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Melco USB and UPnP query

DGP

pfm Member
I changed to a Melco N1 from an Auralic Aries - largely to get away from running a NAS drive in a room away from my main hi-fi. I want 6Tb online and no internal drive was going to do that with the Aries.

The Melco is currently running MiniServer 2 and is connected via USB to a Devialet 220 Expert Pro CI. Until I used MinimStreamer to represent everything 16bit to the Devialet as 24bit WAV files things did not really sound as good as the Aries had. That's how the system is generally used - iPad with Melco HD - Melco N1A - USB - Devialet.

For CD rips I can play them using md connect of the iPad (Melco HD is a proprietary version of this app) but connect to the Devialet via UPnP - this not only sounds more lively and entertaining but is significantly louder than the USB connection. I'd use -15dB on the Devialet with UPnP but need something like -8dB to match levels using USB. I find that most odd.

Leaving out the possibility of a Devialet AIR connection (which works on Tuesdays when there's a 'Z' in the month for me) there is one other way I can significantly improve the sound of the system - by using Audirvana on my wi-fi connected iMac and pointing that at the UPnP Devialet - this sound stunning with all CD rips but break down above 24/48 into stuttering and sadly I have a lot of DSD and hi-res 24/96, 24/192 downloads which it won't handle. I suspect this if the wi-fi connection between my office iMac and the Devialet which lives on a separate wired Ethernet system. Sadly architecture prevents me connecting the iMac through wired Ethernet which I how I would have preferred things.

I'm not mad on the idea of introducing more electronics into the system and adding a MacMini to the Meclo/Devialet system just to run Audirvana locally but this seems to be the only logical solution. Why is the direct wired USB connection Meclo to Devialet so quiet?
DGP
 


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