Melco N1A lack of air and ambiance

[Amigoz]

20 hours ago, Terry490 said:

 

After nearly five years of faithful service, my 2009 Mac Mini music server bit the dust. It was time to step up to a real music server. After reading endless reviews, I settled on the Melco N1A. I purchased my dealer’s demo unit so it was fully broken in and the dealer installed the latest firmware.

 

Wow! Image localization was spot on. Stage height, width and depth are better than the Mac Mini. The noise floor was so far back as to be totally unperceivable. Music projected from a totally black background. Bass is slightly different from the Mac-not sure but it may be a tad tighter and deeper or the Mac may have had a bit of “bloom” making it feel fuller. I will do some more listening and perhaps up the subwoofer a smidge.

 

If I have any criticism of the N1A it is the unit’s lack of high-end “air” or “ambiance.” On recordings that I have listened to for years that I know contain huge amounts of hall ambience it was as if the N1A but heavy drapery on the hall’s walls. The music was all there but it sounded as if it were being played in an anechoic chamber. The music became sterile and less involving. On small jazz recordings where bells floated in the air, the bell was there but the air around the bell was missing.

 

Has anyone else noticed this? I plan to keep the N1A as it does everything else to my complete satisfaction but the more I listen, the more I miss this high-end ambiance. I know this ambiance was present in the music I recorded so I assume it was recorded in the N1A’s hard drive but it is missing from the USB output.

 

Has anyone tried using the N1A’s Ethernet out to a MicroRendu or  SOtM sMS-200 and then going USB to the DAC?

 

 

I also had Melco N1A - as first impression were quite good, i realised that it lacked the top air, like something closed my speakers  alit bit, so returned it and orderdered JCAT Femto, i's cheaper and way better than Melco N1A alone. Jcat Femto is putted to my regular pc, power supply is separate, not from PSU, but it is also regular one. So now willing to try linear power supply. For me Melco N1A was only dissapointment (i did not used it like server) bit like a source.

[Amigoz]

toetapaudio - Fidata is approx 5000 EUR, i just added to Jcat femto usb linear power supply, and now it's so great, that, i really have no interest to investigate and even to try Fidata for such price. Power supply was done by my friend so it costed 50 EUR for parts only, of course i can add nice case, but it is under table near pc so do not care about it. Linear power supply made bas control so well, it never sounded in my system so good, highs and space is superb!