Melco Audio has introduced its latest digital music library, the N10/2, topping its range as the best-performing Melco music library in the company’s history.
The new two-box flagship N10/2 is available in two storage type variants: an HDD version (N10/2-H50, priced at £6,999) and an SSD version (N10/2-S38, priced at £8,999). The new HDD version is a direct replacement for the original N10 and the SSD version replaces the previous SSD flagship, N1Z/2EX.
Centring around newly selected HDD and SSD drives, the new libraries feature 5 TB in the N10/2-H50 and 3.84 TB in the N10/2-S38. The N10/2 also benefits from a new high-performance PCB, which was first introduced in the N10 45th Anniversary Limited Edition model.
Featuring a two-box design, the N10/2 is housed in a half-width (215mm) chassis in order for Melco’s engineers to separate the signal-processing electronics and data connectivity in the ‘head’ unit from the high-performance, low-noise linear power supply with toroidal transformer in the bottom unit.
Designed from the ground up as an audio-specific device, the head unit uses the same extreme-low-noise, high-precision digital music dataflow as the existing Melco series.
Twin Ethernet ports, LAN and PLAYER, are included on the head unit’s rear panel, PLAYER being a dedicated port designed to connect directly to network streamers without the need for an intervening data switch, to maintain timing accuracy.
The unit also has twin USB 2.0 ports, as well as a further front-panel USB port, which include a dedicated USB DAC output to connect to USB DACs, USB DAC-equipped amplifiers or active speakers. The second USB port enables users to import or play music from memory devices, connect HDD/SSD drives and CD drives, capacity expansion using storage drivers, and easily 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.
The new music library can be used as a self-contained local hi-res digital music player when connected via a USB DAC. It can support data rates of up to 32 bit/384 kHz and Octo DSD, as well as gapless and Melco markerless DSD.
Users have full control via the Melco Music HD app, from the front panel of the unit, or from approved third-party RF remote handsets.
The N10/2-H50 (HDD) and N10/2-S38 (SSD) are both available now in black or silver.