SSD = Solid State Drive, which is best..?

Is this a serious question — an audiophile SSD??!! 

I am always serious, many people probably know that there is a difference between ordinary hard drives..... it is perhaps easier to understand.
In this interest, all matters,.. " Attention To Detail ".

/Peder ????

Naim recommend the Samsung EVO 850 for the Uniti Core. This is now obsolete but apparently the EVO 860 is acceptable as a replacement.

But I really suspect that in terms of sound quality it doesn't make a fig's worth of difference which SSD you choose as long as it works in the application.

best

David

Peder posted:

SSD = Solid State Drive.

 

This is why I tune in occasionally. And for system pics (SSDs included I hope).

What are your reasons for using SSD over HDD? Ten to one your dealer used HDD at the demo! Rich 

Rich 1 posted:

What are your reasons for using SSD over HDD? Ten to one your dealer used HDD at the demo! Rich 

I'm not sure whether the question is intended for me to answer, but I started with an HDD in my Core, but because it runs all the time it's not silent and it runs hot. The SSD on the other hand is silent and the whole Core stays cool.

best

David

David Hendon posted:

Rich 1 posted:

What are your reasons for using SSD over HDD? Ten to one your dealer used HDD at the demo! Rich 

I'm not sure whether the question is intended for me to answer, but I started with an HDD in my Core, but because it runs all the time it's not silent and it runs hot. The SSD on the other hand is silent and the whole Core stays cool.

best

David

Same here.

Melco have always promoted their use of 'audio grade SSD' drives made by Bufallo https://www.melco-audio.com/pr...continued-models/n1/

Whether these actually have an impact on sound, I have no idea.

The obvious benefits of SSD have already been stated. The down side is cost compared to the same capacity as HDD.

Peder posted:

SSD = Solid State Drive.

The question might have been asked before, but put it again.
???? Which SSD, do you think is best if we just talk SoundQuality.?

Got a suggestion for.......
◾ Crucial MX 100 SSD 512 GB.

Old or new doesn't matter,I want the best.!!

But I have no idea today, it's been a while since I compared these.

/Peder ????

a lot of high end servers, like antipodes or innuos, use samsung ssd.  the samsung pro version is the most expensive, but it is really better for sound quality, who knows?

???? David Hendon,..... you wrote "I'm not sure whether the question is intended for me to answer,"

Everyone can of course respond, thank you for contributing with knowledge, experience.

???? Intothevoid,.... Thanks, interesting information about Melco.
I have a friend who has the best Melco Nas, should check with him which hard drive is sitting in it.

Besides what you write, that the Nas gets cooler, there is one more important factor.
There will be much less internal vibration in the Nas, if you use SSD instead of HDD.
We all know that internal vibrations can affect the soundquality negatively.

/Peder ????

intothevoid posted:

Melco have always promoted their use of 'audio grade SSD' drives made by Bufallo https://www.melco-audio.com/pr...continued-models/n1/

Whether these actually have an impact on sound, I have no idea.

The obvious benefits of SSD have already been stated. The down side is cost compared to the same capacity as HDD.

 

Buffalo is Melco, or vice cersa...   But yes, they use an optimised version, of which I gather one difference is the absence of wear levielling protocols (not needed because music stores have minimal delting and re-writing)  which they claim makes a positive difference, compared to  standard computer SSDs and HDDs, I seem to recall there is also attention to vibration isolation, though I don’t recall if that is specifically the SSDs or the Melco unit itself. However Melco’s audio SSDs add far more to the cost than standard ones..

I use Samsung EVO 850 in my Mac Mini.

IIRC, it was Melco before Buffalo. In the days when I used a Mac Mini for source, I upgraded it from HDD to SDD. It booted up much quicker of course, but I couldn't detect an improvement in sound quality. 

With the Melco, I initially tried their base model with the HDD drives, and it was such an improvement over the Mac Mini I thought I'd go for it. But then...I had to try the next model up, with the SDDs. Which was even better, but there are other differences between the models besides the drives, so it's impossible to say what element of the improvement is down to the SSDs. The Melco ones, as has been pointed out, are rather different in the way they operate, and I've no reason to doubt this is so.

