Reading the various discussions, it wold appear that there are a log of technical challenges to setting up a streaming system and have it work consistently. I came across the Melco system on the Luxman USA website and wonder if anyone has had experience with one of these?
Mike
There is nothing inherently difficult about setting up a dependable streaming system if you have a robust network, buy gear from a dependable with well thought out software and read the manual before the streamer arrives and not while your trying to figure things out. Where streaming has technical difficulties is when people start adding aftermarket bits and pieces.
In reviews I have read in the past about Melco gear they go through extraordinary steps to store data internally. At one time preferring specially picked spinners, carefully placed and mounted to do the job. My expectations for the results are quite high. Sadly, I have no hands on experience with Melco but they had my interest pre-Grimm MU1 and pre NAS. But I believe my NAS cost me upwards of $4k.
That may be your experience - reading the many posts here I see a litany of problems that posters are having with streaming devices and as one who has had serious issues with Apple where an OS update destroyed video and logic boards on my iMac that resulted in Apple replacing it with a new machine after 2 months of ‘trouble shooting’, I’d like my music self contained and help desk free. BTW, the question was regarding Melco systems.
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Great choice!
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I’ve been using a Melco server for several years. Mine’s the basic version, N1A that has two 2tb drives. I configure mine as Raid 1 which means the drives are mirrored (I still make occasional backups even though the loss of a drive ought not to happen).
After mine was made they made an N1A/2, a major difference being that it has a pair of 3tb drives instead of 2tb drives.
They also make more expensive versions with better/more power supplies and versions with ssd drives.
Initially I controlled the library with a Linn app (Kinsky, which got replaced by Kazoo). I then moved over to the Melco HD app (runs on IOS devices, I use an iPad).
The latest ‘EX’ versions of the Melco use a library called SongKong which has richer metadata and facilitates editing of metadata (I’ve not used SongKong).
One area that I find frustrating is the use of playlists which I use extensively. However, the Melco HD app includes network address which is fine if you want to access music on multiple devices, however, I’ve not worked out what happens if I want to transfer my library and playlists to a different device - I suspect this is an issue that’s not unique to the Melco HD app.
You can connect to either a USB device/dac or a network device. I use the USB Dac option and do a lot of digital processing before the data ever sees a dac.
Overall I’m very happy with my basic Melco server (the manual isn’t easy to understand until you actually need to go through the configuration options at which point most stuff is straightforward). I bought a second N1A as a backup, which is how I discovered that having restored all my data to it I couldn’t use the playlists that I’d created).
One other point is that I used to use an iTunes library on my laptop - it was easy to move the music across to the Melco (I use a PC and the Melco is seen as a network attached device) but once music gets moved around it’s easy for metadata to go awol.
Dan.
UPDATE - I should have added that the Melco server has always provided access to Tidal and Qobuz, as does the Melco HD app.
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Dan
Appreciate your feedback
Thanks
Mike