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Melco Audiophile NAS
27-08-2018, 18:49
Post: #501
RE: Melco Audiophile NAS
(01-07-2018 18:07)Gandharva Wrote:  Melco has a 'Player Direct' mode, which completely isolates the unit from your home network. The difficulty with this is that music selection has to be by using the front panel buttons, and a music app cannot be used.

The use of a travel router, which allows the use of a control app, was recommended by Alan Ainsley, from Melco, as having sonic benefits over a home network connected device.

When trying the travel router method there was a small, but noticeable, improvement in sound quality.

Just to clarify, when you said there was an improvement in SQ that was in comparison to being connected to a regular network?
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05-09-2018, 08:52
Post: #502
RE: Melco Audiophile NAS
Has anyone tried experimenting with the Melco in this way?

Assuming it is connected in a basic way, that is Network to Melco to Streamer to amplification.
Set up a playlist and set it playing.
Unplug the ethernet lead from the Network to the Melco. It is now isolated from the Network.
Ok you cannot control it (except maybe handset into the streamer). But is the sound noticeably better?
In this way you have isolated the home network.
I have tried this and cannot notice a difference. There may be various reasons for this. One might be that my Network may not be significantly noisy.
I also thought that the transformer inputs to the Melco were meant to trap most of the noise.

Donuk sunny downtown York
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18-09-2018, 05:43
Post: #503
RE: Melco Audiophile NAS
My goal is to pair my Melco N1Z with a Chord Qutest Dac, controlling the Melco through an app, while keeping them off the internet and the main router. I understand that it may be possible to do so using two different methods: (1) with a direct CAT cable to a travel router or (2) connect Melco with a CAT cable to a power Ethernet adapter (plug into a receptacle); connect router to another power Ethernet adapter (plus into a receptacle); the two power Ethernet adapters establish protocol themselves through electrical wires.

1. If I were to pursue method 1, can I use a Netgear N300 Wireless router WNR2000v4 (which is what I have)? A major Melco dealer recommends a TP-Link AC750 Travel Router for connecting the Melco to a network music server. Should I get the TP-Link instead?

2. If I pursue method 2, can I use a Zyxel Pass-Thru Ethernet Adapter AV1000 1000 Mbps Powerline 2-port Gigabit 2-Pack?

3. Of the two methods, which is likely to be better in terms of ease of use and SQ?

4. Also, do I need any hardware other than the Melco, Chord Qutest, and connecting device to use a controlling app like Minimserver?

I would appreciate your thoughts and guidance in this matter. Please note I am brand new to the world of computer audio and know very little, possibly even less.
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18-09-2018, 12:28
Post: #504
RE: Melco Audiophile NAS
I installed Minimserver on my Melco shortly after purchase. If works great and much better than on my Synology NAS which has frequent Java updates which complicate the software update process.

I do apologise if this question has been answered before but is there any way, after importing albums, of re-scanning the database from the Melco itself without having to use an external PC?
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18-09-2018, 18:17
Post: #505
RE: Melco Audiophile NAS
In a web browser, enter the address x.x.x.x:9790 where x.x.x.x is the IP address of the Melco. On this page, click "Rescan".
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20-09-2018, 12:10
Post: #506
RE: Melco Audiophile NAS
(05-09-2018 08:52)Donuk Wrote:  Has anyone tried experimenting with the Melco in this way?

Assuming it is connected in a basic way, that is Network to Melco to Streamer to amplification.
Set up a playlist and set it playing.
Unplug the ethernet lead from the Network to the Melco. It is now isolated from the Network.
Ok you cannot control it (except maybe handset into the streamer). But is the sound noticeably better?
In this way you have isolated the home network.
I have tried this and cannot notice a difference. There may be various reasons for this. One might be that my Network may not be significantly noisy.
I also thought that the transformer inputs to the Melco were meant to trap most of the noise.

Donuk sunny downtown York

I presume you have set the Melco to fixed IP (on the front panel) rather than DHCP. If I disconnect the Ethernet cable when the Melco is set to DHCP, the music stops playing after a while.

If you don't hear a difference, it could mean (as you said) that your network isn't injecting harmful noise into the Melco via the Ethernet cable. Another possibility is that your streamer is filtering out any such noise.
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20-09-2018, 12:39
Post: #507
RE: Melco Audiophile NAS
(18-09-2018 05:43)masseur_ichi Wrote:  My goal is to pair my Melco N1Z with a Chord Qutest Dac, controlling the Melco through an app, while keeping them off the internet and the main router. I understand that it may be possible to do so using two different methods: (1) with a direct CAT cable to a travel router or (2) connect Melco with a CAT cable to a power Ethernet adapter (plug into a receptacle); connect router to another power Ethernet adapter (plus into a receptacle); the two power Ethernet adapters establish protocol themselves through electrical wires.

