I think the problem with Roon is that we’re talking software and the hardware implementation of it has a massive impact on sound quality. The Roon Nucleus product at least provides a benchmark.
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did you compared roon nucleus with ps vs melco n1z?
It was a year ago - I demoed the Nucleus vs the Melco I ended-up buying instead.
Both products have changed and I have not kept-up with the continual comparisons, as the difference I’d heard was enough to convince me that Melco was the direction I’d go in with the ND555.
Roon has more things to play with and a very nice UI for sure, but I wanted a no nonsense excellent SQ replay so it was the immersive experience into the playing music that I chose over how to get into that direction.
It seems a lot of the Roon features people probably correctly enjoy are of little importance to me so it is a personal decision of priorities. I wanted nothing in the way of my system performance - I’ve found there are many things that can mess-up the end result so just want more of the ‘hair-shirt’ approach that Melco seems to offer with SQ first then User Experience, whereas I feel Roon is the other way around in its priorities.
I felt I would be fighting against the design concept for Roon to get to use it in my system, whereas Melco seemed happier and complimentary to Naim SQ in what it brought.
But people should decide after a demo - I’m sure either can be made to work with a good system with the right configuration settings and cables.
DB.
No doubt that Melco/innous etc will bring some improvments to the chain…
For now i must use the USB hard disk and save for a NAS…
What i can say that Tidal works far better than my old 272, sound and stabilty wise
No, I haven’t. One thing I would say about these devices is that, in my system, they definitely work better off and away from the Fraim racks - and that was after buying a new level especially for the NAS with which I started …
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I am mystified by this Roon v Melco slant. Roon and Melco are completely independent of one another. Roon allows you a really great interface to your music. Melco serves it (your music) up to your streamer in arguably the best quality.
Love and Marriage…?
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My demo was with Roon added to mediate the music instead of Melco - Melco is not a Roon endpoint.
My sole aim was best SQ from components to be used with ND555.
So we demoed Melco controlled from Naim App vs Roon Nucleus and NAS - I wanted to gauge what sort of differences there were - if any.
From that demo and a follow-up home demo, I decided for the Melco into the ND555 solution.
It is important to get a demo, if you can, of these things and not assume anything or just go by recommendations alone.
DB.
how do you run Roon with your Nd555/ Melco N10 ?
I downloaded Roon Core to a USB Sata drive connected to a Qnap NAS which is on my network. (I used to use the Qnap as my music store before I heard about Melco, and I have it still as a backup).
I have the Roon app. on an IPad, and it points to the Qnap USB drive as the Roon Core, and to the N10 as the music store.
so if the music store is on nas, not on melco, what is the use of the melco ? the music is streamed from the nas?
The Roon database is on the USB Drive attached to the Qnap. The music itself is on the Melco, which supplies it to the ND555 via a dedicated Ethernet connection.
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Nigel. This is pretty much how I read it at the time, based on what I heard when the NDS was retired from the range. I have still to hear the NDX2. Second hand information has come my way from ears I trust, although I always trust my own first and foremost.
I know that the NDS has “something”. Naim’s first truly musical streamer? I don’t know. But I know it is something special. I’m told the NDX2 fails to capture this magic. For people who don’t particularly like what the NDS does, the arrival of the NDX2 may be good news in this regard.
I’m on firm ground with the ND555. This is not a "more of the same " offering. Like the 552, it’s at a different level, it’s on a different playing field. It is a 500 level component and it sounds like one. This does not automatically make other streamers rubbish. It’s just a 500 thing. And the ND555 has got it.
And coincidentally, the current Naim streamer hierarchy means that the NDS is now probably (certainly IMO) the best value for money streamer on the planet. I chose my words in my embarrassingly auto corrected post carefully, when I suggested the NDX2 was the best VFM streamer Nain currently sells.
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That works, but since the Melco is not a ‘Roon Endpoint’ my Dealer described it as the music data is pulled from the Melco to the Roon then directed back again to the Melco and then on to the ND555, so not just signalled to go direct to the ND555 from Melco.
This is not optimal, as the digital music signal goes on a tour around your network, but you do still get a benefit from isolation via the Melco of the ND555 from the rest of the Network.
It was one of the Demos I had - inserting Roon into the mix instead of just directly using melco - I did not find Roon also inserted was as good as just using Melco stand-alone.
DB.
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Sounds about right to me!
G
Whether ‘optimal’ or not, I find it a very fine solution.
Not at all meaning to be critical - just describing the difference between it being a ‘Roon Endpoint’ or not - as you say it still works.
My first demo years ago of Melco was of it just buffering another NAS into an NDS and we switched it in and out of circuit just in pass-through mode and it was better with the Melco there - all the musicians ‘woke-up’ and seemed to be involved in their playing rather than snoozing and waiting to be paid was the effect.
Using the music via the Melco Database as well as a NAS reinforced that effect, so it was always going to be in my eventual demo with the ND555 and I like that combo.
DB.
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I was at the acoustica kudos event today - Geoff had the melco between the uniticore and the nd555. When he removed it to show the effect it sounded like someone had put a blanket over the speakers.
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Forgive me for asking what interface are you using to select what you want to hear? I know I could go back through this thread to answer the question, but life’s too short!
Correct that’s was also my experience after the first audition with Melco,it was like an open window.
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Indeed - I use the Naim App to talk to ND555 which then accesses the Melco as a data server.
Seems to work well.
DB.