internal SSD or external drive for music

[dentlfly]

i just received rose hifi dac/streamer. i can install an internal SSD 4TB samsung drive in unit. would that be better than NAS setup. first foray into this. thanks.

[JemHadar]

A NAS unit with multiple drives offers the possibility of RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) schemes. A good NAS should also include simple to advanced back up applications.

A SSD drive is a fairly noisy device from an electrical point of view. They have a limited number of read/write cycles…but most likely you will never hit the limit during its practical lifetime. But then you should also assume a HDD will eventually fail at some point too, hence RAID to the rescue.

I guess your use case will lead the way. If you want to share your data on your local network (e.g. a Roon setup with multiple end points) and implement some type of data security/back up scheme, a NAS is definitely the way to go.

If the above does not apply…a SSD should do the job just fine.

Regardless, I would recommend to check if your dac/streamer supports access to a NAS…some kind of server software will have to run somewhere…could be the streamer (e.g. Lightning on the Auralic Aries) or on the NAS (e.g. Roon…if your streamer is Roon Ready…the Rose is)

BTW enjoy your new acquisition in good health…the Rose looks like a great streamer.

[clpetersen]

Hello dentlfly (that is a beautiful unit, congrats!):

A true NAS is useful if you update your music library using a separate computer and software and/or you use 3rd party software for music playback (e.g. Roon, JRiver, etc.) and/or you plan on using more than one streamer in the house and the current streamer cannot file-share.


But, it depends - if the streamer is fully networked, than it can perform many of the same functions as a NAS. Just make sure you a have a back-up plan.

[PeterMusic]

I prefer the simplicity of internal SSD, and I think the sound quality is at least as good as NAS. But as mentioned above--make sure you have some sort of reliable backup for any of these solutions

[George Prentice]

I just stream. The sound quality of my Aurender W20SE is the same from Qobuz, NAS, or internal storage. I just copied my ripped library to the internal storage in case my internet went out. That has happened for two hours once in the last year and a half. I would add the minimum internal memory just to put some files for emergencies. Then just stream.

[TommyC]

Originally Posted by George Prentice

I just stream. The sound quality of my Aurender W20SE is the same from Qobuz, NAS, or internal storage. I just copied ripped my library to the internal storage in case my internet went out. That has happened for a couple hours once in the last year and a half. I would add the minimum internal memory just to put some files for emergencies. The just stream.

Do you use any fancy network switch etc to achieve the same sound quality vs internal storage?

[cleeds]

Originally Posted by PeterMusic

I prefer the simplicity of internal SSD, and I think the sound quality is at least as good as NAS. But as mentioned above--make sure you have some sort of reliable backup for any of these solutions

That's my approach, too - it's the best solution for my work flow. Also, I want my system to operate as "stand alone" as possible and I like to minimize computers in my listening room. Using a SSD in my streamer satisfies all that.

Any approach requires a reliable back-up scheme.

[dentlfly]

i ended up buying a samsung internal 2TB SSD. thanks for all the input.

[John Jordan]

Originally Posted by dentlfly

i ended up buying a samsung internal 2TB SSD. thanks for all the input.

Have one in my Bryston BDP3.

John

[George Prentice]

“Do you use any fancy network switch etc to achieve the same sound quality vs internal storage?”

No. I use a wall wart wifi extender ($59) placed in a nearby outlet to plug in my Ethernet cable. Now to be honest, I do use a EtherRegen box as well… but I just threw it in when purchasing my amp… so I really don’t know exactly how much improvement it provided. It is reviewed as an improvement. But I can’t say. A good quality streamer cashes, and isolates. But even the EtherRegen wax only $640(?)… you could add later.

What is completely life changing is no longer being confined to what you have purchased. It is a completely different paradym… at first for some a bit disconcerting… then completely liberating. When there is no sound quality penalty for streaming the whole world is open… and Qobuz has about 500,000 albums in high resolution formats. I am currently listening to an East African jazz band… they are amazing. No longer confined to yet another copy of Kind of Blue… there is a whole world of audiophile sound quality stuff. There are also high def radio stations all over the world… you may discover you like Madagascar'n Sca jazz… there is probably 15 channels out there (I just made that up)… but the variety and quality is simply astonishing. I went out looking for odd music types and it is unbelievably rich and deep. I only listened to Kind of Blue once in the last couple years and compared between my streamer and vinyl and, well I don’t remember my conclusion…. Which clearly says there was no material difference.

So, the $xxx you spend on streaming becomes a bargain. I assure you my streamers are the best money I spent in my life.