Due for launch very soon Melco Audio have not got one but two new models being released! The N100 is their new entry level machine at £1800 and the N10 is a new 2 box design and is priced at £6495.
Both models are new additions to the range, they are not replacing any of the current models.
As you can see from the N100 in the picture above it uses the same stylish casework as the Melco D100 CD drive and the E100 Expansion Drive (they look great side by side!!). The 2 box N10 also uses the same casework.
The N100 features a 2 terabyte hard drive (small form factor 2.5 inch) and should easily hold approximately 4000 CD rips. Connectivity is very flexible as you would expect from Melco. On the rear panel there are twin ethernet ports so if you intend to use an N100 with a UPnP Network Player you connect your existing streamer into the Player port on the Melco. There are 2 USB ports on the rear panel as well so you can easily connect to the D100 and a USB DAC. There is also a front mounted USB socket as well.
The N100 uses brand new mainboard and utilises the same processor architecture as the 2 N1Z models to ensure low noise and precise data management.
The feature set is the same as the other Melco models so it is nice and simple, no computer is needed to set up/configure.
Importing music from USB drives is easy, just a couple of button presses, as is external back up, simply connect your USB drive, press a couple of buttons and it does everything for you.
CD import is no different, simply connect your CD drive to one of the USB sockets and when you insert a CD providing your Melco is connected to the Internet it will retrieve artwork/metadata from Gracenote.
As with the other Melco models you can automatically download purchases from www.highresaudio.com directly the Melco hard drive, so no messing with computer downloads or anything.
The N100 will work wonderfully well with any USB DAC, simply treat the Melco as a high end digital transport. The better the DAC you use the better the end results! As well as sitting in a conventional system with a USB DAC the N100 could also be used on a desktop with a USB Headphone Amplifier or with a pair of Active Speakers that has USB (type B) connectivity for a really simple, yet high performing system.
Melco N10 – New Concept for Extreme Performance!
With the N10 Melco have done something quite unique, in order to maximise performance they have split the N10 into 2 boxes, one housing the power supply, the head unit housing everything else.
It uses a 3 TB small form factor hard drive. The power supply uses a large toroidal transformer and has extensive filtering to ensure that noise levels are as low as possible. Connection between the head unit and the power supply is via neutrik connector. Separating the 2 units allows for total isolation of noise pollution as well as isolating any vibration from the power transformer.
The power supply uses advanced techniques to minimise both internal and external noise which could affect overall performance.
Priced at £6495.00 it is expected that the N10 will sit inbetween the N1ZH/2 and the N1ZS/2 in performance terms.
Both the N10 and N100 will be available over the next few weeks, also to coincide with their launch will be the long awaiting Melco control app! Watch this space!!!
