AIR 3 Beta for Mac

[Fla7a]

Since there are some Melco users here, can someone (maybe Rufus?) compare the SQ of AIR3 vs. Melco N1A (via USB)?


Thanks and best regards,

Franz

Very close. It is hard to tell a difference.
Both ways are very satisfying.
Pro Melco: a little better dynamic replay and a little bit more colourful replay of voices.
But I am a Melco owner so I could be not 100 percent neutral.

Tested with an iMac (build 2011, 2,7 GHz Intel Core i5, 16 GB Ram), El Capitan 10.11.4, files are stored on a Western Digital McBook connected with Standard USB cable (!), Roon, AIR 3.0 beta WiFi, D200.

Melco is connected with an Aqvox USB cable to D200.

Files were identical Aiff on WD McBook and Melco, ripped with db poweramp.
I used two very audiophile recordings: Patricia Barber, Café Blue, Ode to Billy Joe and Dee Dee Bridgewater, Live At Yoshi's, Slowboat to China.

It's really impressive that they came so close to the Melco.
Comparing AIR2 with the Melco, the N1A sounded definitely clearer and more natural than AIR2, so there was no second thought on using AIR.