Melco Audiophile NAS

[ptcl99]

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. :-)