I currently have a single stack Fraim comprising (top to bottom) of NAC-N 272, Melco N1ZH, Melco D100-B, XPS DR & NAP 250 DR. I’m swapping out the NAP 250 with a NAP 300/300 PS. I can put the Melco D100-B on the floor as it’s seldom used. What would be the best stacking order now? I’m conscious of the Burndys trailing on the floor. Can I use cable elevators? Do I really need to split into two stacks?
I would put the 300 power amp underneath the 272, move the Melco D100 to the floor and the other Melco to the bottom. XPS DR underneath the 300 power amp, 300PS under the XPS DR.
I expect doing this will allow the Burndies to hang free.
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You don’t really need either of your Melco boxes on the rack. All they need is a network connection for the 272 to access them, so they could be anywhere in your home that has a suitable network connection, freeing up space to get your system working optimally.
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The Melco works best when it is directly connected to the streamer. It has two Ethernet ports, it is the other on which connects to the network.
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Yes, perhaps, but that Ethernet cable can be up to 100m long.
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Sorry for my late reply! I do indeed have the Melco directly connected. Thank you all for your comments
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Actually, no. That will breach CAT5 standards and will impact the data speed, maybe causing lower bandwidth and drop outs. For CAT6, I am not sure. I have a 0.5m Ethernet connection between my Melco and my streamer which is a serious high quality cable (supplied at no cost by my dealer). I will leave your re-education to the cable fanatics. 
Try different combinations till you find one you prefer, personally, power supplies at the bottom, followed by power amplifer,
Not sure what you’re saying here? A compliant Cat5e Ethernet cable should work at GB speeds in lengths up to 100m. More importantly, it will work over any length likely to be needed in a typical domectic installation, and 1GB is way more than any audio stream uses, meaning that it is not necessary to put network equipment such as servers on or near the HiFi rack.
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Agree with @ChrisSU. I may well be wrong but my understanding of Ethernet cat 5, 5e and 6 standards published by IEEE 803 working group is that single runs can be a max of 100m in length. If greater length is required then active components will need to be introduced.
Are you serious? Cat5 bandwidth is 100 Mpbs. How fast your music streaming need to be?
It was the run length which worried me, I had (wrongly) thought that the max Cat5 length was less. There might be an issue with noise/interference on long runs. The cable cultists may weigh in here. Basically, my streamer is stacked directly above my Melco with the dedicated Ethernet port of the Melco connected to the streamer. The main port on the Melco is connected to the main router.
Take out the D100 and put it on the floor or off-system and bring it on the 272 when you need to use it. Unless you use the web remote you need access to the Melco to run backups at least. So it needs to be high up. And reading from a USB-memory if you download (sound is better with SMB switched off).
I hate the 300 burndies, why couldn’t they do dual monos like the 135? It is a very costly solution. I suggest you try if you hear the effect of them hitting the floor. I used to have mine on the floor before I brought back the 135s, after all you need a convenient system.
CAT5 is good for a maximum run 100m but will not do Gigabit (per second) speeds (10/100 Ethernet)
CAT5e is good for a maximum run 100m but will do Gigabit (per second) speeds (10/100/1000 Ethernet)
CAT6 is good for 100m but will do 1 Gigabit (or 10 Gigabit for shorter distances say up to 40m) but there are limits on bend radius
CAT6a is good for 100m but will do 10 Gigabit but there are limits on bend radius
All components in the conductor chain must comply to the 5 or 6 (or 7 or 8…) to comply with the appropriate standard, including plugs and patch leads.
If you want long distance - over 100m - use fibre cable
Fancy cables are just that, but the standards for ethernet cable are clear
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