Melco re-visit Pt 03 - Alan Ainslie audio interview

Mike-B posted:

Clay Bingham posted:

. By the way, they have a very high regard for the Unitiserve and the quality of its rips compared to software/CD drive solutions. If software/CD drives give 85% sound quality, the Unitiserve gives 100% but at several times the cost. Becomes a matter of how retentive you are over that last 15%.

I think you will find folk around these parts that disagree about SQ & think the reverse might be the case.  Then consider the non-standard metadata issues & then reliability.  But as Keith points out,  he was part of the design team.  

I think it's been pretty firmly established that a bit perfect rip is a it perfect rip, regardless of the device that did it. Of course, that's not to say that what happens to those bits when streamed and converted is anything like as simple, but that's another matter. 

Clay Bingham posted:

By the way, they have a very high regard for the Unitiserve and the quality of its rips compared to software/CD drive solutions. If software/CD drives give 85% sound quality, the Unitiserve gives 100% but at several times the cost. Becomes a matter of how retentive you are over that last 15%.

From personal experience I would classify that in the "Utter Twaddle" category. A pity, because it discredits him.

I just ordered the upgrade to the N1ZH, excited how it will further improve on my already good N1A

MELCO N1ZH

Hand-crafted in Japan.

Performance enhancement of the award-winning MelcoN1A:

- Medical industry grade dual power supply units

- Dual high-quality capacitor bank

- Symmetrically designed H-Cross frame

- Think Aluminum panels

- 2 x 3TB Hard-drives with floating mechanism

How much Bert?

Harry posted:

How much Bert?

A bit more as twice the price of the N1A

All the best with it. I'll be interested to hear how it does.

Harry posted:

Clay Bingham posted:

By the way, they have a very high regard for the Unitiserve and the quality of its rips compared to software/CD drive solutions. If software/CD drives give 85% sound quality, the Unitiserve gives 100% but at several times the cost. Becomes a matter of how retentive you are over that last 15%.

From personal experience I would classify that in the "Utter Twaddle" category. A pity, because it discredits him.

Harry

In fairness that comparison was provided by way of illustration not as a scientific fact. The lack of clarity is your reporters weakness. As I understood the comment, the point being made was the computers and networks were not created to store music. They have noise and other issues that are not an issue in the basic computer function but are an issue with the use of computers for music. Bit perfect copies made in this environment still have these ancilliary issues. They're not huge but they are there. The Unitiserve and the like are specifically designed to eliminate these issues albeit at some significant cost. My understanding is that the whole reason behind the Melco is to do the same thing for music storage and access.

The main attraction of the Unitserve is that it rips quickly and easily to WAV. However, I'm not sure I can hear any difference between WAV and FLAC rips.

The Melco has the advantage of being able to copy and present Naim rips correctly, which saves me the bother of converting to FLAC or retipping when I move on from the Userve.

Keith 

You don't necessarily need to do either Keith. We moved our HDX on and redid the tags. As far as the metadata was concerned, the HDX wasn't all that accurate at times. I preferred doing my own tags although it was very time consuming having to tag around 800 HDX ripped albums. Not as long as re ripping though. I expect there are still some in the collection which need doing.

I have to say Clay, that regardless of context, this sounds like BS. He appears to have got the "not all rippers are bit perfect" argument mixed up with the argument in favour of streaming over something like CD playback, or possibly an ordinary PC with an ordinary USB port, working in a noisy environment - and ended up with a complete dog's breakfast. Difficult to take seriously. It wouldn't stop me liking a Melco if I liked one, but it puts the item "get your ears on one" way down the to do list - possibly off it. But I'm sure he'll sell plenty and good luck to him. Some will love to bathe in marketing drivel. And from the sound of it they'll be going to the right place.

Harry posted:

Clay Bingham posted:

By the way, they have a very high regard for the Unitiserve and the quality of its rips compared to software/CD drive solutions. If software/CD drives give 85% sound quality, the Unitiserve gives 100% but at several times the cost. Becomes a matter of how retentive you are over that last 15%.

From personal experience I would classify that in the "Utter Twaddle" category. A pity, because it discredits him.

I agree with this, the words 'poppy cock' come to mind... and it is a pity as it certainly does discredit him to my mind. This sort of nonesence perpuators myths and confusion amongst  less technically literate people who I sympathise trying to make sense of it all .. when there is not much sense to be had. 

When I hear information, that I know as a whole to be untrue, even if the information contains a grain of truth, I distrust all other information.  I felt this was the case with regards to copying files. 

Bert Schurink posted:

I just ordered the upgrade to the N1ZH, excited how it will further improve on my already good N1A

 

MELCO N1ZH

Hand-crafted in Japan.

Performance enhancement of the award-winning MelcoN1A:

- Medical industry grade dual power supply units

- Dual high-quality capacitor bank

- Symmetrically designed H-Cross frame

- Think Aluminum panels

- 2 x 3TB Hard-drives with floating mechanism

Let us know how you get on Bert. Deva, the Japanese Melco brand, the have introduced upgrading on current models to newer spec if you choose to, this may filter down to other areas? New app/software is in beta it seems also.

Just read a Linux version of Roon is being readied which could then be installed onto the Melco perhaps?