+- MinimServer Forum (https://forum.minimserver.com)
+-- Forum: MinimServer (/forumdisplay.php?fid=1)
+--- Forum: Digital Audio (/forumdisplay.php?fid=10)
+--- Thread: Melco Audiophile NAS (/showthread.php?tid=2032)
RE: Melco Audiophile NAS - simoncn - 31-12-2021 11:59
I am pleased to hear you have got some benefit from spanned formatting and also from Direct Mode.
I am not sure how to interpret your comment about MinimServer overhead on the CPU. If you are using MinimStreamer transcoding, this would add some CPU overhead. If you are not using MinimStreamer transcoding, there should not be much CPU overhead from MinimServer streaming a file.
RE: Melco Audiophile NAS - ptcl99 - 31-12-2021 20:43
The misleading statement in the post has been revised. I read somewhere that Minimserver would impose a lighter overhead on a CPU than Twonky. From the experience with a DIY media player, that was a good enough reason to use Minimserver. I have not tried to overanalyze one versus the other. I shied away from Twonky for the initial problems with recognizing WAV files and album arts.
RE: Melco Audiophile NAS - simoncn - 31-12-2021 20:53
Thanks for clarifying. MinimServer does have a lighter CPU load than Twonky and I would expect this to have a positive effect on sound quality.
RE: Melco Audiophile NAS - ptcl99 - 13-01-2022 08:38
Simon,
Thank you for letting us Minimserver users share Melco experience.
For people who reported benefits of Crucial MX 500 SSDs over the original HDDs in Melco N1 ZH60:
1. Can you please describe the sonic improvements?
2. Is MX 500 still the best choice regardless of costs? I plan to go for 2 x 2TB.
3. Do SSDs need to be initialized/partitioned before installation?
My best experience with the Melco was achieved with drive spanning and setting the Player Port to direct at no costs, surprisingly.
RE: Melco Audiophile NAS - Donuk - 17-01-2022 23:58
Hi ptcl99
I did purchase two Crucial MX500 SSDs and fitted them into my Melco N1/A
The fitting was easy, as was the formatting. Just stuff them in from new and get the Melco to format and set them in Spanned mode.
When I first fitted them I fooled myself into thinking they improved things. Certainly more bass, but as I listened I realised that the sound was lifeless.
I refitted the original HDDs and much preferred the sound. I swapped backwards and forwards a couple of times. Same result. SSDs now being used as external drives on my Mac!
I was surprised to hear so much difference. Having spent all that money my disappointment was certainly not expectation bias! Maybe initially.
My Melco is optically coupled to a Melco S100 switch and thence to my Linn streamer. So success may be system dependent.
I can confirm that my Melco sounds better using just the LAN socket in Direct mode. Again the difference is not subtle.
Donuk beautiful downtown York
RE: Melco Audiophile NAS - ptcl99 - 18-01-2022 19:12
Donuk,
I appreciate your feedback. The result may be system dependent. My curiosity strikes again. I have just fitted 2 x 2TB MX500 SSDs and imported the library. I am going to verify and report back. I will have a unique chance to compare the tweaked N1Z H60/2 with the new single drive N1Z H50 in a few days.
RE: Melco Audiophile NAS - simoncn - 18-01-2022 20:36
I will be very interested to hear your opinion about the comparison between the two-drive and single-drive models. I have heard the single drive is better for sound quality but I haven't been able to compare these myself.
Some years ago, I installed Crucial BX100 512GB disks in both my Melcos. There was a noticeable sound quality improvement, with the music having creater clarity and transparency especially at the low end.
I haven't yet needed to update to a newer model of SSD, so I don't have any personal experience of using MX500s. In the current Crucial model range, the MX500 is the closest to the BX100 because it has a similar controller (Silicon Motion SM2258 in MX500 and Silicon Motion SM2246 in BX100).
RE: Melco Audiophile NAS - GreenMtnGringo - 18-01-2022 22:24
(18-01-2022 19:12)ptcl99 Wrote: Donuk,
I appreciate your feedback. The result may be system dependent. My curiosity strikes again. I have just fitted 2 x 2TB MX500 SSDs and imported the library. I am going to verify and report back. I will have a unique chance to compare the tweaked N1Z H60/2 with the new single drive N1Z H50 in a few days.
@ptcl99:
I was thinking about swapping two Crucial MX500 SSD's (2TB each) into my Melco N1Z Mk. 1, but then I saw @Donuk's post about a degradation in sound quality. I, too, am interested in your assessment. Thanks in advance.
RE: Melco Audiophile NAS - ptcl99 - 20-01-2022 05:44
Thanks to all of you for sharing valuable feedback. I have learned from your experience.
My Melco is an N1Z H60 Mk2, non EX, feeding an USB DAC through the Neutrik port. It has not been easy to find the EX update in the USA, and I am not keen about spending $600 plus shipping on nonsound-related features.
Simon’s recommendations for a spanned drive array and the player port configuration have been truly valuable. I heard more delicate high frequency (mass strings) for sure and more openness. Harry Pearson of the TAS fame named Ivan Fischer’s recording of Dvorak Sym. Nos 8 & 9 on Philips as a super SACD. I shied away from it before for perceived harshness. After the reconfiguration, the recording became musical. Nothing could be called harsh. This is the most telling part of this experience.
About the experiment of SSDs:
A copper plate is mounted on the base plate. The drives are elevated and mounted on the copper plate with bottom-up screws. Plastic clips need to be unclipped from the chassis to move cables away. All stainless steel screws are non-magnetic and cannot be picked up by a magnetic screwdriver tip. A tweezer is needed to align corner screws for the copper plate reinstallation. MX500s have to be mounted flat against the copper plate. The innards of Melco showcase Japanese “Takumi” level craftsmanship.
I listened to the spanned MX500 SSDs with the Film Music of Jerry Goldsmith DSD on Telarc and the 1st movement of Ivan Fischer’s Rachmaninov Sym. No 2 DSD on Channel Classic. I heard thinner sound quality and maybe slightly better (uncertain) space delineation. I stopped the audition at less than 90 minutes, a short one. I hurried to reinstall the original Toshiba 2.5” drives. The harmonic richness was restored (flesh on the bone?), and there was no less space delineation. It was thinner with SSDs in my opinion. I don’t question the experience of Simon and another person hearing improvements with N1 ZH and A in Mk 1. The MK 2 may have a different power supply. These SFF 2.5” drives chosen by Melco must be a specialized AV drive type, and they are mounted carefully. Aurender uses a Samsung SSD to cache a larger HDD drive. I remembered not liking a fairly expensive unit for relative dryness (just IMHO). No wonder Melco says that SSDs are not all good. This N1ZH/2 is lovely in sound quality and easy to use with the Lumin control point. I hope (good motivation huh) to find out about the SSD fuss with the pricey N1Z S40 someday.
As a side topic, the London SO is marvelous at Abbey Road Studios for the Goldsmith album. I don’t buy their LSO Live series because of the Barbican Center. This world-class ensemble needs to be unleashed in a Yasuhisa Toyota designed concert hall. The Elbphilharmonie, the Walt Disney Hall, or the Kauffman Center may suit them well. :-)
RE: Melco Audiophile NAS - simoncn - 20-01-2022 10:24
Thanks very much for this. It is very helpful.
To clarify, I have used Crucial BX100 SSDs in my Melcos, not MX500 (see this post). Unfortunately the BX100 is no longer available.
When comparing SSDs with HDDs, the type of HDDs is also an important factor. The factory HDDs in my N1Z/2-H60 were WD Blue 3TB. What are the factory HDDs in your N1Z?