Looking for Quiet External HD...


Seeking suggestions for a quiet external hard drive: 1TB minimum, Firewire 800 required.
128x128tvad

Showing 8 responses by tvad

This Seagate drive was reviewed and recommended as a very quiet drive. I almost bought one, but it requires a USB>Firewire 800 adapter and the adapter has received mixed reviews from owners, so I didn't proceed.
From what I've read, there are quiet and noisy external drives manufactured by all the manufacturers mentioned thus far, so I don't think one can make a blanket statement about noisiness of the drives based solely on brand. Size, design and enclosure all make a difference.

I'm hoping for some folks to contribute specific makes and models that are quiet: 1TB (or 2TB), Firewire 800, external drives.
The noise I have with my current drive is a constant, low level grinding...akin to a CD spinning in a CD player.

I took a look at the SATA acoustic management link, and it's not something I'm going to mess with, but I appreciate the suggestion.
01-25-11: Larry_s
An idle drive, just spinning, will have some noise but nothing an enclosure won't muffle.
Yes, I suspect it's the enclosure that's the issue: aluminum, essentially open at the front, and little if any sound deadening material or soft rubber bushings inside.

It's this DataTale model.

It's the drive supplied by Mach2 Music with their server package.
I decided to make my own quiet enclosure. I wrapped five sides in acoustic absorption foam intended to quiet the inside of computer towers. I left the back open, hoping this affords enough ventilation for cooling.

Ugly as hell, but it works.
I've ordered an Oyen MiniPro 2.5" Firewire 800 portable drive.

We'll see how the noise level compares to the DataTale 3.5" FireWire 800/400. The MiniPro spins at 5400rpm versus the 7200rpm of the DataTale. The MiniPro is approved for use with ProTools.

Perhaps what's required for my installation is a sound insulated box or cover that can be placed over the drives. It could be open in back.
Installed the Oyen MiniPro 2.5" Firewire 800 drive today. It is marginally quieter than the DataTale 3.5" FireWire 800/400, and it does not require a separate DC power supply, so I'm going to stick with the Oyen drive for now.
I place the drive on 1/2" sorbothane and place a brass weight on top, which also quiets the drive and isolates the shelf from vibration caused by the drive.