Melco N1A lack of air and ambiance

[Terry490]

After nearly five years of faithful service, my 2009 Mac Mini music server bit the dust. It was time to step up to a real music server. After reading endless reviews, I settled on the Melco N1A. I purchased my dealer’s demo unit so it was fully broken in and the dealer installed the latest firmware.

 

Wow! Image localization was spot on. Stage height, width and depth are better than the Mac Mini. The noise floor was so far back as to be totally unperceivable. Music projected from a totally black background. Bass is slightly different from the Mac-not sure but it may be a tad tighter and deeper or the Mac may have had a bit of “bloom” making it feel fuller. I will do some more listening and perhaps up the subwoofer a smidge.

 

If I have any criticism of the N1A it is the unit’s lack of high-end “air” or “ambiance.” On recordings that I have listened to for years that I know contain huge amounts of hall ambience it was as if the N1A but heavy drapery on the hall’s walls. The music was all there but it sounded as if it were being played in an anechoic chamber. The music became sterile and less involving. On small jazz recordings where bells floated in the air, the bell was there but the air around the bell was missing.

 

Has anyone else noticed this? I plan to keep the N1A as it does everything else to my complete satisfaction but the more I listen, the more I miss this high-end ambiance. I know this ambiance was present in the music I recorded so I assume it was recorded in the N1A’s hard drive but it is missing from the USB output.

 

Has anyone tried using the N1A’s Ethernet out to a MicroRendu or  SOtM sMS-200 and then going USB to the DAC?

[romaz]

I have good experience with Melco and my opinion is the N1A is an excellent server, certainly better than a Mac Mini by itself and even better than many of the Aurenders.  The N1A is hampered, in my opinion, by its mediocre power supply and there is no easy way to replace or improve it.

 

Because the Melco functions as its own DHCP server, I had high hopes that I could directly connect it ot either my microRendu or my sMS-200 and bypass my router.  I could not get this to work, unfortunately.  

 

In my opinion, a modified Mac Mini (powered by a good 12V LPSU) with OS running off an SD card and directly connected to either a microRendu or sMS-200 (with either powered by a good LPSU) easily sounds better than the Melco.

[Tecnik1]

While I have no experience running the Mac Mini I ran my MacBook Pro with roon connecting thru USB to my Dac before getting the Melco N1ZH which does have a beefier power supply. I think I might be a minority but I have never been really impressed with a USB for audio and I have run it with the Ifi and AQ jitter bug' for me isolated ethernet with LPS powering on the switch and router, battery powered SMC 100 to dac has so much more midrange, transparency and timber. Ethernet just sounds more real to me then USB.

[romaz]

I also have experience with the N1ZH and I had it in-house for testing for nearly 4 weeks.  Yes, no question, it is better than the N1A and better than many servers out there, imo, but its PSU is not in the same class as the best LPSUs.  One of the things you immediately hear with a better power supply is more air, a bigger soundstage, as well as better dynamic contrasts and my opinion of this server compared against what I have now is that it sounded clear but very flat and confined.  My opinion was the same with the RedNet 3 and so both of those units were returned.

 

People fail to realize that both the microRendu and sMS-200 are Ethernet devices.  Unless you have an Ethernet DAC, then you're using either USB, SPDIF, or AES/EBU to connect to your DAC and the N1Z is no exception.  Each of these transmission formats have limitations that need to be overcome for them to sound their best and so it shouldn't be a given that USB always sounds worst.  Obviously, the DAC has a lot to say about which of these interfaces sound best also.  Given the price of an N1ZH which is still more than the price of an sMS-200 Ultra (which includes SOtM's new super clock) combined with a Paul Hynes SR7 LPSU, to my ears, the comparison isn't close.   As for things like the iFi or AQ Jitterbug, if this is the best USB you have heard, then you really haven't heard USB at its best.

