You regret with your nas … to my curiosity which one? Maybe You mean your Unity Core?
Is there in the future any update for Roon Ready into Melco server?
If you are at all inclined technically, a RaspberryPi 4 with 2 gb ram ($50) + 1TB external SSD drive ($200) running GentooPlayer with only Minimserver running will get you a solid NAS. Probably close to a high end NAS in SQ imho, not heard a Melco though.
No they don’t have the CPU good enough. They are very low powered machines.
I scratched my head on those two sentences… isn’t that a contradiction? If there is no change to the Naim sound at all, how can it enhance it?
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I undertook some analysis which I shared with Naim a few years back on NAS performance and subjective SQ into the first gen streamers… I was curious as to why media servers sounded different despite sending identical data…
Out of all the NAS and media servers I measured and sampled… including the then Unitiserve, I found the best performance came from a lowly spec Netgear RN02 NAS using its basic inbuilt ReadyDLNA software.
Although the media was identical from all media servers, the attribute that did affect the SQ was the timing consistency between bursts of media frames. Where this timing was consistent it resulted in better SQ, where the timing between frames varied in the bursts the SQ subtly fell away… I learned to tell what the underlying media transfer consistency was just by listening to the resultant audio.
This timing consistency is largely down to the physical network interface and software TCP stack and operating system. I found the more simple the device, the better on the whole it performed…
It was an interesting examination and was in many ways counter intuitive.
Naim modified their approach in the second generation streamers to reduce this interaction with the media server.
I did offer to do this examination with one of the Melco products that my dealer had… but we never got around to completing. I am afraid to say the RPi’s were worse followed by an iMAC.
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Not heard a Melco though that’s what is missing for you,I had and forgot long time ago Raspbery pi
I replaced my QNAP NAS with a Melco. Initially I tried comparing them simply as NAS devices (i.e. via ethernet connections to a streamer). Whilst the Melco offered more ‘body’ to the sound (richer and more nuances in vocals etc.) especially via its ‘quiet’ ethernet port, I felt that the difference was comparatively subtle and did not justify, to me, a change. However I then tried the Melco connected directly via its USB connection to my Chord DAC. That made a more significant difference for the better (e.g. more realistic vocals) and hence that is now my preferred configuration. Hence I’d recommend trying the Melco over its USB port connection to a DAC if that’s possible…whilst in principle a QNAP running Twonky should be no different to the Melco running Twonky that’s not what I experienced.
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they will be roon endpoint ready in a few weeks, had a chat with melco germany here…
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Ahh I see… but the 252 and 552 do sound rather different from each other with quite different styles … and typically one can describe the differences, or at least I think I can… I have owned or own both. I was curious to hear what the differences could be described as between Uniticore and Melco… but if there was no change to the sound I was curious.
Where as a an update for Melco?are you kidding haaa
Indeed!
As for the Naim sound, I have to admit I have no idea what it might be.
Naim amps have their characteristics, like speed for instance, but do they have a “specific sound”? Hopefully not. I suppose we want our systems to replay music with minimal coloration.
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Nor I any more… in the late 90s in my experience the Naim sound was a rather forward sound with a bit of added warmth in the lower mid… that really used to accentuate timing and boogie factor… with quite good transients… but I feel it’s more normalised now … or I have grown used to it 
I suppose overall Naim tends to have a more mid forward sound than some… but I don’t think it’s as prevalent now in the newer products.
As far as colouration, in truth if it there is no colouration then there is a risk that the audio tends to sound bland and unengaging… now true if it’s perfectly recorded and replayed with the original characteristics… but the recorded music chain is far from perfect, and so colouration can inject some vigour back in.
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Ok, i agree. So sound is different, like between 252 and 552, or uniticore and Melco n1z2, but with similar Naim sound signature.
At least I believe there is a constant Naim sound, from nait 5 to Statement.
But other can disagree.
not as a roon core but as a roon endpoint they said. the idea was to show a prototype at Munich highend show in May this year (was cancelled because of the covid sh…t)
What is endpoint? Not so good with technical
roon core (f.ex. macmini/pc/sonicorbiter/nucleus etc with roon core ) streams music to the endpoint (that would be melco).
The 252 is a superb pre but it doesn’t sound like a 552. Not even close. Which one has the “Naim sound”. They can’t both have it. They both time well. Is this maybe what is being described? Although again, the 552 (to my ears) times more convincingly.
Harry, some think there is a Naim sound, other not. A lot of past discussions were already been on that subject.
A 282 doesn’t sound like a 252, a Cdx2 not as Cds3…etc.
But for me there is a particularly in the Naim sound in the entire range, a sound that has a lot of grip, articulation, urgency, and drive, involvement…that takes it apart of other solid state electronics.
I had 112/150, 202/200, 282/200, 252/250, 300 dr, 250 dr, cd5xs, cdx2, Nds. For me there’s something common in all these.
I am not native, I hope what I meant came across …