Headless MacMini vs Lumin U2: I'm never going back

Hi I was using a Melco N1A/ mark 2EX, which I switched to from a Qnap NAS. There was a drastic improvement in sound quality when moving from the NAS to the Melco. I remember just listening to 1 track is all it took to make my move. I also have the S100 which I use to rip the disks to the melco.
I have now upgraded my Melco to the N1-S38 as I have found Melco to be very reliable and I find them very musical.
I would highly recommend a Melco if you are looking for a server.
I have added the Melco S10 switch to my chain which had made a drastic difference in over SQ.
Wow....thanks a ton for sharing that :)

I just have a few more queries if you can please bear with me . Were your goodselves feeding your dac directly from the QNAP, when you switched to the melco N1A or were they both going into the network switch which you again replaced with a melco S10. Can you please also describe your before and after digital chain for my easier understanding.

In my use case scenario, I have a WDmyCloud Nas plugged into a router, with the Lumin plugged into the same router and feeding my dac either via Usb or coaxial. So was wondering if replacing the Nas with a Melco will be a noticable improvement.

The router will be replaced with a optimised switch down the line. Though which one Iam still not sure at the moment. But definitely not anything as fancy as the Melco S10 :D
 
I just came upon this discussion as I was searching for streamers to upgrade from the Bluesound 2i.

Keeping in mind the last post here was several months ago I was wondering if there are new options, discoveries, insights.

I am using a Lampizator Amber 4 and am looking for a streamer with a digital coaxial output that:
1. Sounds better than the Bluesound Node 2i
2. Has an user interface that is convenient and easy
3. Internal DAC not necessary / essential

Grateful for thoughts and suggestions
 
I just came upon this discussion as I was searching for streamers to upgrade from the Bluesound 2i.

Keeping in mind the last post here was several months ago I was wondering if there are new options, discoveries, insights.

I am using a Lampizator Amber 4 and am looking for a streamer with a digital coaxial output that:
1. Sounds better than the Bluesound Node 2i
2. Has an user interface that is convenient and easy
3. Internal DAC not necessary / essential

Grateful for thoughts and suggestions
An intermediate step up would be an LPS mod for the Node 2i. I had installed a PD creative one and used it with an Allo Shanti. A full step up would be something like a Lumin U2 mini. The Eversolo gets a lot of buzz but isnt a step up from the node 2i.

Other options to consider are Innuous / Auralic / Aurender / Melco. I dont have any personal experience with these so cant comment on them. Innuous / Auralic dont have India representation AFAIK.
 
I just came upon this discussion as I was searching for streamers to upgrade from the Bluesound 2i.

Keeping in mind the last post here was several months ago I was wondering if there are new options, discoveries, insights.

I am using a Lampizator Amber 4 and am looking for a streamer with a digital coaxial output that:
1. Sounds better than the Bluesound Node 2i
2. Has an user interface that is convenient and easy
3. Internal DAC not necessary / essential

Grateful for thoughts and suggestions
Hi :)

Since your good selves are considering a co axial output, below are some options to consider :

1) Lumin U2 mini, U2 or U1
2) Innous pulse or pulsar ( The zen and zenith server streamer series only have usb out so no need to consider. Same applies to Melco servers too )
3) Aurender N200 or older used N10. ( The other 100 series only have usb outs again ). And the rest are priced through the roof.
4) Hifi rose RS130. Has a gorgeous screen, with option to add internal storage. But the software platform is too buggy at the moment.
5) Sim audio moon Mind 2 streamer.
6) Auralic aries G1 used or G 1.1 used or the newer but very expensive G2.1.
7) T+A MP200.
8) Primare NP5 prisma mk2 ( Will need a good 5V LPSU or an ifi power supply to get the best out of it )
9) Lindemann Limetree bridge 2. ( Again will need a good 5V power supply )
10) Bel canto e-one stream network bridge.
11) Dcs network bridge used.


Above are all streamers without in-built dacs. I havent seen dealers for Innuous and Auralic in india. Rest all are locally available. All the best :)

PS : I deliberately excluded the Grimm MU1 and MU2 :p
 
I just came upon this discussion as I was searching for streamers to upgrade from the Bluesound 2i.

Keeping in mind the last post here was several months ago I was wondering if there are new options, discoveries, insights.

