down to the Max bits per sample (PCM) setting.
- From the list of available bit depths (6), select the one that you noted before according to the DAC list (7).
- Click Save, and you’re done.
- If you decide that you want to change the USB profile, simply repeat the same steps.
- A new Remote Control app is in the making that will direct switching DAC profiles without the need to establish a remote desktop connection.
Step 5 – Recommended Roon Settings
Optionally, if not yet carried out: follow our separate “Recommended Roon
Settings” to perfect the Roon setup. This document can be downloaded from the
Taiko Audio website’s download section
https://taikoaudio.com/taiko-2020/taiko-audio-downloads
Step 6 – TAS (Legacy)
- Legacy – only required if you have TAS installed
- If you still use TAS, we recommend looking into its successor, XDMS:
- https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/taiko-audio-xdms-extreme-direct-music-server-software
- For those who still use TAS, please refer to the following.
Setting TAS Buffers
- As part of the recent update to the OS and USB driver, Roon has been made the default music player on system startup. To use TAS you will have to launch the TAS remote on your phone or tablet and switch to TAS.
- Part of TAS has now been integrated into the new USB driver and this has led to major sonic benefit when using Roon. As a result, there is one setting in TAS that needs to be changed, also when you are using Roon.
- To access the player settings screen, tap and hold your finger on the green player button and the relevant settings screen will open.
- Tap on Output Device Selection and ensure you have the appropriate ASIO device selected
- If our DAC must use DOP, select it here
- Choose your USB buffer sizes for PCM and DSD
- The TAS buffers need to be set to Auto
- Tap the top left arrow to save changes and Exit
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Read User Manual Online (PDF format) >>