French…Logic what you said … but never completely accurate
I wanted to say that the uplift from nds to nd555 is similar to nds / Melco n1a2 to Nds / Melco n1z2.
No accuracy, just my impressions.
Of course, nd555 is not nds/ Melco n1z2. But quite on the same league. ( if nd555 is running a common nas).
Do we still need to use a switch between Melco to Router in terms of sound?..Melco by himself is a kind of switch…Is`t unnecessary?
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For me it’s absolute yes! Router to Melco is clearly inferior to router/ cascade Ciscos / Melco.
I will receive the Etheregen switch very soon. Will report.
You can choose the new Melco switch
Too expensive, and no need all that ports.
I bought already the Uptone…
A friend just tried the melco switch at home (nd555 with two 555dr, 552/500 into b&w802 d3 all SL cables) and he is missing it now it has gone back to the dealer. He has a melco (the cheapest one) and core
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I tested the Melco even with Sbooster against my Cisco 2960 for 10 days and sent the Melco back again. It expands the sound stage but it looses the body and presence of the tunes what didn‘t work for me… my wife said the Melco sounds „fuzzy“. Imho has the 2960 best wfm in hifi history.
Interesting - this was a substitute for a Cisco 2960 I think. Different ears different sounds I guess
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That’s a bit bizarre: if a Melco is used as a server + storage solution that feeds a streamer via its dedicated Ethernet port, no data apart from the controls should actually go from the router to the Melco or the other way round. Am I missing something?
Frenchrooster is not using it in the mode you described, but rather as a traditional UPnP server. No ethernet connection directly from the Melco to his NDS, at least that’s what I understand.
No Bart, I use direct connection from nds to Melco ( switch to switch). The Direct mode is something else ( works if a Dac is connected in usb).
Melco has 2 switches : 1 to connect to a router or dedicated switch. And the second to connect directly to the player ( nds).
What is certain is that the quality of the switch ( external) remains very important still. At least in Upnp mode.
Perhaps @Darkebear could explain better to the @nbpf question. Not perhaps, but surely 
Oh ok!
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The problem is that this direct mode is configured when you receive the Melco. You can still play in Upnp mode but the sound is uninvolving.
It’s the reason some found the Melco a bit dull when tested at dealer place. I guess it’s that.
When I had my ex Melco, I was disappointed. Until the next day when I clicked on the bridge mode.
I use mine in ‘Network switch’ to Melco to ND555 mode - all Ethernet connected.
Where in my case the ‘Network switch’ seems to have evolved into three cascaded switches between my house Router and Melco: Cisco 2940 to Cisco 2960 to ER switch - then to Melco.
But I left my Melco in before ND555, because I like its fulsome sumptuous presentation - but the ER switch presents a cleaner network feed (audibly) and cleans-up the detail and other music factors like timing and being able to follow different simultaneous tunes - without removing the ‘effortless’ quality I like about the Melco.
The ER has a slight tendency to being ‘lean’ which actually works well with the Melco signature IMO.
Perhaps at some point I’ll try ER direct feeding the ND555 - but at present I’m inclined not too - as I’m enjoying what it does right now and I want stable music for a few weeks in present times. 
DB.
This effortless quality is indeed a wonderful characteristic of the Melco, specially the n1z2.
The things are like better in place, instruments are more present but nothing is exaggerated.
I had the same feeling when comparing nds to nd555.
I should have my ER tomorrow, or on Monday. My linear ps is already here. However I will run first the ER during about 24 hours before listening it in the chain.
It will be ER alone then with its linear ps.
I am lucky to have it during this sad period. I try to focus my brain on positive things.
I return now to Ozark season 3 
Awesome show, I am about to get started on season 3 myself🤜
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You will not regret. Still captivating ! Just finished episode 1.
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Thus, how do your music data get into the ND555? Directly from the Melco’s internal drives and through the “Player” link of from an external source? In the first case, the switch cascade between the router and the Melco should not have any bearing on the sound quality.
Yes - from Melco
But it very much does - try it and it clearly does - it is not a subtle thing.
I’m reporting what happens audibly and not what conceptually I’d like to happen theoretically.
Initially I was annoyed it made such a difference as I purchased the Melco because I’d previously heard it demoed against other ‘switch to NAS’ data storage for the Steamer and greatly preferred the Melco - and hoped that was an end to it all.
But there was more to come from the system when the Ethernet Clock feeding the ‘Melco-ND555’ chain originates differently.
It is (for me) pointless and beyond stupid to ignore the evidence of the achieved results from auditioning and selecting what works better - but I’m happy to watch as others have that utterly pointless ‘should not be like that’ discussion.
It seems there are a lot of such discussions these days in many fields and I want music to take me into a different zone. I share my own experience and insights for people inclined to try for themselves - I find no reason to hoard it to myself at home.
It is there and you can open a world of interesting fun and enrich your life by experiment and enjoyment of results and share with others - or shrink into a paragon of pointless ‘should be’ opinion; when the facts change for me I do not fight the facts I hear but modify my opinions to encompass the facts - just works better for me.
DB.
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