Need advice on what to purchase to hold 1TB of music and connect to my new Innuos Pulsar.


I just need 1TB of file space and won’t ever need more.  I am most interested in sound quality and staying under $500. The less money the better - if possible.    It will be hooked up to an Innuos Pulsar that has no internal storage.  The Pulsar is streamer only. My music, only 1100 CDs, is already stored on a Raid and I will only use this Raid for backup. 
 

No idea what I need. Don’t think I need a NAS, but may. Do I just buy a 1TB SSD drive? Which one? Connectivity? This is not an area I am well versed on as in the past I have always owned servers which had on board storage ( Innuos Zenith 3).  
 

I am a little lost here fellow Agoners. Thanks for your help.  Bill 
 

 

128x128grannyring

@grannyring NAS (Network Attached Storage) is connected to your network via Ethernet. There is no direct connection to the Innuos. as long as the two are on the same home network the Innuos will see the NAS. You’ll need to make sure the folder with all your music is “shared” to the rest of network from your NAS.

Another good simple NAS is Synology. I use a DS920 (4 bay), but the basic 2 bay models are great for simple things like streaming/storing music/video.

@grannyring : how are you streaming from the PULSar? Assuming via Sense? (not Roon or similar). From the website https://innuos.com/pulse-series/

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– In Standalone mode, you are able to use the Innuos Sense app to play streaming services, Internet Radio and music stored on a NAS to a multitude of audio systems. In this mode, the network player becomes the centre of your audio system, enabling also to use the Sense app with other streamers on your network. 
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The other option (Endpoint mode) would require a ZEN series server, which appears you no longer have. So I am afraid a NAS will be needed. But then in your OP you say:

My music, only 1100 CDs, is already stored on a Raid and I will only use this Raid for backup. 

What do you mean by “Raid”? It can mean different things. Maybe you already have a NAS? A NAS is simply a storage device connected to the network that can be accessed remotely in that same network from other devices

 

@grannyring 

That’s a shame that Pulsar won’t support playback from a portable SSD drive via one of the USB ports. A glaring oversight that they better address soon. 

@lalitk : it depends on how one looks at the situation. For obvious reasons, Innuos would love the Pulse to be part of its echo system that would also include an Innuos server like ZEN series. The Endpoint mode. On the other hand, in standalone mode, nowadays most people just use Tidal or Qobuz. And for those with a library of ripped CDs, a NAS is a common feature to have in the house, or if not, fairly easy to add, not expensive, with added benefit for other usage in the house, not just music storage 

no direct storage allowed”

@thyname

My criticism may seems bit harsh but It was quite surprising to see a player costing $7K, doesn’t offer such a simple functionality. At the end of the day, it’s not a deal breaker for anyone who loves the sound of Innuos.