I am using a Lampizator Amber 4 and am looking for a streamer with a digital coaxial output that:
1. Sounds better than the Bluesound Node 2i
2. Has an user interface that is convenient and easy
3. Internal DAC not necessary / essential

Grateful for thoughts and suggestions
One other (lower price) option to consider is PI2AeS / mercury. Works well with Roon
 
An intermediate step up would be an LPS mod for the Node 2i. I had installed a PD creative one and used it with an Allo Shanti. A full step up would be something like a Lumin U2 mini. The Eversolo gets a lot of buzz but isnt a step up from the node 2i.

Other options to consider are Innuous / Auralic / Aurender / Melco. I dont have any personal experience with these so cant comment on them. Innuous / Auralic dont have India representation AFAIK.
I did consider the LPS mod for the node 2i; need to import this though
Hi :)

Since your good selves are considering a co axial output, below are some options to consider :

1) Lumin U2 mini, U2 or U1
2) Innous pulse or pulsar ( The zen and zenith server streamer series only have usb out so no need to consider. Same applies to Melco servers too )
3) Aurender N200 or older used N10. ( The other 100 series only have usb outs again ). And the rest are priced through the roof.
4) Hifi rose RS130. Has a gorgeous screen, with option to add internal storage. But the software platform is too buggy at the moment.
5) Sim audio moon Mind 2 streamer.
6) Auralic aries G1 used or G 1.1 used or the newer but very expensive G2.1.
7) T+A MP200.
8) Primare NP5 prisma mk2 ( Will need a good 5V LPSU or an ifi power supply to get the best out of it )
9) Lindemann Limetree bridge 2. ( Again will need a good 5V power supply )
10) Bel canto e-one stream network bridge.
11) Dcs network bridge used.

Above are all streamers without in-built dacs. I havent seen dealers for Innuous and Auralic in india. Rest all are locally available. All the best :)

PS : I deliberately excluded the Grimm MU1 and MU2 :p
Thank you for this comprehensive list @Yelamanchili manohar
I have now a lot of research to do 🙂

Mod's note:
Back to back posts merged. Use multi-quote option to reply to multiple posts.
 
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Just wondering what others are using to store their ripped or local music libraries. Iam not intent on streaming, and just use spotify. My main listening is CD or vinyl, and want to optimize my local library playback now. I have a WD my cloud which is currently plugged into my router. The Lumin indexes and plays from it. But just wondering if there are better sounding storage options for local playback. Melco or something from innuos perhaps. Or will there be no benefit in spending extra on one of them if used purely as a Nas.

1. Option one - Get a innuos pheonixNet or Melco S100 or Sotm switch to plug the WD My cloud Nas into. I could additionally replace the WD my cloud with a Lumin L1 if it will sound superior too.
2. Option two - Get a innuos zenith 3 or melco N1A and use their player ethernet port to connect to the lumin.

Any thoughts on the above please :)

PS: If anyone is interested, network switches are also evolving fast. And the current "flavour of the month" switch at a reasonable price is the HNE magicNet D1 supreme.
Plus, I like that it has a internal LPSU. I believe one has to import directly from Vietnam. Started at around USD 1400, but seems to be 2k now. Looks very well built, and has borrowed filtering tech from some very expensive switches from Aqvox. Just sharing incase anyone is itching for a new switch :D
@Yelamanchili manohar it's been a while since you wrote this post. Did you get the answers to your questions? Did you bring in any changes? I'm curious because i have a setup similar to the one you had whilst sitting on that wall:
Silent Angel streamer and Network switch powered by Jays Audio LPS
WD Cloud ( powered by a second Jays Audio LPS) and Router (Google wifi mesh) connected to the switch
Coax from streamer goes to a Weiss Medea dac
I have a decent local library of hires files. Streaming is limited to Spotify

Thanks
 
Recently, I got rid of the very last SMPS in my chain from ISP entry router point to my system and replaced it with a Farad Super 3 power supply for better results. What I have realized is that any replacement of SMPS in the chain brought incremental benefit. With every change system moved from sounding digital to organic.

Just to recap, in my chain wherever needed, all SMPSs have been replaced by Sean Jacobs power supplies and I also have Innuos PhoenixUSB and PhoenixNet in the chain and yes, all of them brought in positive change in the system. The whole system is powered by Puritan Audio Labs' PSM156.

