Significant MELCO firmware update

[donuk]

Firmware version 3.21 is now available for direct update to Melcos.

I understand it is a major re-write of the firmware. Having lived with a beta version for some weeks I can report a significant improvement to the sound. (Or not, depending if you believe it impossible in a NAS).

There is also a host more features - with which I have not experimented. I am also informed there are possibly more features in the pipeline.

See https://www.melco-audio.com/support/downloads/

If anyone uses a Melco here, do let me know how you get on.... PM will be fine.

Donuk sunny downtown York

[tokenbrit]

Thanks Don. I'm still plodding along with Twonky on an old ReadyNas Duo. I have been considering a Melco vs gathering the parts together as necessary to build an LSNAS. There's also the new Innuous but that's not widely available in the US, yet... I'd be interested to read more of your thoughts on the new firmware for the Melco.

[John.P]

Firmware version 3.21 is now available for direct update to Melcos.

I understand it is a major re-write of the firmware. Having lived with a beta version for some weeks I can report a significant improvement to the sound. (Or not, depending if you believe it impossible in a NAS).

There is also a host more features - with which I have not experimented. I am also informed there are possibly more features in the pipeline.

See https://www.melco-audio.com/support/downloads/

If anyone uses a Melco here, do let me know how you get on.... PM will be fine.

Donuk sunny downtown York

One of the guys on the Melco stand at Bristol Sound & Vision show on Friday told me that the new firmware was available. I updated my N1A this morning but have been busy and not had an oportunity to sit and listen yet.

[Spannko]

I've updated the firmware on my Melco, and I must say, I'm very disappointed!

The sound has taken on a "purity" of tone, which is very pleasant, but the system now seriously struggles to play tunes. It's been a long time since I haven't been able to mentally sing along with a piece of music, but with the new firmware, it's almost impossible! There's no sense of predictability either - I can never anticipate what's coming next, unless I revert to my musical memory, but even then, what I expect isn't in time with what I hear. For the first time in years, my system lies silent - it's just too difficult to listen to.

Interestingly, when I was a young boy, I remember listening to my aunts radiogram, and without even knowing anything about HiFi, never mind rhythms and tunes, I instinctively knew that there was something fundamentally wrong with the sound. It made me feel nauseous, which could only be remedied by turning down the bass, or preferably, off all together. It was a bit like aural travel sickness, where the brain was receiving contradictory messages. This new "upgrade" has made me feel nauseous too. Whether it's to do with my brain receiving jumbled messages or because my brains saying "this is expensive kit, it should be bloody good", and my ears saying something different, I don't really know!

[sunbeamgls]

Sounds like bad news. Can it be rolled back Spannko?

I read elsewhere that the new firmware seems to produce more bass which might match with what you're saying here.

[Spannko]

I've asked the distributor if this is possible, but have yet to receive a reply. I'm sure it will be though.

I didn't notice any extra bass, mainly because I wasn't listening for it, but I guess that any incoherence in the sound could affect different systems in different ways.

[Peter@57m]

I upgraded as well, and it is different. I wonder what they did.

I don't feel the sound is broken but I'd really like to go back to Version 3.11 to try to better identify what's changed.

If somebody downloaded the zip file of the Melco 3.11 Firmware can they please PM me.

PS: I was the person sunbeamgls mentioned

Thanks, Peter

[tokenbrit]

I've updated the firmware on my Melco, and I must say, I'm very disappointed!

The sound has taken on a "purity" of tone, which is very pleasant, but the system now seriously struggles to play tunes. It's been a long time since I haven't been able to mentally sing along with a piece of music, but with the new firmware, it's almost impossible! There's no sense of predictability either - I can never anticipate what's coming next, unless I revert to my musical memory, but even then, what I expect isn't in time with what I hear. For the first time in years, my system lies silent - it's just too difficult to listen to.

Is it worth trying to reinstall the latest firmware to make sure that all is ok?
Otherwise, maybe it's a Meldrew firmware 'upgrade' - I don't believe it! Hopefully you can get your system's one foot out of the grave ;)

[Peter@57m]

I now have the 3.11 firmware.

PS: Simon of MinimServer commented that I'd have to install MinimServer again if I downgrade the firmware.

[Spannko]

I've updated the firmware on my Melco, and I must say, I'm very disappointed!

The sound has taken on a "purity" of tone, which is very pleasant, but the system now seriously struggles to play tunes. It's been a long time since I haven't been able to mentally sing along with a piece of music, but with the new firmware, it's almost impossible! There's no sense of predictability either - I can never anticipate what's coming next, unless I revert to my musical memory, but even then, what I expect isn't in time with what I hear. For the first time in years, my system lies silent - it's just too difficult to listen to.

Is it worth trying to reinstall the latest firmware to make sure that all is ok?
Otherwise, maybe it's a Meldrew firmware 'upgrade' - I don't believe it! Hopefully you can get your system's one foot out of the grave ;)

I did wonder if the update failed, somehow. I'll see if I can reload the update.

[Peter@57m]

I did wonder if the update failed, somehow. I'll see if I can reload the update.

You can download the 3.21 firmware from Melco's website. Unzip it and place the .bin file on a USB thumb drive, plug it in the Melco and update from that.

[Spannko]

Thanks Peter,

The link on the Melco website isn't highlighted, so I missed it.

I've gone back to 3.11 and everything's good. I'll try 3.21 again (from the download site) later this week.

[Ascent]

Firmware 3.21 has bad playability. I have tried to upload this FW from internet as well as from USB-stick but that does not matter. I can hardly play the music files from different formats. The MELCO stops or the app stops. The sound even stops. I play with MELCO N1A, TEAC UD-503 DAC with Kinsky. When I go back to FW 3.11 everything is very good again. It runs excellent and with very high quality of the sound.

Has anyone tried to play Markerless ( without DOP ) with the new FW 3.21.? Which components do you use?

[Peter@57m]

FYI for the brave souls, Melco have release a Beta release 3.22. This cannot be updated over the network, you must download the firmware and install from a USB stick.

No real info on the UK site about this release but from the Japanese site (Google translation):

N1 beta version firmware "3.22B" can now be downloaded.
Functionally, it does not change completely from 3.21, but compatibility of the USB - DAC connection function is improved, and it corresponds to more models and applications.
Update contents are as follows.

ADDED SUPPORT FOR MARKERLESS DSD
Oppo Digital Sonica DAC,
Marantz SA-10, Luxman D-08u,
In addition to newly supporting Esoteric K-01X, etc., noise before and after the start of playback was suppressed, and playback quality was improved.
The Sonica DAC also allowed local play of the DSD 512 (playback on the front panel).

IMPROVE COMPATIBILITY WITH USB-DAC
Corresponds to Marantz SA-11S3, TEAC UD-501V2 / UD-503 which had compatibility problems so far.
Also supports DSD 256 playback of UD-501V2.

IMPROVE COMPATIBILITY WITH APPLICATIONS
Improved compatibility with applications such as mConnect Player (iPhone), where compatibility problems had occurred.

OTHER
DSD file playback compatibility with external NAS has been improved.
In ripping CD, contents of multiple candidate display were partially improved.