My dilemma…to add to my nd555… Melco n10 as a server or a second 555psdr,I believe there is someone here a answer for me… please your opinion,both of them are surely better but right now it’s too expensive for me.
Hi Meni, nice problem to have 
You do not mention your current server. The Melco server is really good, i presume you have limited demo or home demo capability where you live?
Okey… I’m using right now nd5555 server,and raspberrypi with Asset media, but I had this week an audition by a dealer who brought a Melco n1 and the sound was amazing comparing to my nd555 sever,I can get the bigger one N10,but I still thinking to add a second 555 ps,both are about the same price, both of them no way.
Hi Meni, i would get him to bring both, my gut feeling is the Melco. But you should use your own ears… glad you have a dealer to allow home demo,s👍
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Going from a Rasp Pi to a top spec Melco server should make a massive difference in overall sound quality.
I can’t talk to the comparison between that and adding a second PSU as to my mind they aren’t like for like comparisons, both will add benefits but the Melco server will improve the overall listening experience in ways the PSU won’t.
One major design feature of the Melco products and which is present in all models, is the way they isolate the local (electrically noisy and as such detrimental to audio playback quality) data network from the data that reaches your sensitive ND555.
I’d certainly have a listen to even the more modestly priced N100 which is still very capable and certainly a massive quality uplift from a Rasp Pi server. You’d also then have quite a bit left to save towards that second PSU 
Might be worth a listen to an Innuos also, I’ve compared both side on side and overall was leaning towards the Innuos Zen or Zenith, certainly worth giving them a try to your environment and ears as theres a lot of price points across both the Melco and Innuos ranges that would give you a conclusion with the best of both worlds, an improved music server experience and a sonic uplift from the second 555 PS.
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There is no way in my country to listen to Zenith,but the Melco n1zh/2 did audition in my room last week as a server to my Nd555,and it was really good comparing to usb server Nd 555,I can.get a good deal of the bigger one ,the Melco n10
You’d not go wrong with any of the Melco products, the other benefit is that given the way they clean up the incoming audio data from your local network, even listening to Internet radio will show improvement. I have the chance to pick up an ex demo one from the local dealer (N1A) which is tempting but I’m also considering a low box count Roon solution and the Innuos Zen/Zenith can run as a Roon core also whilst having similar sound quality and an optical drive for ripping built in.
If you put sound quality at the top of your wish list you’d probably pick Melco, however I’d encourage you to seriously evaluate how you’ll live with it day to day as you may find controlling and using it a bit of a faff vs other options. It’s also fair to say that given your high end streamer/DAC that you’ll want a decent server source so the Melco products are a solid choice.
If I had to pick a server or a second PSU I’d pick the server and probably a Melco one given you have a ND555 but do give it a few days to see how it is to live with certainly.
Nice problem to have though, do keep us all posted on the progress.
Splitting the Fraim into brawn and brain would probably make more difference than either of the options you are considering.
I just heard it for two hours,the dealer couldn’t leave it, anyway, thank you a lot for sharing your experience with me
I would focus on your 555PS.
Part of what you purchased with the nd555 is the decoupling dependency between media server artefacts and audio play out.
If you had the NDS, then I might advise differently.
I really do believe and hear using Roon as a media aggregator using relatively low traffic noise network and quality switch port on the new streamers is a major sonic and usability step forward.
The nice thing with the new streamers, is that the media server is only working for a small percentage of the duration of the track playing out… and I have never heard a quality shift part way through a track…
Simon
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I agree with Simon. A good Roon setup with Cisco switch and second PSU. Give it a listen.
Hi guys… what does do Roon? I only care for a better sound,right now I’m not always happy with the sound,Cisco switch I use,second ps is considered,maybe soon.
What’s your equipment and why aren’t you happy with the sound? It’s often tempting to throw money and new boxes at a system when the problems lie with the setup and at any rate need clearly identifying.
Roon is primarily a software solution that makes navigating large stored music easier and integrates online information on performers/composers and their context in the experience. It can also integrate your home music library with online streaming services like Qobuz and Tidal. The way it is implemented separates out the control interface from the information processing and some of the sound file processing. When implemented carefully it can therefore provide s slight performance uplift, but it is chosen primarily for user experience not sound quality.
Melco is not “Roon ready” but your ND555 is. A good Roon machine for the software that handles the processing (called a core) with a SSD providing good sound quality (like the Samsung EVO 9600) is certainly worth considering as an alternative if you like what Roon does. Roon make a hardware product of their own for this called Nucleus, but so do others. Many forum members use a Mac Mini for the same purpose. I like the SQ of the Nucleus and found it definitely superior to the QNAP server with Minimserver I was using beforehand, but it’s not a cheap solution.
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My system …ND555DR/552DR/500DR/ON FRAIM…SL2 SPEAKERS/S/L INTERCONNECT & SPEAKERS CABLES…CISCO 2960 SWITCH… CHEAPEST CHORD ETHERNET. There days I’m really happy it sound wonderful,Hologram…and other days it sound too much aggressive,unstable.
how many hours run in have the nd555 Meni. This brightness of the nd555 is often cited, not always but sometimes. A recent thread of the nd555 dilemma was pointing that.
one week more I close 4 month running Nd555
Things should be settling in nicely, then. Is everything sitting towards the front of the Fraim glass, none of the cables, especially the Superline touching etc? How many soft furnishings are there in your room? What is the floor made of and covered with? Do you have large windows? Do they have curtains or blinds, and what are they made of? Do you have POwerlines for everything? What are they plugged into?
Take all these things into consideration before spending more money on either a Melco or second PS. Each could swing things they way you want in terms of getting rid of some harsh brightness. Did you dealer do your installation for you?
I think my biggest problem,I switched my furnished to leather,all the rest is okey,I have curtains on all window,and powerlines on all, a large carpet covering my room,the sound is okey but not astonish I expect from a big system.
And did the Melco give you what you want or a different improvement? Certainly Raspbery Pi albeit with Cisco switch to Melco is going from extreme to another in terms of what is feeding your ND555.
What are your musical preferences. Some of your dissatisfaction could lie in the speakers. The SL2 is a fantastic speaker with many strengths, but it it can be found lacking in scale for big orchestral music etc.
what had you before, an nds?