Also, I once had an Ethernet connected device damaged for which I picked up this from eBay and this too helps. This may be the very first place to start for starters.
 
@Yelamanchili manohar it's been a while since you wrote this post. Did you get the answers to your questions? Did you bring in any changes? I'm curious because i have a setup similar to the one you had whilst sitting on that wall:
Silent Angel streamer and Network switch powered by Jays Audio LPS
WD Cloud ( powered by a second Jays Audio LPS) and Router (Google wifi mesh) connected to the switch
Coax from streamer goes to a Weiss Medea dac
I have a decent local library of hires files. Streaming is limited to Spotify

Thanks
Hi and good evening @Fiftyfifty :)

Yeah I did quite a bit of arm chair research, and decided to go with Melco for library storage. The decision is completely based on reading from the Net, so it could be flawed as well. But as per end users, Melco's seems to have the best ethernet feed for separate streamers. A lot of trials were done by the folks on Dcs forums, and they mostly ended up with Melco's feeding their Bartok's and Rossini's via ethernet. The story is very similar on the Naim forums.

And what caught my attention was a complete Melco solution from switch to streamer that seems to work holistically.

Below is the proposed chain :

Dela OP-S100 /050 FMC conversion kit which includes fiber cable ---Melco S100/2 or Melco S10 network switch ------ Dela C100 Lan cable ---------Melco server ( The S38 model, mostly the N50 S38 is the sweet spot )---- Dela C100 lan cable --- streamer.

Since Melco is called as Dela in Japan, below are links to the above products from there. I could'nt find a dealer for them in India so far :




Apart from the above, Melco has come up with a new product called the "Direct attached switch" which is available for importing from the Hongkong based "afterdark" site. Though there is not much feedback on its effect yet.


Coming to the network switch, it is still a toss between the Melco S100/2 and the SOTM SGH-10G eClk. The Melco does not have a clock input, where as the SOTM has. Iam not sure I'd want to go down the rabbit hole of adding clocks / cables / power supplies to clock ethernet alone.

There is one gentleman in UK, who has started his own network switch company and is getting positive reviews ( https://www.reikiaudio.com/ ).

I know this gentleman over many years, and he has done a lot of research on the subject before launching his own line.

He and the guys on Dcs firmly believe that there is no need for clocking on the switch. Even the top of line switches from Melco ( S10), Ansuz and Telegartner do not come with clock inputs. Same with the innuous phoenix Net. So Iam still undecided regarding the switch.

But the unanimous opinion is that it helps to have a network switch after the fiber conversion, as a FMC with its galvanic isolation will remove power line and network noise. But will still introduce its own jitter and ground plane noise ( I honeslty dont know what this means :D ). So having clean network switch after this conversion, cleans up the signal going to the streamer.

Above is all only a idle rant at the moment, as I cant find any of the above items for purchase in India :)
 
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I forgot to add that the Lumin L2 is also a single box contender to the above elaborate chain. The only funny thing is that it comes with a 10 dollar SMPS, where adding an optimised LPSU would have only added an additional 50 dollars to the price tag. Wonder what the chaps at Lumin were smoking :)
 
That's some really impressive research @Yelamanchili manohar ! Useful not just to me but to many on this forum. I look forward to hearing your impressions when these plans get into the implementation phase. In the meanwhile, let me do some detailed reading on this subject. Thanks for sharing your valuable inputs

Btw, have you looked at streamer selection?

Also, I understand how the chain of router- fmc conversion - switch - music server - switch - streamer is relevant for streaming from streaming services or from a network music server. However, to play local files, would it not be better to have a streamer with built in storage rather than a separate server?
 
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That's some really impressive research @Yelamanchili manohar ! Useful not just to me but to many on this forum. I look forward to hearing your impressions when these plans get into the implementation phase. In the meanwhile, let me do some detailed reading on this subject. Thanks for sharing your valuable inputs

Btw, have you looked at streamer selection?

