19-Mar-2015, 11:57
Continued ...
We tried the N1Z first. Incidentally Guillaume's system is basically much better than mine and is so transparent that it's excellent for making comparisons! I'm pretty familiar with the Totaldac d1-server which has provided much listening pleasure so far and I considered that to be the very best device I'd yet heard plugged into a Devialet so this was going to be a tough test. To be honest my expectations weren't stratospherically high for the Melcos. One early magazine review had been a bit non-committal and not terribly enthusiastic.
Well my preconceptions were completely destroyed. The N1Z sounds phenonemal with Devialet. The most obvious thing is the actual presentation. The actual soundstage seems to wrap round you, from floor to ceiling, wall to wall. The detail is stunning, micro-details seem to be even more precise than the Totaldac. Guillaume mentioned above that I mumbled the word 'analogue' - possibly the most hackneyed phrase in relation to digital music but it did seem to have a flow that is rather absent from my streaming experiences so far. Possibly the closer analogy is relating it to a brilliant CD player. It's like analogue, but with the benefits of digital!
Some point into the listening Fraser used Entreq grounding on the USB cable connecting Melco to Devialet, and rather depressingly this improved the soundstage/imaging depth even more. I wish he wouldn't do that!
OK, the problem for me is that the N1Z is outside my price range. The problem being it's too damn good! This has left me with a bit of a quandary and with this I'm praying 'please let the N1A be nearly as good'.
So N1A... Possibly the more interesting of the two devices because the price is dangerously close (for me, the world's stingiest person) to what I'd call a 'bargain'. Think of the price of the Auralic Aries with the posh power supply, and then realised the Melco provides all your disk storage needs too.
Well it's still bloody good. The soundstage doesn't have the height of the N1Z. It also has a slightly grainier sounded to me, but it's actually quite a pleasing graininess. This is purely in comparison to the N1Z I must emphasise. It is definitely not what one would call 'grainy' in comparison with other players/transports. It still has that rather analogue-y feel I was rather failing to allude to with the N1Z. Basically like the N1Z it's a really musical device but also matches the Devialet in terms of transparency and detail.
So I've been a bit concise regarding sound as it's very much down to context of the system it's plugged into plus your ears. I'm actually pretty blown away by both devices. The N1Z is fabulous and I'm afraid to say I think it's better than the Totaldac d1-server. The presentation of the N1A is quite similar to the Totaldac but perhaps lacks the air and clarity of it, by a teeny margin I might add.
Incidentally we also didn't use Entreq grounding on either the N1A or N1Z. This could well improve things again, but the grounding design of the Melcos sounds pretty clever so could well negate some of the benefits.
I forgot to mention the visual appeal of the devices. The N1Z is actually narrower than the N1A. The case design on the N1Z is quite rugged-looking with sunken hex bolts locking down the top cover. The N1A is rather a lot like a good old fashioned 70s/80s hi-fi device from the likes of Sony! It has that wrap-over top/side sleeve which made me feel slightly nostalgic. I don't personally think either are particularly pretty but they're understated & look solid and well built (which they are). The front display is actually pretty useful in terms of playback display. They're certainly not 'cheap' looking to me and and I have to admit I prefer the rather conservative understated look to some of the more radical hi-fi designs foisted up us. The relevant sockets on the back (and there's as USB socket on the front of the N1A at least I think) are of very high quality.
We tried the N1Z first. Incidentally Guillaume's system is basically much better than mine and is so transparent that it's excellent for making comparisons! I'm pretty familiar with the Totaldac d1-server which has provided much listening pleasure so far and I considered that to be the very best device I'd yet heard plugged into a Devialet so this was going to be a tough test. To be honest my expectations weren't stratospherically high for the Melcos. One early magazine review had been a bit non-committal and not terribly enthusiastic.
Well my preconceptions were completely destroyed. The N1Z sounds phenonemal with Devialet. The most obvious thing is the actual presentation. The actual soundstage seems to wrap round you, from floor to ceiling, wall to wall. The detail is stunning, micro-details seem to be even more precise than the Totaldac. Guillaume mentioned above that I mumbled the word 'analogue' - possibly the most hackneyed phrase in relation to digital music but it did seem to have a flow that is rather absent from my streaming experiences so far. Possibly the closer analogy is relating it to a brilliant CD player. It's like analogue, but with the benefits of digital!
Some point into the listening Fraser used Entreq grounding on the USB cable connecting Melco to Devialet, and rather depressingly this improved the soundstage/imaging depth even more. I wish he wouldn't do that!
OK, the problem for me is that the N1Z is outside my price range. The problem being it's too damn good! This has left me with a bit of a quandary and with this I'm praying 'please let the N1A be nearly as good'.
So N1A... Possibly the more interesting of the two devices because the price is dangerously close (for me, the world's stingiest person) to what I'd call a 'bargain'. Think of the price of the Auralic Aries with the posh power supply, and then realised the Melco provides all your disk storage needs too.
Well it's still bloody good. The soundstage doesn't have the height of the N1Z. It also has a slightly grainier sounded to me, but it's actually quite a pleasing graininess. This is purely in comparison to the N1Z I must emphasise. It is definitely not what one would call 'grainy' in comparison with other players/transports. It still has that rather analogue-y feel I was rather failing to allude to with the N1Z. Basically like the N1Z it's a really musical device but also matches the Devialet in terms of transparency and detail.
So I've been a bit concise regarding sound as it's very much down to context of the system it's plugged into plus your ears. I'm actually pretty blown away by both devices. The N1Z is fabulous and I'm afraid to say I think it's better than the Totaldac d1-server. The presentation of the N1A is quite similar to the Totaldac but perhaps lacks the air and clarity of it, by a teeny margin I might add.
Incidentally we also didn't use Entreq grounding on either the N1A or N1Z. This could well improve things again, but the grounding design of the Melcos sounds pretty clever so could well negate some of the benefits.
I forgot to mention the visual appeal of the devices. The N1Z is actually narrower than the N1A. The case design on the N1Z is quite rugged-looking with sunken hex bolts locking down the top cover. The N1A is rather a lot like a good old fashioned 70s/80s hi-fi device from the likes of Sony! It has that wrap-over top/side sleeve which made me feel slightly nostalgic. I don't personally think either are particularly pretty but they're understated & look solid and well built (which they are). The front display is actually pretty useful in terms of playback display. They're certainly not 'cheap' looking to me and and I have to admit I prefer the rather conservative understated look to some of the more radical hi-fi designs foisted up us. The relevant sockets on the back (and there's as USB socket on the front of the N1A at least I think) are of very high quality.
