Music file storage / format changes

Kingsrule

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Feb 3, 2011
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I just redid my NAS drive and the sonic changes are very interesting.....

I have been using for the past few years:

QNAP TS453Pro with 4x4Tb hd's formatted in RAID 5. Firmware version 4.3.3.0262. Only music files on the NAS. I have had one drive fail in approx 600 days of use. I never turn it off and have it plugged into a APC UPS good for 14 hours of running without ac. I do every firmware update so the NAS is periodically rebooted. In reading about RAID configurations, I decided it wasn't worth the risk of not being here if a drive goes down and specifically if 2 go down as that would lose all data with RAID 5. So for the last few days I did a full backup of my music files (having 2 just in case!) and reformatted the NAS to RAID 10.

So, observations:

1. Roon is snappier
2. When shuffling in Roon, the Vivaldi changes tracks of different resolutions much faster. And so far no lock ups! (Previously, it would sometimes lock up in shuffle mode)
3. But here's the biggest bonus: everything sounds better. Bass has more punch and detail, width to width across sound field more defined, images more defined. More dynamic. More air. Louder and more dynamic with the same volume setting...did I say more dynamic twice? U bet!

Nothing, other than the reformat has changed in my system
So what is the reason for the changes?
Either its the way RAID 10 delivers the files, interacts with the network/ Roon core, there was something buggy with my original RAID 5 system on the NAS, or the recopying of the music files did something. I'm thinking its the way RAID 10 delivers the files

In any case its like I just got a new component. For context, its a bigger change than any new cable or PC might bring...it is huge!
 

sbo6

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May 18, 2014
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Interesting stuff, congrats! I assume the NAS having a full PC built in uses software RAID. It might be possible the management / overhead of RAID 5 vs. 10 made the changes you described above, even though I'd think RAID 5 has less overhead but who knows.
 

Kingsrule

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Feb 3, 2011
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I asked a few friends over...needed to get a sonic check here.....they left stunned ..how could a NAS reformat do this? WTF is going on??
 

nonesup

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Feb 15, 2017
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Spain
Of course, I do not know the answer, but I have found so many things inexplicable in my digital "journey", which makes me laugh a lot about "bit are bit"
 

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