Melco Audiophile NAS

[alh22]

Lumin also uses single-mode, while Sonore specifies multi-mode with specific SFP and fiber recommendations. My experience with several of their devices suggested that software issues were often attributed to incompatibilities in the fiber gear.

[malkit]

(15-11-2025 15:21)simoncn Wrote:  Thanks for sharing this. My Melco N1A media server doesn't have a fibre optic port, so I have connected the Ethernet cable to an ADOT media converter to send the stream to the fibre port of a Melco S100 switch. This provides a small improvement in sound quality, which seems consistent with your results.

Hello again Simon, I was trying to pick my way back through this thread without much joy to find other Melco users experience of trying to achieve better sound than I am currently experiencing From my N1A which is connected directly to my router by ethernet then via USB direct to Hugo TT2.
I see you have an S100 switch which is one of the options I've been considering as an upgrade and was wondering if you still use your N1A via it's USB player with S100 or if you have you experimented with any streamers other than the built in Melco player?
Options I've been considering are either adding a good streaming transport from the likes of Lumin or Auralic or going down the network switch route myself and would be very interested in your opinion which direction you feel is likely to offer the best bang for my buck.
How would you describe the improvement from adding the S100 into the mix with your N1A?
Thanks in advance.

[alh22]

(simoncn) Removed duplicate post.

[alh22]

Malkit--I had mediocre results with my N1A connecting via USB to a PS Audio Direct Stream DAC. Replacing that with an Exasound s62 DAC and its dedicated USB Sigma Streamer, the results were only a bit better. Then I experirmented with gear from Lumin (X1 and L2, fiber connected) and Sonore (Sonic Transport and Rendu streamer). It had become clear to me that USB in the signal path was an obstacle. As an old-time analog man, I continue to be amazed at the number and variety of obstacles to good sound in the digital signal path. It had become clear to me, as a mostly classical music listener, that MinimServer with a good control app--my preference being Bubble--was going to be my platform from which to evaluate and choose associated equipment. I'm now testing different DACs with the Melco N1Z which, with the latest EX updates, is very good. The Lumin X1 and L2 cannot be faulted for reliability and customer service; and they do work well with MinimServer and Bubble. Lumin's own control app, in my opinion, is a mess, though useful as a remote to control some machine functions. Sonore gear is another matter entirely, as it seems mainly focused on Roon, with uPnP/DLNA compatibility an afterthought. It does run MinimServer alongside their own operating system, but not happily. Sonics, however, can be (emphasis on can) exceptional, despite the many bugs. The techs at Sonore tend to play whack-a-mole with the problems, issuing a stream of ad hoc updates. OK for the hobbyist/tinkerer, perhaps, but that's not me (if it ever was). Good luck with the N1A, which is a fine unit, especially with the -EX mods.

[simoncn]

(03-01-2026 20:26)malkit Wrote:  Hello again Simon, I was trying to pick my way back through this thread without much joy to find other Melco users experience of trying to achieve better sound than I am currently experiencing From my N1A which is connected directly to my router by ethernet then via USB direct to Hugo TT2.
I see you have an S100 switch which is one of the options I've been considering as an upgrade and was wondering if you still use your N1A via it's USB player with S100 or if you have you experimented with any streamers other than the built in Melco player?
Options I've been considering are either adding a good streaming transport from the likes of Lumin or Auralic or going down the network switch route myself and would be very interested in your opinion which direction you feel is likely to offer the best bang for my buck.
How would you describe the improvement from adding the S100 into the mix with your N1A?
Thanks in advance.

I have a Hugo TT (not TT2) and despite all efforts I have not been able to find a way to make it produce acceptable sound. The USB connection is not the issue because I have had excellent results from a dCS Rossini (admittedly much more costly).

My N1A is a server, connected via an optical link and an S100 to an N1Z which I use as a USB player connected to the Rossini. Using the S100 to connect the N1A and N1Z produces a significant improvement in clarity, definition and soundstage. I am currently trialling an S50 (DELA replacement for the S100) and this provides a further improvement along the same lines.

I cannot advise on LUMIN or Auralic as I have not listened to either of these.