Here's a photo of the insides of my Melco N1Z :-

Now that I read about it -- my system does sound broken. Should have bought Samsung rather than WD SSD? Also, to economically support my wife's home country. Catch two birds with one stone... 

T

P.S. From a noise and heat point of view, I can see the case for SSD rather than HDD -- I bought SSD for my pedestrian QNAP... And these are less likely to experience disk failure I was told by my IT department (no moving parts). Re SQ differences between different SSD, hmmm. Any volunteers for blind testing?? "The first SSD sounds more organic to my ears, and also the second SSD  had a somewhat hot top-end..."  Really??!! 

Well Martin Colloms prefers HDD over SSD in his Uniti Core review.

Said it sounded more dynamic and tightly focussed.

When will this madness end.

SimonPeterArnold posted:

When will this madness end.

I'll stir things up a bit....

Look guys a bit is a bit. It makes no difference to SQ which you use.....

best

David

flammenwerfer posted:

Well Martin Colloms prefers HDD over SSD in his Uniti Core review.

Said it sounded more dynamic and tightly focussed.

Well Simon-in-Suffolk prefers it when the natural Humidity is  greater than approx > 75% when critically listening to his Naim 552 based system. He says the sound is more organic and natural compared to lower Humidity.. He hasn't  quite gone to the extent of getting a humidifier for his listening room yet - but I understand he is considering it. Any view from the forum on which Humidifiers create the best sound?

David Hendon posted:

SimonPeterArnold posted:

When will this madness end.

I'll stir things up a bit....

Look guys a bit is a bit. It makes no difference to SQ which you use.....

best

David

Oh it does, try swapping 1s and 0s around.

Any views on how good this one makes the sound? I understand it can occasionally raise the noise floor with a soft hissing sound..

SimonPeterArnold posted:

When will this madness end.

One thing,this interest has learned me since the beginning of the 80 century,and that is to be "open in the thinking"..... do not restrict yourselfe and say...
This has no meaning,... how many times have you not been surprised and said.....Whaoo.!!

Therefore, my led word is,... "Be Openminded".

Everything matters,...four very, very small improvements are suddenly a big together.

So,you who write "likes" here,have you tested so you know,..... or you need to be more "Openminded" ????.

/Peder???? 

SimonPeterArnold posted:

When will this madness end.

the uniticore must stand in front of the Mecca direction, for best sound quality.

Timo posted:

Is this a serious question — an audiophile SSD??!! 

You may laugh but I hear a difference in sound quality between files played on HDD and SSD in favor of SSD.

I went SSD because it wasn’t spinning all the time, was quiet and cool. HDD drives are sooo last century

flammenwerfer posted:

Well Martin Colloms prefers HDD over SSD in his Uniti Core review.

Said it sounded more dynamic and tightly focussed.

And he claims to be a  genuine professional hi-fi reviewer?

Takes me back to  the good old days in the mid 80s of green felt pens (or was it blue?) and little black triangles you placed on each of your CDs & power plugs. I seem to remember that Jimmy Hughes was the main culprit. These really were the days.  

I have to admit to trying this out a couple of times. I think my original CD copy of Dire Straights - "Brothers in Arms" still has the original little triangle on one side. I tried it out, thought to myself "what the *** are you doing? Get a grip on yourself", and am only now beginning to recover from my embarrassment at having given it a go.

I find it really hard to believe that anyone can hear a difference between hard-disk makes or types. Just a step (or two) too far for me I'm afraid. 

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

flammenwerfer posted:

Well Martin Colloms prefers HDD over SSD in his Uniti Core review.

Said it sounded more dynamic and tightly focussed.

Well Simon-in-Suffolk prefers it when the natural Humidity is  greater than approx > 75% when critically listening to his Naim 552 based system. He says the sound is more organic and natural compared to lower Humidity.. He hasn't  quite gone to the extent of getting a humidifier for his listening room yet - but I understand he is considering it. Any view from the forum on which Humidifiers create the best sound?

That is a very first world problem - I have to run de-humidifiers to stop organic and natural things from growing on the walls!