All I can say is that the N1A/2 sounded great before the update, and it still sounds great after the update. Finally, I understand that the new update is said to raise the sound quality compared to the last version, but I have not carried out any comparisons to be able to comment on this. All my CD’s are ripped as WAVs via dB Poweramp and I can report that all tags appear precisely as they should. Melco has taken special steps to make sure that the software can read all WAV standards, even if inaccurate or badly assembled. The import of WAV tags is another area where important improvements have been made. For any UPnP device, browsing on folder level is always possible immediately, but prior to this particular update, the indexed data (extracted from the files’ meta tags) needed to be retrieved again every time the unit was power cycled. Among other things, the new firmware now adds expansion drives in the scan and allows the unit to retain the assembled library index even after power off. I clicked yes, and the update was carried out automatically. Shortly after connecting the servers, an update became available for download op the device’s displays. They’re plenty fast for audio uses but slow enough to avoid inducing noise into the system. For example, the hard drives are formatted in a proprietary manner and are deliberately limited in speed. He was happy to supply not only the N1A/2 but also the next model up, the N1ZH/2 so that I could assess the Melco’s USB outputs, as well as see how the two models compared.ĭennis Schluter delivered both servers plus a Melco C1AE Cat.7 Network cable and explained that Melco’s are not just PC’s, but purpose-built devices. So, I requested a USB card for the C1 from CH Precision and contacted Andre van den Berg of Dimex, our Dutch distributor for Melco. Initially, the C1 did not have a USB card and so at that time, I did not have a chance to assess the Melco’s USB outputs. This made me think: If the entry-level Melco model already performed so well, what about the models further up in their catalog? After I finished the CH review, the Melco server needed to be returned but the distributor was kind enough to let me keep the CH components a little longer. It was only the entry-level N1A/2 model but still, using its dedicated Network output and streaming via UPnP to the CH Precision C1, it outperformed all the USB competition that I had at hand. Melco Hi-Res Audio Ethernet Cable: from 49 euro for a 0.5m lengthĪs part of the CH Precision A1 + C1 review, a Melco music server was also supplied. Not all NAS servers are created equal! Review sample provided by Dimex Retail prices in the Netherlands:
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