What is the Melco N10/2? The company likes to call the product a ‘Music Library’, which is a pretty good description. Simply put, it is digital storage – 3.84TB worth of SSD (Solid State Drive) in the case of the N10/2-S38 we have on test here. That’s enough for almost 6000 CDs, though hi-res recordings will take up more space, of course. You can buy another version of the N10/2 called the H50 that has 5TB of a conventional hard disk drive (HDD) and sells for £7299.
It doesn’t take more than a short Google to find out that computer storage is way cheaper than it used to be, and these kinds of capacities can easily be had for hundreds rather than the thousands they used to cost. So, what’s the point of something as expensive as the N10/2-S38?
SLICK OPERATOR
As so often in hi-fi, it pays to look beyond just the specifications. Melco was founded in 1975 as an audio manufacturer, but moved into the computer industry in 1981 under the Buffalo brand name. Buffalo, of course, has gone on to massive success and is now one of the leading manufacturers of computer storage.
The skill set required to design computer storage, and work with network products in general, is quite specific. It is way outside the comfort zone of most hi-fi manufacturers, particularly the small companies at the high-end of the market. That’s why so few of them have made any sort of impact when it comes to the world of music streaming and computer audio in general.
Melco’s inside knowledge of the field is immediately obvious in the slick way the N10/2-S38 operates. Unless you are really comfortable with computers and networks, it’s probably best to get the selling dealer to set things up for you. Given the price of this unit we feel it should be part of the deal. Once that’s done though, this unit works as slickly as they come. Being the SSD version, it is quiet and responsive.
The N10/2 comes in two parts: the main unit and a separate outboard power supply. It’s always a good idea to keep an electrically noisy circuit such as a power supply with large currents flowing through it away from more sensitive audio sections, purely for sound quality reasons. Interestingly, Melco has decided to go for a traditional hi-fi-style linear power supply layout rather than the switch-mode designs that are more usually seen in the computer world.
The main unit is a simple, uncluttered affair with just four control buttons and a rather small display on the front. Once we are familiar with it, going through the menus is pretty easy, though the display still feels a littl