Also, I understand how the chain of router- fmc conversion - switch - music server - switch - streamer is relevant for streaming from streaming services or from a network music server. However, to play local files, would it not be better to have a streamer with built in storage rather than a separate server?
Thanks for your kind words :)

Iam already using a Lumin U1X and cannot praise it enough. It sounds superb. It some how adds a sense of richness and clarity to the proceedings. My streamer search is definitely over. Lumin always consistently deliver with their well thought out features and implementation. That alone is drawing me towards the Lumin L2 as a local server. Besides it is a single box switch cum server, so that will avoid the noodle soup with separate switches, FMC's, clocks and power supplies. A review has recently been posted on Audiophilestyle and an other polish site, which I havent seen yet. Will read it today :)

I follow a youtube channel called "Jay's audio lab". This gentleman brings in some uber high end gear. And in a recent dac comparison between the MSB reference and Dcs Rossini. He commented that the limitation in comparing the abilities of both was not his room or system, but streaming services themselves. He opined that it was pointless spending this kind of money on digital if one is tied to Tidal or Qobuz.

So there is a school of thought out there, that there are benefits to having a high quality local library. And from my own listening habits, I've realized that Iam not much of an adventurist, and I tend to repeatedly listen to a set of my own favourites. So having access to millions of songs on Tidal is pointless for me. Hence the thought of starting a local library with high quality Flac or DSD purchases.

Coming to the issue of switches and FMC's for local library playback, as long as we use a wireless router ( which we have to ), the Router will inject noise ( electrical, EMI & RF ) to its outputs. Thus, we still need some kind of network cleanup after the router. Both the Innuous Zen series and Melco servers, have a option to be added between the router and the streamer with 2 Lan ports for noise isolation from the router. This is hugely beneficial. And is equivalent to a 2 port switch actually. But adding an external switch seems to add further to its inbuilt isolation.

Iam considering getting a wireless router with inbuilt SFP modules, then going Fiber into the Lumin L2, and then a copper cable with inbuilt filtering like the SOTM from the Lumin L2 to the streamer. This will avoid external FMC's, cables and power supplies. But this is just a thought. At the moment, the combination of Melco S100/2 and Melco N50 S38 is at the top spot. Will see if the Lumin L2 reviews convince me enough, as Iam very disappointed with the inclusion of a SMPS in their box.
 
Thanks for your kind words :)

Iam already using a Lumin U1X and cannot praise it enough. It sounds superb. It some how adds a sense of richness and clarity to the proceedings. My streamer search is definitely over. Lumin always consistently deliver with their well thought out features and implementation. That alone is drawing me towards the Lumin L2 as a local server. Besides it is a single box switch cum server, so that will avoid the noodle soup with separate switches, FMC's, clocks and power supplies. A review has recently been posted on Audiophilestyle and an other polish site, which I havent seen yet. Will read it today :)

I follow a youtube channel called "Jay's audio lab". This gentleman brings in some uber high end gear. And in a recent dac comparison between the MSB reference and Dcs Rossini. He commented that the limitation in comparing the abilities of both was not his room or system, but streaming services themselves. He opined that it was pointless spending this kind of money on digital if one is tied to Tidal or Qobuz.

So there is a school of thought out there, that there are benefits to having a high quality local library. And from my own listening habits, I've realized that Iam not much of an adventurist, and I tend to repeatedly listen to a set of my own favourites. So having access to millions of songs on Tidal is pointless for me. Hence the thought of starting a local library with high quality Flac or DSD purchases.

Coming to the issue of switches and FMC's for local library playback, as long as we use a wireless router ( which we have to ), the Router will inject noise ( electrical, EMI & RF ) to its outputs. Thus, we still need some kind of network cleanup after the router. Both the Innuous Zen series and Melco servers, have a option to be added between the router and the streamer with 2 Lan ports for noise isolation from the router. This is hugely beneficial. And is equivalent to a 2 port switch actually. But adding an external switch seems to add further to its inbuilt isolation.

Iam considering getting a wireless router with inbuilt SFP modules, then going Fiber into the Lumin L2, and then a copper cable with inbuilt filtering like the SOTM from the Lumin L2 to the streamer. This will avoid external FMC's, cables and power supplies. But this is just a thought. At the moment, the combination of Melco S100/2 and Melco N50 S38 is at the top spot. Will see if the Lumin L2 reviews convince me enough, as Iam very disappointed with the inclusion of a SMPS in their box.
If one likes to avoid the hassle of having multiple fiber boxes and then worry about LPS, this is a very good alternative. Already on my list; will get it someday.
 
