Thanks to Melco, I haven't played my ripped CDs and high-resolution audio files on a computer for years. In the meantime, the Japanese digital specialists offer not only various music servers and network players, but also a switch optimized for audio applications.

In my wife's chain located in the living room an N1A 60HA/2 provides the data, while in the my listening room it's an N1Z 60HA/2 taking over the job, and for ripping CDs my colleagues and I use the D100 transport, our so-called „editorial ripper“. Since I am utterly convinced by Melco’s triumvirate, I tried to get hold of the Switch as quick as possible. Roland Dietl already described the extent to which a representative of this guild can contribute to a harmonious sound three years ago in the first review of the Aqvox AQ-Switch-8. With the SE version, Aqvox designer Norman Lübke proved that it can be done even better. The Telegärtner M12 Switch Gold then lifted my digital chain to an even higher level – but it required a quite considerable investment and the conversion to LAN cables with M12 connectors on one end. After that, there were no qualms at all: Roland Dietl reviewed SOtM's switch, the sNH-10G, in a setting of the brand's components and did not shy away from connecting the 10 megahertz clock sCLK-OCX10 for clocking the switch - and got so enthusiastic about its effect on his digital playback chain that I tried the set in my system as well. And again, I found myself entirely convinced. Maybe it's hard to convey to other music lovers or analogue afficionados, but my colleague and I have each purchased a SOtM set for our systems: After all, we still want to be able to reach those potential pinnacles of musical enjoyment with what once started as "computer hi-fi".

But let’s step back to Melco’s S100. To get a better understanding of the matter, it might be helpful to briefly recall the roots of the company, even if I had already mentioned them in the article about the HA-1NA: Back in the 70's there existed a sensational Japanese turntable whose modular construction can be considered as the paragon of some non-suspended turntables introduced hereinafter. Makoto Maki had designed it, whose last name also stands for the first letter within the company name: Maki Electronic Laboratory Company or, in short, Melco. In the meantime, his company developed into the largest manufacturer of computer peripherals in Japan. Wireless routers, Ethernet data switches and storage media are offered under the brand name Buffalo. So Melco or Buffalo respectively should have sufficient competence in the field of switches. It’s therefore not really surprising that the Japanese digital specialists take a completely different approach than the manufacturers of all the switches mentioned above.