[Tecnik1]

I have the Arye QX 5 Twenty and its ethernet is optimized along with the USB, even Arye saids the QX 5 ethernet sounds better then the USB, I agree with you on the power supplies and it look like the N1ZH has a pretty good power supply but all give you that one, USB at its best your right there Im sure, I have also tried the Melco vis QA Diamond USB to the QX 5 and ethernet still sounds much better.

 

Please enlighten which USB set up is best so I may compare the 2 and decide which sounds best in my set up.

 

I paid $3200 for my Melco here in Viet Nam.

 

 

[Amigoz]

20 hours ago, Terry490 said:

 

After nearly five years of faithful service, my 2009 Mac Mini music server bit the dust. It was time to step up to a real music server. After reading endless reviews, I settled on the Melco N1A. I purchased my dealer’s demo unit so it was fully broken in and the dealer installed the latest firmware.

 

Wow! Image localization was spot on. Stage height, width and depth are better than the Mac Mini. The noise floor was so far back as to be totally unperceivable. Music projected from a totally black background. Bass is slightly different from the Mac-not sure but it may be a tad tighter and deeper or the Mac may have had a bit of “bloom” making it feel fuller. I will do some more listening and perhaps up the subwoofer a smidge.

 

If I have any criticism of the N1A it is the unit’s lack of high-end “air” or “ambiance.” On recordings that I have listened to for years that I know contain huge amounts of hall ambience it was as if the N1A but heavy drapery on the hall’s walls. The music was all there but it sounded as if it were being played in an anechoic chamber. The music became sterile and less involving. On small jazz recordings where bells floated in the air, the bell was there but the air around the bell was missing.

 

Has anyone else noticed this? I plan to keep the N1A as it does everything else to my complete satisfaction but the more I listen, the more I miss this high-end ambiance. I know this ambiance was present in the music I recorded so I assume it was recorded in the N1A’s hard drive but it is missing from the USB output.

 

Has anyone tried using the N1A’s Ethernet out to a MicroRendu or  SOtM sMS-200 and then going USB to the DAC?

 

 

I also had Melco N1A - as first impression were quite good, i realised that it lacked the top air, like something closed my speakers  alit bit, so returned it and orderdered JCAT Femto, i's cheaper and way better than Melco N1A alone. Jcat Femto is putted to my regular pc, power supply is separate, not from PSU, but it is also regular one. So now willing to try linear power supply. For me Melco N1A was only dissapointment (i did not used it like server) bit like a source.

[tedwoods]

Looks like Melco will be having some competition: http://www.iodata.jp/fidata/en/audio.htm

 

[romaz]

On 4/6/2017 at 2:33 AM, Tecnik1 said:

I have the Arye QX 5 Twenty and its ethernet is optimized along with the USB, even Arye saids the QX 5 ethernet sounds better then the USB, I agree with you on the power supplies and it look like the N1ZH has a pretty good power supply but all give you that one, USB at its best your right there Im sure, I have also tried the Melco vis QA Diamond USB to the QX 5 and ethernet still sounds much better.

 

Please enlighten which USB set up is best so I may compare the 2 and decide which sounds best in my set up.

 

I paid $3200 for my Melco here in Viet Nam.

 

 

 

The upcoming SOtM sMS-200 Ultra (it should be widely available next month) will cost $1,300.  I suspect I own the only sMS-200 Ultra at this time.  A dual-rail Paul Hynes SR7 (which can power both the sMS-200 Ultra and a Mac Mini) starts at about $1,200.  To get the best sound, you will want to directly connect the Mac Mini to the sMS-200 Ultra (meaning there is no router in this direct path). Essentially, this type of direct connection is the secret to what makes the Melco sound good.  A Mac Mini modified with Uptone Audio's MMK which allows it to be powered by the SR7 will cost about $700.  To have it sound its best, you will want to run the OS off an SD card which is very easy to do.  This combo compares very favorably against what you paid for your Melco.