If one likes to avoid the hassle of having multiple fiber boxes and then worry about LPS, this is a very good alternative. Already on my list; will get it someday.
Would love to hear your opinion of the L2. Read the Audiphilestyle review, but it remains inconclusive:

1) if the L2 improves on the dedicated network switches like Ether regen, SOTM, Melco etc when it comes to network isolation...
2) if it sounds equivalent to media stored on something like a Innuous Zen or Melco dedicated servers.
 
as Iam very disappointed
Thank you for the clear and detailed response @Yelamanchili manohar . It's always good to read your informative posts.

I agree that all streaming services suck. That's the reason i surrendered my Tidal and Qobuz subscriptions and settled on the cheaper Spotify. The hires files on my NAS form the bulk of my listening. I'd rather select and pay for music that i like rather than have the flexibility of a large database from a streaming service.

In my limited understanding, the router in a setup that is dedicated to local files stored on the player itself would only play the role of controlling the software. The router can get out of the way, even be physically disconnected, once a song or playlist is selected. Now just to eliminate any noise introduced by the router in such a scenario, does it make sense to introduce the fmc, the switch and a separate server? Wouldn't just a DAP with a remote address this issue. If i still wanted to hear a song streamed from a streaming service, considering that the service itself is poor, I wouldn't bother with any sq improvements brought in by expensive additions to my setup.

Will be grateful for your views. Thanks!
 
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Thank you for the clear and detailed response @Yelamanchili manohar . It's always good to read your informative posts.

I agree that all streaming services suck. That's the reason i surrendered my Tidal and Qobuz subscriptions and settled on the cheaper Spotify. The hires files on my NAS form the bulk of my listening. I'd rather select and pay for music that i like rather than have the flexibility of a large database from a streaming service.

In my limited understanding, the router in a setup that is dedicated to local files stored on the player itself would only play the role of controlling the software. The router can get out of the way, even be physically disconnected, once a song or playlist is selected. Now just to eliminate any noise introduced by the router in such a scenario, does it make sense to introduce the fmc, the switch and a separate server? Wouldn't just a DAP with a remote address this issue. If i still wanted to hear a song streamed from a streaming service, considering that the service itself is poor, I wouldn't bother with any sq improvements brought in by expensive additions to my setup.

Will be grateful for your views. Thanks!
Thanks for the above :)

Yeah FMC, switches and cables are overkill if only local playback is required. Iam not familiar with the Aurender and Auralic eco systems, but they might be offering something similar to what Melco offers. A lot of folks, connect their Melco servers to ethernet only to load music, and for the inbuilt "songkong" software to update the meta data of the loaded music. Then they compile playlists, and disconnect the Melco from the network.

Now you can connect to the dac, with the melco in player mode via Usb. And then select your songs or playlists from the user menu and screen on the device. This is not possible with the Innuous devices, but I suspect that Auralic, and Aurender have the same functionality. Going one step ahead, most auralic devies have inbuilt wifi, so wont need any wired network connection at all for local media playback. And Auralic have a reputation of sounding the most neutral of all the other servers. Maybe you can research some more on the Auralic aries G 1.0, G 1.1 and the latest G 2.1. They are all great options for your good selves expected usage :)
 
Would love to hear your opinion of the L2. Read the Audiphilestyle review, but it remains inconclusive:

1) if the L2 improves on the dedicated network switches like Ether regen, SOTM, Melco etc when it comes to network isolation...
2) if it sounds equivalent to media stored on something like a Innuous Zen or Melco dedicated servers.
I went through the review and it does what it is supposed to do but I will never spend on this seeing an SMPS inside. These guys make most of their profit from this area, and are definitely, not serious about music how I want them to :), in my personal opinion. Though it is hard to put a number, but just for the sake of convenience in fathoming the gap, an SMPS, degrades the potential performance of a piece by almost 50%.
 
I agree that all streaming services suck. That's the reason i surrendered my Tidal and Qobuz subscriptions and settled on the cheaper Spotify.
Right and to improve upon to get it right requires so many boxes, as in my case, it is as if my computer is in Critical ICU. I, sometimes feel getting away from this but very difficult after when I have gotten accustomed to the current setup.
 
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