Melco N5 Music Library

Melco N5 digital library acts as a storage centre for your digital music collection. It is a more affordable alternative to the flagship N1. The best possible sound quality is delivered via internal storage, over the network or from external streaming sources. There is no internal DAC, therefore a dedicated USB port is provided for an external DAC.

Internal storage is by a 5TB hard drive. The player can also operate without an Ethernet network. Build quality is excellent with a vibration-free HDD mounting and a steel and aluminium case. Connectivity also allows for connection to an optical network with an SFP interface.

High grade construction

The N5 has been built with all-new electronics. There is a new mainboard and the linear power supply is high grade and low noise. The mechanical construction of the unit has been designed to minimise vibration as well as resonances. This improves sound quality by isolating the HDD. The casework is steel and the cabinet is also isolated from any external vibration, by cast iron feet.

Good connectivity

Connectivity includes pro features such as Amphenol USB connectors. For network connectivity, there are two Ethernet LAN ports, that are Gigabit capable. There is also an SFP port. SFP, or Small Form-factor Pluggable devices plug into the SFP port and enable different types of fibre-optic cable to be connected. In this way, the N5 can be connected to an optical network for improved noise performance. USB ports include a USB 2.0 port to connect to a player as well as a USB3.00 port that can be configured as import, backup, DAC or expansion.

File support

PCM files from 16-32 bits are supported, at up to 384Khz. There is also gapless PCM support. 1 BIT DSD (Direct Stream Digital) is supported at 11.3Mhz Quad DSD. DSD can also be converted to PCM. DSD was developed as a way of archiving old archive recordings. It is used by SACD and is more efficient than the PCM encoding methods used by standard CDs. It also has a much higher sampling rate. The OLED display shows the playing file's sample rate and metadata.

Why SFP?

Ethernet networks were not designed to stream audio signals. Hence, they can be noisy places where the audio signal is degraded by mush and interference. This has the effect of rounding off the data. The result is more dropouts and especially jitter. Jitter refers to variations in frequency and makes it harder for the electronics to produce a good quality audio signal. As a result, you can use an SFP module to convert the Ethernet signal to optical. An optical signal has no noise, and can have longer runs with no loss of quality.

What is a music library?

A music library is essentially a storage device for music. In this case, the N5 has a 5TB mechanical hard drive. Music libraries can also be used to interface to your network or an external DAC for playback. For example, files can be played on a stand-alone DAC, a streamer with a built-in DAC, or an integrated amplifier with a built-in DAC.

Files can be played over, either an ethernet network or an optical network via SFP. Music libraries have the advantage of keeping all of your music in one place. Moreover, a backup drive can be left attached if the USB 3.00 port has been configured for backup.

Who is Melco?

Melco now makes high-end digital music playback equipment and networking components. However, it began as an audio company. Their first product was a vinyl turntable. This came to market in 1980. It set new standards and established the company. However, they also moved into computer peripherals and became a major supplier. Consequently, they were perfectly placed when digital audio came along and their current range is focused on getting the best possible performance out of digital music storage.