 

As I stated in my previous post, the quality of your DAC's implementation of both USB and Ethernet inputs will have a lot to do with your SQ and so if your DAC manufacturer is stating its Ethernet input sounds better than its USB input, it would make sense to heed your DAC maker's suggestion, especially if your own comparisons have verified this.  

 

If indeed this is the case, then you probably never really needed the Melco to begin with.  The key is to avoid connecting your Ayre directly to a router.  If you bought an audiophile-grade switch with a really good clock and powered it with a really good PSU like an Uptone Audio LPS-1 ($400) or Paul Hynes SR7, I suspect this combination would sound better than the Melco and cost even less than the sMS-200 Ultra.

 

SOtM can build you such a switch that utilizes ultra low noise linear regulators, high-quality capacitors and incorporates their new super clock (which is what makes the sMS-200 Ultra so special) for about $800.  You would then place this switch directly between your server and your Ayre.  For this to work, you will need a server with 2 LAN ports and then you would bridge them together so that you can connect your router to one of the LAN ports and this audiophile switch to the other LAN port.  This is very easy to do with a Mac and once again, this will be the key to surpassing the Melco.  With any Mac, a Thunderbolt LAN adapter would work fine just as long as you have two and they cost about $30 each.  While Mac laptops can work, Mac Minis make much better servers, especially if you can power one with something like a Paul Hynes SR7.  Something to think about if you're not totally happy with your Melco and are looking for more air, a bigger and more realistic soundstage and better dynamics but no question, the N1ZH is a very good server.

[Superdad]

For a client that has a Melco N1A, I looked into what it would take to run it off his JS-2 instead of the N1A's SMPS.  It actually would be quite simple since the mobo of the N1A just takes 12V (spec'd at 60W, so 5A, but I'm sure it uses less than that).

 

The thick yellow and black wires from the SMPS are 12V and "ground," and my approach would to pull the cable off at the SMPS end, and either cut and solder a DC jack, or find a mating connector and make a short cable to a DC jack--or even just run it out a hole in the back of the chassis.  The use of the front panel power switch would be lost, but everything else would be the same.

 

[Silly goose]

Just get get the Melco Ravenna update, and one of the soon to be released Ravenna based DAC's. This way the power supply quality won't matter anymore. Because noise won't make it into the DAC. 

 

 

[Tecnik1]

I have since grounded the Melcro using the 3.0 USB connecting to an Entreq Poseidon with impressive results in more air and ambience. The chassis ground did nothing to improve the SC imho.

[Vangelis]

Tecnik1,   I've just ordered a Melco N1H2 and I've heard good things about the Entreq. I am confused how you grounded the USB Cable to the Entreq.  I'm not aware of a USB cable that has a separate ground wire . I'm a little confused on the ground in systems but I do like the fact that the Entreq is passive, not requiring a power supply.  Did you take a wire from the USB cable from the Melco to your DAC? 

 Please explain to me how you hook this thing up. 

Thanks

[Tecnik1]

Hi Vangelis, The USB grounding cable you can get thru Entreq , hopefully you have a local Entreq dealer who usually well let you try the Entreq out for a couple of weeks and ask for a couple of cables and one being a USB ground cable. The cables have spades on one end that attach to the Entreq post at the back of the box..Entreq has several different models that can be economical to pricey but their worth it. I would recommend to start with the Entreq Silver first which has four post to hook up 4 opponents, Preamp, Dac, server, and inputs on your amp or integrated. They also have different grounding cables at various price points that enhance the effective ground. You will hear slight improvements right away but well take 24 to 48 hrs to start hearing the effect and two weeks for the full effect, if you don't thin you hear a difference unplug everything and you'll hear what you missed. Be warned once unplugged you have to start from the beging again to get the full effect. 

 

The cables which for the most part have RCA that you attach to your components output and then spade connect4d to the Entreq spade, Their is alot more you can learn by research so I will keep it simple.

