Question Anybody had to repkace the hard drives in a melco n1a

[oldfidget]

Just wondering has anybody out there ever replaced the hard drives in a melco n1a.
Mine has developed an 111 error code ,internal drives not found.

 

[AudioSatori]

Yes, I had the same error. You can try powering up while pressing the down button, which resets the unit.
My unit ended up going back to Melco, they were able to retrieve all my music and I went for EX and HDD upgrade. Quite costly but worth it.

If your unit is beyond repair, you could also consider an Innuos unit as a replacement, I tried it and really liked the UI.

All the best!

 

[confused.com]

Yes, I had the same error. You can try powering up while pressing the down button, which resets the unit.
My unit ended up going back to Melco, they were able to retrieve all my music and I went for EX and HDD upgrade. Quite costly but worth it.

If your unit is beyond repair, you could also consider an Innuos unit as a replacement, I tried it and really liked the UI.

All the best.

Hi
Thanks for that.
They are quoting 4 figures which seems a bit eye watering.
I've been on a melco users forum and asked the same question and it would appear that a self replacement and even with ssd drives is easily done.
I've heard a lot about how the drives are supposed to be special but a contributor to that forum photographed the process and his standard drives were Toshiba and not melco or buffalo and certainly nothing special.
Has anybody else out there changed the drives themselves and if so with what success.
As a pair of western digital red hdd's of 2tb can be had for under £100 and a pair of western digital 2tb ssd drives for under £400....that a lot of difference.

 

[AudioSatori]

Hi
Thanks for that.
They are quoting 4 figures which seems a bit eye watering.
I've been on a melco users forum and asked the same question and it would appear that a self replacement and even with ssd drives is easily done.
I've heard a lot about how the drives are supposed to be special but a contributor to that forum photographed the process and his standard drives were Toshiba and not melco or buffalo and certainly nothing special.
Has anybody else out there changed the drives themselves and if so with what success.
As a pair of western digital red hdd's of 2tb can be had for under £100 and a pair of western digital 2tb ssd drives for under £400....that a lot of difference.

Yes, I agree, the whole repair/upgrade was quite expensive..

 

[loosend]

The drives aren’t special at all - it’s all marketing.
Best upgrade I found and did myself very quickly were to swap to western digital gold drives but were pricey, I even increased the size of them.

 

[bencat]

I am not that gifted when it comes to dealing with electronics and small components on circuit boards with my fingers is just not a good thing .

I would echo the sentiments of other posters here Melco , Naim and others make a big deal about changing the HD and all insist that it needs to be returned to them and for them to supply the replacements . This would be fine if they were at least reasonable in charges for what they are doing but sadly they are not and charge way too much .

In most cases the switching of the HD Drive is fairly simple as it is in a PC and the choice of HD is really up to you . I would say the only real advance in HD drive for is the switch to SSD HD which if you can afford it is a great upgrade not only in speed but silence as well .

 

[trumpetman]

This post might be of some use
If I recall the software is in the RAM
https://forum.minimserver.com/showthread.php?tid=5250
Good luck, we'll be here watching and supporting if we can!!

 

[bencat]

Having read the above thread it would seem that changing the HD in a Melco is pretty straight forward and a number on the thread have done it . Please be aware that anything on the old drive will not be on the new ones installed and you would need to clone things from the original to the new .

Also a frenzied scream from me about the differences in sound quality of the HD used . I have been down the LPSU , reclock , DAC and other rabbit holes already and i just do not want to go down the HD v SSD rabbit hole , well at least not now .

Somebody please save me !!!!!!!

 

[loosend]

Your saved!
An SSD in an N1a sounds worse than a spinning drive, I’ve tested it and I’d imagine others, if you googled it would have.
Most evidence points to SSDs being a better option but in this case, it just wasn’t.

 

[bencat]

Your saved!
An SSD in an N1a sounds worse than a spinning drive, I’ve tested it and I’d imagine others, if you googled it would have.
Most evidence points to SSDs being a better option but in this case, it just wasn’t.

Read the thread again . Some SSD,s sound better and some sound worse according to some , so it's like the other rabbit holes . Just to be clear and apologies for taking this away from the original post . I switched from a Seagate portable HD in my Pi4 used as an LMS only to a Crucial SSD HD and I thought that sounded better . Now I find that maybe some SSD drives sound better than others .

 

[oldfidget]

Thanks everybody for your replies and just an update of my solution to the problem.
Firstly let me say melco are great sounding items and in no way am I saying anything different so please no one take offence...but.
Hdd's are user serviceable items....they will fail and frequently do. My melco is about 6 years old so a failure was to be expected.
At the time I bought it I was told to back everything up regularly using a portable 4tb drive from the machine. Which I did.
I'm not a computer geek and this seemed the ideal simple solution.
What nobody told me was this backup is in melco "speak" and is not easily compatable to use on any other machine. The files can only all be directly downloaded in one go onto a melco.
Further to that I was not informed that the melco os is loaded onto the hdd's so loose a drive and you loose everything including streaming of quobus.
And finally the quoted costs of melco repair.....simply eye watering. If you want the drives from Japan annointed with holy water from mount fuji . In my case £1500.
And here's one of the kickers ...they can repair it with locally sourced drives for just over £1000......what!!!
A quick peak in my machine revealed two seagate video drives available for around £70 a pop or a pair of we red nas drives available for £90.
I also asked as they would have my machine on the bench anyway what woild be the cost of the ex upgrade....still £500 , no discount.
My solution....roon nucleus with 2tb ssd drive into my dac via usb. File transfer by a fantastic dealer who is working through all the closed compartments on my back up drive , install onto new ssd in roon and reformat back up drive that can be eadily read and duplicated.
Incidentally the two melco and roon dealers I approached who shall remain nameless and requested the same where not interested....their computers too busy.
Tony from basically sound near norwich you deserve a special mention for unlocking this mess melco has got me into.
Melco n1a will be sold on eBay spares or repair.

Read the thread again . Some SSD,s sound better and some sound worse according to some , so it's like the other rabbit holes . Just to be clear and apologies for taking this away from the original post . I switched from a Seagate portable HD in my Pi4 used as an LMS only to a Crucial SSD HD and I thought that sounded better . Now I find that maybe some SSD drives sound better than others .

Read the thread again . Some SSD,s sound better and some sound worse according to some , so it's like the other rabbit holes . Just to be clear and apologies for taking this away from the original post . I switched from a Seagate portable HD in my Pi4 used as an LMS only to a Crucial SSD HD and I thought that sounded better . Now I find that maybe some SSD drives sound better than others .