Need of NAS

[thall]

Being new to computer audio, I have been encouraged to equip my system with NAS. One high end retail suggested (2) 2T disc. I have 32 GB of music and one listening room/audio set up. Why would I need something so large? Could I get by with a single (2) 1T disc for about $300?

 

Thanks,

Tim

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Tim - You can get by with any size you want. Just try to predict how much music you will add in the next year or two and buy accordingly.

 

[xjeep]

Tim you dont need a NAS at all, an external HARDDRIVE is a much better use of your money. And in my opinion NAS are unnecessary over kill that produce no sonic benefits in all MUSIC SERVERS.

 

[xjeep]

NAS NAS NAS...LOL........................ Im not going to lie im getting tired of reading that... I personally dont like the thought of using a NAS in any of my set ups. They are unnecessary and the money to buy can be put to better use. Plus Im just not a huge fan of the connection type... If i can keep all streaming signals out of my system i will. And you can...

 

A NAS has only no advantages in my opinion. But i guess just a place that can store allot of large hard drives... I personaly cant amagin needing more than 1TB with one more 1TB for back up for my collection. And i will bet my house over 90% of the world is the same. I can easily keep those 2TB in my listening room and have them dead silent...

 

Anyways thats just my 2 bits i wanted to get off my chest...lol...

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

I have to counter this one, I highly recommend a NAS :~)

 

[xjeep]

I ask this with no disrespect... BUT WHY?... Whats the point? It does not improve sound in anyway... It to me only seems like a way for a multi room audio set up can access a central database...

 

Thanks

 

Cam

 

P.s. lol this the single shortest post i ever made... haha just five mins ago i realized i dont know how to right short posts...

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Cam - I value NAS devices for several reasons.

 

1. It get my larger spinning hard drives out of my listening room or far enough away so I can't possibly hear them or see the unsightly drive enclosures frequently used with external HDDs.

 

2. Music and additional storage is accessible from anywhere on the network without the requirement of a computer being on and serving up the disk.

 

3. Files are accessible from anywhere in the world as long as a router is configured correctly. I often want to get at a file or some music from another location. I just ftp to my NAS and get what I need.

 

4. Redundant storage in one enclosure with the ability to use RAID 1,5,10 etc...

 

5. I can upgrade my disks from 1TB to 2TB without copying data manually. I unplug the drive, put in a new one and wait for it to repopulate. The move to the next drive. When done I tell the NAS to use the new disk space. Thus, easy long term storage.

 

6. I have several music servers with several operating systems, Windows, OS X, Linux, Unix etc... The only reasonable way to have files accessible to all these is a NAS. There is no file format that is readable and writable by all these OSes.

 

7. The amount of storage possible with a NAS compared to a locally attached drive(s) is much larger. I frequently take advantage of this extra room, even if for short periods of time, to convert TBs of music to another format i.e. FLAC to AIFF or WAV. This takes tons of space.

 

8. A NAS consumes no USB, FireWire, or eSATA ports on a computer. If using a laptop these ports can be valuable. Sharing a USB bus with a DAC and a drive is not recommended. Macs only have one FW port PCs often have none.

 

I have many more reasons I use a NAS but they don't all come to mind right now. I've been using them for years and love them. I agree they are not the best for sonic quality. If I want the best I use local internal SSDs.

 

[Christopher]

Hi Cam,

 

I’m not using a NAS storage system, but I’m considering going the NAS route. Here are the reasons why I’m considering NAS.

 

Storage size

My iTunes library is currently over 1TB and quickly growing. I’m using two 2TB external hard drives – one for the library and a different one for backup. This approach is working ok for now, but I would like a more flexible and expandable approach that will accommodate library growth for the next few years.

 

Flexibility

I like the idea of having a static disk enclosure with the option to swap, upgrade and replace drives. NAS offers these features and my current external hard drives, unfortunately, do not.

 

Noise levels

Both of the external hard drives that I’m using generate levels of noise that a NAS would eliminate if placed in a remote location outside of the listening environment. The external hard drives that I’m using are connected via FW800. FW cables are not produced in long enough lengths to remotely locate the external had drives.

 

Networking

It’s easier to share files with NAS. I appreciate the file serving and increased accessibility.

 

Expected cost is a downside to NAS – I’d rather have more good music to listen to than an expensive storage system. That being said, we also need a place to store the tunes…

 

Cheers,

Chris

 

 

[xjeep]

Well Chris and Chris, you both have very valid reasons for needing one... But i guess Im so strong against them because I dont need one for any of the reasons listed, plus im more concerned about signal quality... I dont need a massive hard drive over 2TB for along long time. I dont hear any noise from my hard drives on my computer because i have them wrapped in sound dampening material.

 

P.S. thats allot of reasons...haha

 

[bmckenney]

Can a Mac Mini iTunes music server (headless, in listening room) access music data stored on a NAS via a wireless network where the NAS is USB'd to an airport express off a cable modem without detrimental playback issues? Or is it better that this type of networked server and storage solution is based on copper wire?

 

I went thru the three wireless music distribution articles and the music server article and I did not find any information on how NAS can be networked in to the system. I also checked other articles as well. Maybe I just missed something.

 

Edit: I think I found my answer in the Music Storage From Simple to Grand article. The grand (minus) or grand solution with NAS and an airport extreme instead of an express looks like the solution.

 

[neovibe]

I think one of the main reasons, not mentioned so far, is the increasing number of people that rely solely on a laptop which means any medium-large library needs to be located externally... and being a laptop means carrying around an external hard-drive (plus cables) is really missing the point on portability (at leat for those who care about it).

 

Having a NAS on a wireless network, means you can access a central library from any laptop anywhere in your place.

 

But maybe more importantly... can you all clarify why playback from files stored locally provides better sound quality than using a wireless NAS? OK, I know "it's all 1's and 0's" is missing the point, but... don't tell me there's jitter from wireless transmission of data... :-)

 

Is there? ;-)

 

cheers

 

 

[cfmsp]

"I agree they are not the best for sonic quality."

 

....and therein lies the crux of the issue.

 

In one fell swoop all the advantages you mention can be wiped out, at least for some.

 

FWIW, I'm still sorting out how to gain the advantage of music file centralization (given that I have a Mac Mini and a G5) without having to go the full NAS route.

 

Perhaps I'll revert back to my use of Airdisk feature of Airport Extreme.

 

clay