Update time!
Lumin S1 and Melco N1ZH/2 servers compared to Aurender N10. The sneak peak at the end reads that the N10 is still the champ.
Heres the skinny:
Lumin S1 - sexy, heavy, built like a fine Swiss Watch! Separate dedicated LPS built equally well. I didn’t like the extended shroud over the back plugs; but if it was living long term with me, and rarely accessed, it wouldn’t be an issue. If it’s sitting out or in a top shelf of a rack, it’s a nice touch aesthetically; otherwise it’s sort of useless. Sound wise? It’s punchy, lively and energetic. The bass is deep but lacks coherence and the midrange and treble lacked layered detail and that proper sense of instrument texture. It was listenable and not unpleasant, but didn’t convey a listening experience that conveyed me into the recording studio or concert hall. Although not Hi-Fi, it was not conducive to being lost in the music the way that other servers I have heard were. I see a tube system with a warmer tonal signature mellowing it’s flavor and making it more palatable to long term listening and a permanent home. I sold my S1. The N10 did everything better, top to bottom. Inside and out. From depth and width of soundstage, leading and trailing edges, dynamic presence, harmonic structure, layering, etc. Just better, much better. That all said, I like the Lumin software and Tidal search features better then the Aurender software. It worked. Period. Every time I turned it on it just worked. No quirks. No issues. Like the Aurender. Rock solid stable. The only 2 so far that are rock solid stable.
Melco N1ZH/2 - Not as well built as the S1 or the Aurender; think Seiko vs Vacherone Constantine or Piaget. No native software app (yet), no Roon compatibility, just upnp compatible. I used the Arcam control software App as others couldn’t find the server and DAC and make them work together. Quirky. Once I got everything to sync I was afraid to change anything. Sound wise it’s simple to sum up (and I give my friend Merrill of Merrill Audio the credit for the summary) - it doesn’t do anything wrong. It’s not offensive. It’s presentation is proper, staging is enjoyable and overall sense of music and aire is correct; it’s just missing information. It simply doesn’t extract it all; or my system is SO resolving I can hear it more easily. It’s not a noise floor thing (or maybe it is). In El Tren Del Quinto, there is a hollow echo clearly evident in the room on the N10 that gives the room presence and realism; it’s not sound really, it’s the hollow echo of an open church when no sound is happening. The N10 captures this. The Melco misses it. It’s a terrific product for its cost, and it’s doesn’t need to apologize for all the things it does right. But i don’t think it knows what it doesn’t do; because it doesn’t hear what it’s missing. As a required caveat, I have to say that the Melco offers a feature that will eventually be offered on every server- a direct Ethernet out specifically designed to plug directly into an Ethernet input DAC without running through a switch. I would imagine this would be its best output, and is probably the best digital path from server to DAC other then I2S. I don’t have a DAC with an Ethernet out. I’d love to compare the USB out to that dedicated Ethernet output. THAT would be a great comparison and very helpful for everyone here.
That is all currrntly. So the N10 is still here.
Next up, I believe, is the Memory Player, and the Baetis if I can find time to get Dave over here with it. The mighty Boulder will be coming after RMAF!! Can’t wait for that!!!
Take care all.
