Best Hard Drive and Enclosure for Music Server

Unfortunately the Drobo was too noise for my taste (even with WD Green Caviar drives).

The only way to get really quiet storage is to go for a bunch of 2.5'' drives, which are quite a bit more expensive though (and only availabel up to 500-640GB).

I'm getting good, quiet service from my USB external Seagate 1 TB drive. It was a breeze to setup - attach the power and USB cables and you're done! During operation it runs stone cold quiet, I rarely hear it and it's only 2 feet away from my left ear.

I believe they are selling for right around $100 and the 1.5 TB model is going for about $150. Check NewEgg.com, TigerDirect.com, or MicroCenter.com

I recommend you stay FAR away from Buy.com, they ripped me off for a $100 rebate and then basically told me to go pound sand...

-RW-

In three years I've had 3 outboard hard drives. Seagate, LaCie and Western Digital. The LaCie matched the Mac Mini and really looked cool and only lasted a month. The last Seagate lasted less than a week. They both came in sealed enclosures. The WD 2 TB MyBook II, knock on wood has been great. I use firewire cable for the connection and it is sitting on the floor behind my component rack, out of site and very quite.

After spending a month with the WD I went out a bought another 1 TB drive. I replaced one of the drives in the enclosure and now keep it stored away. I am not going to load all those CD’s again.

I don't understand why the noise from a Drobo would bother anything? Mine are in another part of the house. They are next to the router, and the Droboshare is connected to the router, this allows the whole wireless network to use it.

I have (4) 1TB drives and that gives me about 2.8TB of usable space, and the rest used for Back up.

MY AppleTV uses the Network to grab the info off of the Drobo and then I use a v good TosLink cable from the AppleTV to a Bryston BDA-1 DAC. It works stunningly well.

Drobo is super safe and easy to use, it replaced a RAID array for me.

I suppose if you have the $$$ some Solid state HDs could be the quietest available.

I use a 1TB Iomega NAS. I also use a WD 'My Book' USB, and have a couple USB & SATA enclosures so I can exchange OS drives and back them up from one pc to another.

The computer audiophile dot com offers a few options for you. The post alluding to a wireless configuration which allows you to sequester your server/drive elsewhere is a good one.

I found if you use compliant nodes or pods beneath your ??? the noise from that drive or server will drop drastically. A bit more if you also have it connected to a good cond. AND the sound improves too.... but don't take my word for it, try it for yourself.

The Iomega X NAS has two USB ports so it can be added to. Under $300 as well. great reachable support too!

I've got a Seagate 1TB Barracuda and a few WD drives with no issues so far.

I am going to go with a hot swap-able server of sorts soon as I can though.

Good luck... try those Bright Star nodes or Vibra pods... they provide a more than noticeable lessening of the SPL them gizmos produce!