1. If I were to pursue method 1, can I use a Netgear N300 Wireless router WNR2000v4 (which is what I have)? A major Melco dealer recommends a TP-Link AC750 Travel Router for connecting the Melco to a network music server. Should I get the TP-Link instead?

2. If I pursue method 2, can I use a Zyxel Pass-Thru Ethernet Adapter AV1000 1000 Mbps Powerline 2-port Gigabit 2-Pack?

3. Of the two methods, which is likely to be better in terms of ease of use and SQ?

4. Also, do I need any hardware other than the Melco, Chord Qutest, and connecting device to use a controlling app like Minimserver?

I would appreciate your thoughts and guidance in this matter. Please note I am brand new to the world of computer audio and know very little, possibly even less.

With method 2, there could be electrical noise passing down the Ethernet cable from the "downstream" powerline adapter to the Melco. These devices can be noisy and the sound quality might be worse than using an Ethernet cable to connect the Melco directly to your router. The only way to find out is to try it.

With method 1, you are creating a second wireless network just for the Melco/MinimServer and your UPnP control point. Depending on what device and software you are using as your UPnP control point, this might be inconvenient as this device wouldn't have internet access or be able to access devices on your your main network.

An alternative is to use a variation of method 2 with an optical cable providing the isolation instead of the powerline adapters. It would be a good idea to use a linear power supply for the "downstream" optical-to-Ethernet adapter to minimise electrical noise. I am doing this and the results have been good for me.
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21-09-2018, 21:14
Post: #508
RE: Melco Audiophile NAS
(18-09-2018 18:17)simoncn Wrote:  In a web browser, enter the address x.x.x.x:9790 where x.x.x.x is the IP address of the Melco. On this page, click "Rescan".

Many thanks for this Simon. I'll give it a go. Hopefully I'll be able to do this with my ipad.
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21-09-2018, 21:19
Post: #509
RE: Melco Audiophile NAS
(20-09-2018 12:39)simoncn Wrote:  
(18-09-2018 05:43)masseur_ichi Wrote:  My goal is to pair my Melco N1Z with a Chord Qutest Dac, controlling the Melco through an app, while keeping them off the internet and the main router. I understand that it may be possible to do so using two different methods: (1) with a direct CAT cable to a travel router or (2) connect Melco with a CAT cable to a power Ethernet adapter (plug into a receptacle); connect router to another power Ethernet adapter (plus into a receptacle); the two power Ethernet adapters establish protocol themselves through electrical wires.

1. If I were to pursue method 1, can I use a Netgear N300 Wireless router WNR2000v4 (which is what I have)? A major Melco dealer recommends a TP-Link AC750 Travel Router for connecting the Melco to a network music server. Should I get the TP-Link instead?

2. If I pursue method 2, can I use a Zyxel Pass-Thru Ethernet Adapter AV1000 1000 Mbps Powerline 2-port Gigabit 2-Pack?

3. Of the two methods, which is likely to be better in terms of ease of use and SQ?

4. Also, do I need any hardware other than the Melco, Chord Qutest, and connecting device to use a controlling app like Minimserver?

I would appreciate your thoughts and guidance in this matter. Please note I am brand new to the world of computer audio and know very little, possibly even less.

With method 2, there could be electrical noise passing down the Ethernet cable from the "downstream" powerline adapter to the Melco. These devices can be noisy and the sound quality might be worse than using an Ethernet cable to connect the Melco directly to your router. The only way to find out is to try it.

With method 1, you are creating a second wireless network just for the Melco/MinimServer and your UPnP control point. Depending on what device and software you are using as your UPnP control point, this might be inconvenient as this device wouldn't have internet access or be able to access devices on your your main network.

An alternative is to use a variation of method 2 with an optical cable providing the isolation instead of the powerline adapters. It would be a good idea to use a linear power supply for the "downstream" optical-to-Ethernet adapter to minimise electrical noise. I am doing this and the results have been good for me.

I use the TP-LINK portable router. It works well but I struggle to hear any real difference in sound quality against the normal router. As Simon suggests, if can be a nuisance not having Internet access.
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25-10-2018, 13:48
Post: #510
RE: Melco Audiophile NAS
I am aware that a number of Minimphiles who use a Melco also use Linn streamers.
I have recently played about with the new Linn SPACE optimisation software, which it would probably not be appropriate to discuss here.

What I would value is your experience of using the Linn browser software to install and calculate optimisation.
My main problem is that it is reluctant to find my system. It repeatedly reports that it cannot find my music room and suggests the streamer is off line. This happens when I may be streaming from the internet or from the Melco, and when both Konfig and Kazoo can find my streamer.

I have tried taking the Melco out of the circuit and streaming from Qobuz. The software more reliably finds my streamer then.

Anyone else with a Melco having the same problem? It seems more successful when I freshly reboot the Melco, so it is not a big issue, as I am not going to be constantly changing my settings.

Thanks in advance.

Donuk Sunny downtown York
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