DELA S5 Audiophile Network Switch

Introduction

For those who missed the announcements, DELA is the new name for the brand formerly known as Melco. As many followers of this well-respected Japanese brand may know, the Dela brand name has been used in various markets for some time. The name change is part of Buffalo, the parent company’s, restructuring and incorporation of Melco Holdings.

Scroll back through our site a little, and you will find my review of the Melco/DELA S1. The DELA S5 follows a similar brief, albeit at a lower price point and sans certain features, such as the fully bespoke main board and the external clock input. It does, however, boast a new DELA Super Clear Dynamic Power Supply.  The S5’s form factor, which also mirrors that of the DELA N1 and N5 servers, is almost indistinguishable from the considerably more expensive S1. The question for me, before installing the S5 into my review system, is how much of the S1’s magic does the S5 retain?

The S5 could be considered to be the natural successor to the Melco S10, which was quietly withdrawn from the market last year. This predecessor was a two-box affair, physically resembling the Melco S100 switch, with a similarly styled and sized external, linear power supply. Whilst more expensive than the S10 (£7,499 vs £4,999), the DELA S5 certainly looks and feels to be a class above its ancestor. Despite the S5’s superiority in both physical and aesthetic terms, the acid test will be whether it adds £2,500 of value to an otherwise well-sorted network streaming system.

Build, Design and Features

As with the DELA S1, the S5 has four SFP inputs and seven RJ45 Ethernet inputs. The latter are Professional Grade Neutrik sockets, as fitted to the top-of-the-range DELAS1. Despite being some 4.5kg lighter than the S1, which suggests a smaller power supply, the S5 is still a considerable piece of hardware and feels it. Additionally, there’s a USB output for powering a low-voltage device. There’s a light above each input that displays input or output speed, but thankfully, these can be switched off when not required to reduce unnecessary noise.

The front panel features a button that can change the input/output speed of each port or turn it off altogether. The theory here is that slower speeds produce less noise, which is very much part of Dela’s design philosophy. I would have liked to experiment with different input and output speeds, but unfortunately, the partnering equipment in my system was only comfortable with the 1 Gbps setting. Defeating unused sockets can reduce noise and improve performance, as can turning off the front display, which can be dimmed or turned off altogether.

How Does It Perform?

I use an ADOT MC03 SFP fibre converter, powered by a PlixiR linear power supply, between the router, which sits in my office.  A 5m run of the yellow, single-mode cable runs from the office into my listening room. This yellow cable offers better performance than the orange multimode SFP cable but is more sensitive to cable bends. Hence, the general advice is to use the yellow when possible, with the orange being available if the yellow proves unsuitable. While we are on the subject of ADOT SFP converters, the brand has recently launched the ADOT ONI-100 optical isolator for users who require an Ethernet input to their network switch or server. We hope to look at this product soon.

I was fortunate to have the Melco/DELA C1-D20 copper SFP cable on hand, which was used between the S5 switch and my N1 server throughout the evaluation. Our review sample DELA S1 switch was returned to the distributor in June, and I have been using my S100 switch with a PlixiR Elite linear PSU since then. Despite being unable to make back-to-back comparisons between the S1 and S5, I feel confident that I have a pretty good handle on the differences between the two switches.

First, let’s compare the DELA S5 to an optimally powered Melco S100 switch.  Via the former, music sounds more open, with the edges better defined, yet bereft of any unpleasant sharpness. Indeed, music sounds more natural, with better layering and improved timing. As with the S1, the S5 will maximise your system’s ability to throw a large, three-dimensional soundstage, which is something my MOON 780D DAC/Streamer/MOON 600i and Totem Forest Signature speakers have always excelled at. Indeed, the DELA S5 gives you the best version of your system in this regard. Low-level dynamics also benefit from the S5’s lower noise floor, allowing one to appreciate the quieter passages of more dynamic recordings without raising the volume. Music sounds more vivid with the S5 in the system, as if someone shone a light on the soundstage. This is not to say it adds brightness as such, merely that the reduced network noise makes it easier to hear into the performance.

A Qobuz stream of Lady Blackbird’s debut album (24/44.1), which is nicely recorded for a modern production, clearly benefited from the lower noise levels. Her vocals appeared bigger, yet paradoxically, more intimate. The soundstage expanded in all dimensions, which informed me that this is a better recording than I had previously appreciated. The drums now had more of a shuffle to them, doubtless thanks to the superior timing. The string section was given its own space in the soundstage, within an acoustic that was quite palpable.

Turning up the wick with Led Zeppelin’s recently released Live EP (Qobuz 24/48) was a pleasant experience. The fatigue experienced prior to the S5’s arrival was replaced with engagement. Kashmir, which was previously a hard listen, now sounded like an entirely different track. John Paul Jones’ keyboard now had texture and depth to the notes, as well as space around the instrument. Thanks to the reduction in noise, I could now appreciate the venue’s acoustics, which, although it was an outdoor stage at Knebworth, clearly had a significant amount of reflective surfaces.

Since the recent, sad passing of Danny Thompson, I have been down a bit of a rabbit hole into both his former band, Pentangle and their associated members. My current obsession is the music of Bert Jansch. Bert’s eponymous album was recorded in mono, but sounds stunning, all things considered. I have not got round to purchasing this album, but have been enjoying the 24/44.1 Qobuz stream. The S5 has introduced new levels of intimacy to the stream, along with improved instrumental timbre to his guitar. There was now also a sense of depth to the recording that was not previously present – impressive for a mono recording! These results apply to both streamed and stored media, which may come as a surprise to some.

Specification and Price

If you have read my review of the S1 and are considering purchasing one, you will want to know whether it is worth the extra money over the S5. Much of this will depend on your system, of course, so a demonstration will be essential before parting with the extra £5,000. I can confidently say that the S1 brings an additional sense of ‘analogue’ and organic qualities to the music. There is also a greater degree of dynamic contrast in the S1, which the S5 does not quite match. I also feel the S1 sounded just that bit more relaxed and had the edge in the timing department.

As the wired internet connection in my living room comes from the same point, I also have an Apple TV box hooked up to the switch that feeds my music system. Interestingly, I found that turning off the port on the S5, which the TV box is connected to, had a greater effect on the S5’s performance than I recall it did with the S1. Doing so towards the end of the evaluation period has brought some of the special analogue quality that I remember from the S1, but I still feel the S1 had the edge here.

So, to sum things up, if your system is already at reference level, you will enjoy the extra magic the S1 brings to the party. Going for the S5 will get you most of the way there, however, and will free up funds for you to make improvements elsewhere. This is where a good dealer will prove their weight in gold.

Conclusions

The DELA S5 is a serious piece of hardware that can deliver high performance from high-end streaming systems. I recall the feeling after installing the S100 into my system, some four years ago, that I was achieving the best streaming performance available. The S5 shows how far the medium has come and represents a serious upgrade over the S100/PliXir LPSU combo. The S5 offers flexible features, boasts first-class build quality and can seriously improve your enjoyment of streamed music.

For owners of the Melco/DELA N5 or N1, it makes the perfect visual match. As I have already mentioned, the S1 can potentially elevate your system to even greater heights and offers the option of adding an external clock, such as the soon-to-be-launched ADOT LJC-100, which, I am reliably informed, can be a real game changer. For those of us in the real world, however, the DELA S5 represents a top-performance, aspirational product that I would be happy to give a permanent home to, if and when funds allow.

Until you have tried a switch like the DELA S5, you have not heard how good your network-streaming system can sound. If you want to listen to what your high-end streaming system is truly capable of, I suggest you get in touch with your DELA dealer at the earliest opportunity.