Melco Audio has launched a new range-topping digital music library, the N10/2. The new two-box flagship is the best-performing Melco music library in the company’s history.
The N10/2 is available in two distinct storage type variants: an HDD version (N10/2-H50, £6,999) plus an SSD version (N10/2-S38, £8,999). The HDD version is a direct replacement for the original N10 and the SSD version replaces the previous SSD flagship, the N1Z/2EX.
The new libraries centre around newly selected HDD and SSD drives: 5 TB in the N10/2-H50 and 3.84 TB in the N10/2-S38; the dedicated drives are hand-picked by the factory to provide exceptional audio performance.
The N10/2 also benefits from a new high-performance PCB, first seen in the limited-edition N10 45th Anniversary Limited Edition (now sold out).
About the new N10/2
The N10/2 is a two-box design, featuring half-width (215 mm) chassis, enabling Melco’s engineers to separate the delicate signal-processing electronics from the power supply.
The ‘head’ unit contains the processing electronics and data connectivity, and the power unit contains a high-performance, low-noise linear power supply with toroidal transformer.
The head unit uses the same extreme-low-noise, high-precision digital music dataflow as the existing Melco series and crucially, is designed from the ground-up as an audio-specific device; Melco famously eschews standard IT components or PC parts.
Melco’s time-proven software architecture provides reassuring familiarity to existing Melco customers and class-leading ease of use for newcomers.
The N10/2 benefits from several familiar Melco USPs. The head unit’s rear panel benefits from twin Ethernet ports, LAN and PLAYER, the latter being a dedicated port designed to connect directly to network streamers without the need for an intervening data switch, ensuring timing accuracy is maintained.
Twin USB 2.0 ports are also available, (plus a further front-panel USB port) including a dedicated USB DAC output, ready for connection to USB DACs, USB DAC-equipped amplifiers or active speakers. The second USB port enables USB devices to connect and operate effortlessly, including: importing or playing music from memory devices, HDD/SSD drives and CD drives (CD ‘rippers’); capacity expansion with Melco’s E100 (or other) storage drive; and easy backup to HDD/SSD drives.
In addition to Melco’s software architecture, the N10/2 benefits from Melco’s Intelligent Music Library suite comprising MinimServer and SongKong software. The device is also Roon Ready, DSD compatible and offers app control via DLNA/UPnP (in USB DAC mode) with support for TIDAL, Qobuz and vTuner streaming with the Melco Music HD app. Qobuz Downloader and HighResAudio.com also enable direct, error-free high-res downloads without the need for a computer.
The N10/2 can also be used as a self-contained local hi-res digital music player when connected via a USB DAC; data rates of up to 32 bit/384 kHz and Octo DSD are supported, along with gapless and Melco markerless DSD.
Control is via the Melco Music HD app, from the front panel, or from approved third-party RF remote handsets and for network playback, UPnP control point apps.
Price and availability
The N10/2 is available now in HDD or SSD versions.
N10/2-H50 (HDD) £6,999; N10/2-S38 (SSD) £8,999
Both are available in black or silver.
Audiophile Digital Music Masters Ltd. (distributor) contact details
+44 (0)1252 784525
About Melco
Melco (Maki Engineering Laboratory Company) was established by Makoto Maki in 1975 in Japan. Maki, an enthusiastic audiophile, established the company to design and manufacture the finest audio components of the time; the undoubted masterpiece of the Melco line was the turntable (introduced into the UK in 1980) which set new standards in music reproduction.
From those early beginnings, Melco developed into the largest computer peripherals manufacturer in Japan (Buffalo Inc.), offering advanced products based on rigorous R&D. These included wireless routers, ethernet data switches and storage devices such as NAS drives. Now, the company is proud to revive the highly respected Melco brand, offering discerning audiophiles high-technology network audio components in the spirit of those much-revered early Melco products, while incorporating the very latest research into reliable, high-performance networked devices and storage.