 

I started out with the Silver Entreq and then moved quickly to the Poseidon, Olympus Minimus and Silver minimus .

 

Your N1ZH/2 has a USB Dac out put plus a USB 3.0, connect the Entreq grounding cable to the USB 3.0

 

Good luck keep me posted.

[toetapaudio]

On 06/04/2017 at 6:18 PM, tedwoods said:

Looks like Melco will be having some competition: http://www.iodata.jp/fidata/en/audio.htm

 

 

I can confirm the fidata HFAS1 is an excellent product and should be on your list if you are looking for a state of the art NAS. We have a demo unit for trying.

[toetapaudio]

On grounding boxes the CAD product looks interesting, not tried yet.

[rickca]

Deleted

[toetapaudio]

On 05/04/2017 at 6:12 PM, romaz said:

I have good experience with Melco and my opinion is the N1A is an excellent server, certainly better than a Mac Mini by itself and even better than many of the Aurenders.  The N1A is hampered, in my opinion, by its mediocre power supply and there is no easy way to replace or improve it.

 

Because the Melco functions as its own DHCP server, I had high hopes that I could directly connect it ot either my microRendu or my sMS-200 and bypass my router.  I could not get this to work, unfortunately.  

 

In my opinion, a modified Mac Mini (powered by a good 12V LPSU) with OS running off an SD card and directly connected to either a microRendu or sMS-200 (with either powered by a good LPSU) easily sounds better than the Melco.

 

Maybe not better than the fidata, I suspect? I think I might be able to put a modified Mac Mini/SMS 200 ( with better ps) together to test out against the fidata.

 

romaz, what's your modem/router/switch set up, may I ask please?

[toetapaudio]

Recent review of the fidata:

 

http://www.the-ear.net/review-hardware/fidata-hfas1-s10u-network-server

[mecani]

Hello Does anyone have any info on remote app for Melco? it is curious not to say embarrassing that Melco does not have his own application

[Tecnik1]

Currently using the paid Mconnect app, I prefer the paid app version vs the light version for the landscape mode using my iPad. Its pretty good overall with occasional drop outs. 

 

Charles Hansen saids there is a really good app review and recommendation I believe on the latest Issue of Hi Fi magazine but I cant find a copy here in Viet Nam. Anyone knows what app Charles is speaking of please post it for us, reportedly it cost around $50.00 , not sure.

 

[Mustu]

Hi I have the Melco N1A but use it with the SOTM ultra trio and the sound is simply put amazing.

 

try it if you can.....btw I also used A PS audio direct stream and it marvellous 

 

cheers 

mustu

[Morph]

On 19/02/2018 at 7:08 PM, mustafakaiser said:

Hi I have the Melco N1A but use it with the SOTM ultra trio and the sound is simply put amazing.

 

try it if you can.....btw I also used A PS audio direct stream and it marvellous 

 

cheers 

mustu

Hi @mustafakaiser 

I have the N1A and am thinking about the SOTM Ultra Trio. How do you align the Melco with the Trio?

 

Thanks 

Morph

[Amigoz]

toetapaudio - Fidata is approx 5000 EUR, i just added to Jcat femto usb linear power supply, and now it's so great, that, i really have no interest to investigate and even to try Fidata for such price. Power supply was done by my friend so it costed 50 EUR for parts only, of course i can add nice case, but it is under table near pc so do not care about it. Linear power supply made bas control so well, it never sounded in my system so good, highs and space is superb!

[spenav]

New to the forum.  I have been enjoying your fruitful discussions.  I have a question for N1ZH owners:  Do you guys know what's that blue stuff on top of the HDD's and ac socket?  Some of the modifications on this model can easily be duplicated to the N1A, like the copper foil on the USB sockets. Thanks.

[TheGorn]

I'll have to open mine up to see.  Just from the photo, I would guess some kind of constrained layer dampening.  If it is, I guess you would apply either Roadkill or Marigo dots on the N1A.