This is a question for Melco users with a Digital Music Library and or, a Network Switch.
I have had my Melco N5 and the ADOT Fibre Optic Conversion Kit, for a couple of weeks now and can honestly say it’s a great piece of kit. Without a doubt the SQ is better than my old Roon Nucleus.
Today I received the Melco S100 MK2 Network Switch, and am in the process of setting it up.
I have the opportunity to add a Melco C1 D-20 Direct Attach Network Cable. The connection would be from the SFP Port on the S100 Switch to the SFP Port on the N5. The Player Port on the N5 is then connected directly to my Bartók.
Does anyone have any experience of the Direct Attach Network Cable with it’s £749 price tag, or would money be better spent on a good quality Ethernet cable and not use the SFP Ports on the N5 and S100? The length of the cable is 2m.
What i have read on the cable is it works well and sounds good.
I think anyone with the same gear as you should probably take on board this connection.
My policy is not to recommend cables in a public forum for the reason that there are too many variables including personal taste. I do, nevertheless, use this cable to connect N5 to S100. It isn’t going back.
The only spanner i can throw into this is that i found the PhoenixNet switch much better than the melco switch.
I also found running the vivaldi from the PhoenixNet rather than from the melco player port also better as i was running it from the player port to start with, until i was asked to try it the other way, not looked back since.
Just other ways i guess, but if the fiber connections are done right it should be the best way to stop any unwanted noise, etc. The problem is the fiber converters can bring problems into the mix with unwanted noise generated from the conversion.
I will be my usual pedantic self and say Dunc found the Phoenix switch preferable to S100 however I am nunable to find anything that would make it necessarily better. There is also the question of price as the Inuos is significantly more costly.
There are also several other audiophile switches available. My position is that after 60 years in this hobby I have realised there is no end to alternatives that can be persued. Which are worth it? Is it worth the chase?
I just found the melco switch sucked the life out of the music a bit.
I have since read other’s found it the same?
But all these cables, switches, etc, etc, are very system based, plus we all don’t like the same sound presentation, the list goes on.
Really at best all it can offer is a slight window into what you may find, you just have to do the leg work yourself or just don’t, whatever takes you fancy as it’s very easy to go round and round and round.
Melco S100 (/2) works great with an upgraded powersupply (I use the Ifi elite, quiet smps), also trying a LHY AS8 pro at the moment, better dynamics and timing but the Melco counters that with better flow and refinement.
I used to run the Rossini and melco n1s38 into the melco s100 switch and was happy with the sound . Recently I have been using the direct connection between the melco player port and Rossini - I think the direct connection sounds better but I am experiencing sporadic times where Mosaic doesn’t see the melco . I am using chord c stream Ethernet cable from the router to the switch and chord shaw line between the dcs and melco direct connection (not ideal as the chord cable is shielded) . Previously I could not tell the difference using circa £1000 Ethernet cables . I plan to use the melco c1 SFP direct cable between the melco switch and melco n1, use a belden (unshielded ) cable between the melco and dcs and retain the 5m chord c stream that connects the router to the melco switch . Prior to buying the s100 switch I used an English electric switch ( relatively cheap ) but couldn’t tell the difference it made . The s100 however had sonic benefits even in stock form ( standard power supply ).
So, if we are talking an SFP cable from the Switch to the Melco Music Library, would this cable not work?
Please be gentle with your answers guys, as I’m not from a IT or Electronics background.
Hi
I am reliably informed by another kind dCS member, that the dCS product, which in my case is the Bartòk Apex, it doesn’t actually list the Melco, but instead, the UPnP server. (MinimServer).
Or, does it not even list the UPnP Server?
At the moment I am using a 0.75, Audioquest Cinnamon Ethernet between the Melco and Bartók. I’m not sure if Audioquest cables are shielded?
Sorry - yes I meant minim server doesn’t always show up on mosaic .
dCS recommends unsheilded Ethernet cables into the DACs .
I don’t know much about audioquest cables so can’t comment - as always your ears and experience will be unique
Yes AFAIK all Audioquest Ethernet cables are shielded. However although unshielded cables are recommended , shielded ones will still work and won’t be a cause of the dropouts reported.
The type of issue cited is most likely a result of a network problem. You may want to contact dCS support whom I am sure will help:
I know you don’t want to discuss cables Pete, but as I understand it the Melco Ethernet C100 is shielded, but differently…Apparently.
“The opposite (non-grounded) end of the cable features an innovative ‘floating’ shield, which is not attached to the connector plug, meaning unwanted noise cannot transfer to connected audio devices downstream”.
Unsure about Melco but I think their Ethernet cables are shielded. But I could be wrong so if you have a link to something that confirms the opposite please post it. EDIT. I have since found confirmation that C100 has the shield connected at one end only.
The shielded v. unshielded question here relates to the Ethernet connection to the dCS unit. The C1 is not an Ethernet cable per se ( I.e a CAT one) nor does it ( nor will it) connect to any current dCS unit as they have no sfp port.
BTW I do use Melco C100 from router to S100 though I do not claim any special benefit. It is good but it was just part of the package I purchased with the N5.
I would say that if you became interested at some point in powering S100 with Pixar elite LPS the reference DC cable option may be worth exploring but I leave that to your preference.