[davidp]

I'm adding a second Melco N1A to my system. I considered a USB expansion drive but decided a 2nd N1A would be more flexible.

I have a Minim Licence for three devices. Does that cover the 2nd Melco? What would be the ideal way to install Minim? Two separate instances?

I don't really use UPnP playback. I currently use the one Melco as a glorified NAS. Wired Ethernet that Audirvana on my headless Mac Mini finds. I'd probably wire the 2nd Melco the same way. But for belt and braces I do have mConnect and the TEAC/Esoteric apps on my phone for Minim UPnP through my streamer should I wish.

[simoncn]

Your license for 3 devices will cover installing MinimServer on both Melcos and one more device if you ever need this. Each Melco could have one instance of MinimServer installed using the Melco front panel menus (but see below). I presume this is how you have installed MinimServer on your current N1A.

You should get better sound quality if you stream music from the Melco via UPnP. In my setup I have two Melcos with one acting as the UPnP server and the other acting as the UPnP renderer. Separating file scanning/reading from audio rendering in this way improves sound quality for me. In this setup, MinimServer is running on the server N1A but not on the renderer N1A.

You can connect the renderer N1A to the server N1A using the player port on the server N1A or you could connect them using an audio-grade switch such as the Melco S100 or DELA S50. Using optical links instead of RJ45 Ethernet cables can also be beneficial.

I suggest you start by trying this setup using the server N1A player port with standard RJ45 cables to see if you hear a difference in the sound compared with the sound you are getting from Audirvana.

[malkit]

(04-01-2026 17:05)simoncn Wrote:  [quote='malkit' pid='53710' dateline='1767468407']
Hello again Simon, I was trying to pick my way back through this thread without much joy to find other Melco users experience of trying to achieve better sound than I am currently experiencing From my N1A which is connected directly to my router by ethernet then via USB direct to Hugo TT2.


I have a Hugo TT (not TT2) and despite all efforts I have not been able to find a way to make it produce acceptable sound. The USB connection is not the issue because I have had excellent results from a dCS Rossini (admittedly much more costly).

My N1A is a server, connected via an optical link and an S100 to an N1Z which I use as a USB player connected to the Rossini. Using the S100 to connect the N1A and N1Z produces a significant improvement in clarity, definition and soundstage. I am currently trialling an S50 (DELA replacement for the S100) and this provides a further improvement along the same lines.

I cannot advise on LUMIN or Auralic as I have not listened to either of these.

Thanks for the reply Simon I'd be interested to know if you noticed a significant improvement in SQ when you switched from listening the USB output of the N1A to the N1Z, the reviews I'm reading seem to suggest so?

[simoncn]

Switching from this:

N1A ----- USB port ----- dCS Rossini

to this:

N1A ----- Ethernet player port ----- N1Z ----- USB port ----- dCS Rossini

made a significant difference to the sound. Some time later, I switched to this:

N1A ----- Melco S100 switch ----- N1Z ----- USB port ----- dCS Rossini

This made a further significant difference. Subsequently, changing to an optical link beteeen the N1A and the S100 made a further significant difference.

Whether or not this would apply in your case will depend on the renderer you are using and possibly other factors. The only way to find out is to try.

[Charles7]

(28-02-2026 17:25)simoncn Wrote:  Switching from this:

N1A ----- USB port ----- dCS Rossini

to this:

N1A ----- Ethernet player port ----- N1Z ----- USB port ----- dCS Rossini

made a significant difference to the sound. Some time later, I switched to this:

N1A ----- Melco S100 switch ----- N1Z ----- USB port ----- dCS Rossini

This made a further significant difference. Subsequently, changing to an optical link beteeen the N1A and the S100 made a further significant difference.
...

Wow. Are there any audio quality shortfalls in this sequence, vastly cheaper:

Windows PC's SSD --(Ethernet)-- router --(wifi)-- Denon LinkHS2 --(Toslink)-- RME ADI FS-2 DAC

The RME manual asserts that the DAC is "independent from the quality of the incoming clock signal." I have never heard anything to doubt that.

Apart from the clock signal, what other dimension of audio quality could be at issue when shuttling bits along?