MELCO LAUNCHES THE C1-D20 SFP+ DIRECT ATTACH NETWORK CABLE

Melco Audio has launched the Melco C1-D20 SFP+ Direct Attach Cable.

Designed to bypass some of the more commonly encountered limitations of network data transmission, the C1-D20 enables Melco to take ownership of the connectors, cable, and interface electronics, therefore treating the whole interface as a critical component in the audio chain.

NETWORK AUDIO

Much of the hardware commonly encountered with network audio is imported wholesale from the wider world of IT. Melco Audio says “This has some positive aspects as the economies of scale involved means that the hardware generally works very reliably, but there are limitations to the achievable performance from this equipment”.

RJ45 CABLE

A standard RJ45 cable comprises twisted pairs of cables that are accessed by a Bus interface called the PHY (Physical Layer). Melco says that this is robust and reliable but not optimal for audio use because. twisted pairs are subject to impedance mismatch, speed restriction, pulse infidelity, crosstalk and external interference, all of which can be minimised by good engineering but not entirely negated”.

SMALL FORM PLUGGABLE

Melco is committed to its equipment being as user friendly as possible and has worked to ensure everything can be used via RJ45 type cable. It has not ignored the scope for still higher performance however, Melco has elected to fit SFP (small form pluggable) connections to its range topping N1 and N5 audio servers and S10 and S100-II data switches, alongside the RJ45 socket to give owners options beyond RJ45 and PHY.

MELCO C1-D20 SFP+ DIRECT ATTACH NETWORK CABLE

SFP completely bypasses the need for the PHY interface and allows for data stored on the N1 and N5 to be accessed directly, with a decrease in data errors and loss. The cable comprises of two twisted pairs of silver-plated OFC conductors rather than four in an RJ45 cable. Each pair is individually screened. The benefits of improving the data integrity (often referred to as the ‘eye pattern’) is that the demands placed on the decoding hardware are reduced as less reinterpretation and reconstruction work is required, yielding further benefits in overall audio quality, says Melco.

The C1-D20 SFP+ is two metres long and designed to reflect the requirements of transmitting digital audio where stability and minimising errors are more important than out and out transmission rates. The cable is used between Melco Music Libraries fitted with SFP sockets and the matching connections on the S10 and S100/2 network switches.

A plug-and-play solution, the Melco C1-D20 SFP+ can be used with most audio hardware equipped with SFP ports such as Aurender, HiFi Rose, Linn Klimax DSM, Taiko Audio SGM Extreme / Extreme switch, SFORZATO DSP-Columba, DSP-Corvus, DST-Lepus.

The C1-D20 SFP+ is constructed with high quality SFP terminations and finished with a flex mesh jacket that covers a PVC braid, ensuring that the cable is flexible and easy to route in a system while still being resistant to outside interference. Each cable comes elegantly packaged in a box featuring a label made of Japanese ‘Washi’ paper decorated with a “Yagasuri” arrow pattern.

MELCO C1-D20 SFP+ DIRECT ATTACH NETWORK CABLE SPECIFICATIONS

Cable structure – Silver plated AWG24 OFC Twin-axial

Electrical Impedance characteristic – 100 ohms

Cable length – 2m

Weight – 140g approx.

MELCO C1-D20 SFP+ DIRECT ATTACH NETWORK CABLE PRICE

The Melco C1-D20 SFP+ Direct Attach Cable is available now in a 2m length, and is priced at £749 / €889

HiFi PiG Says: This new Melco cable is designed to bypass common network audio problems.