At a previous post I wrote about how I found out that playing an audio file stored at an HDD that is attached to the computer sounds better than playing the very same file stored at a NAS through a wired Gigabit Ethernet.
Even though I have read the same conclusion several times at various reviews of audio players, it keeps coming back to me: how is this possible? Still, this is a fact and even though I do not know how to explain it, I have accepted it so I am using USB HDDs attached to my laptop for my critical listenings.
This was the origin for another question: can different HDDs affect the sound of computer audio?
In order to investigate this, me and Panos decided to make a blind test. We gathered three different types of external USB 3.0 HDDs (a 3.5" WD My Book 2TB, a 2.5" WD My Passport 500GB and a custom made 2.5" 1TB external disk that consists of an ICY BOX and a 1TB WD HDD drive).
Before moving to the blind test, allow me a little piece of advice. If you also are using 2.5" external USB HDDs, it is good to know that there are two types of them. The ones you buy as a complete product and the ones you can assemble on your own by combining a 2.5" USB case & USB controller with a 2.5" HDD drive (without built in controller, intented for internal notebook use) of your choice.
I strongly suggest you to use the separate HDD combined with a separate case & USB controller custom solution. It might be a little bigger in size but is more durable: if the USB control fails, you just plug the HDD at a new USB case / controller and everything is fine. Otherwise, in case the HDD and the controller are one thing, if the controller fails then there is not much you can do about it. Keep in mind that since the USB cable is what protrudes from the case it is the first thing that usually gets accidentally knocked. Knocking hard the USB plug will hurt the USB controller - that is why it is better to carry around your external disk with the connection cable completely detached.
Moving on with the test. We followed our regular blind test procedure with the three listening cycles, where the listener had to choose all three times the same "winner" in order for his opinion to be valid. The test was strictly blind, meaning that one of us would listen and the other would change the audio file, blocking with his appearance the laptop's monitor that would allow the listener to know what he is listening to.
Each time we made a comparison between two different HDDs, connected to the same USB 3.0 controller of our laptop. We listened to the same track (Limehouse Blues, Jazz at the Pawnshop, 24bit 196kHz FLAC) with a VAIO laptop & Foobar2000 set up to provide bit perfect output to the custom modified EMU 0404 USB audio interface with a custom made battery power supply.
The result was that we could not distinguish any differences in the sound quality coming from the three different HDDs. Me and Panos repeated the test just to keep concluding that the sound quality was the same. Although this result might be blog wise disappointing, it does offer some piece of mind. Imagine how many HDDs we would need to buy in order to find the best sounding one. Or imagine the new kind of snakeoil regarding High-End HDDs that would appear: the sky is the limit.
Happy listening as always, no matter what your HDD is. It is the content that matters!
Last but not least, as I have already mentioned at a previous post, there is no sound difference between the internal laptop's HDD and an external USB.
Feel free to like, share, follow or comment if you liked this post.
Chris
Even though I have read the same conclusion several times at various reviews of audio players, it keeps coming back to me: how is this possible? Still, this is a fact and even though I do not know how to explain it, I have accepted it so I am using USB HDDs attached to my laptop for my critical listenings.
This was the origin for another question: can different HDDs affect the sound of computer audio?
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| An external 2.5" HDD is common practice in computer audio. |
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| On the right: our three different external USB 3.0 HDDs, waiting to be compared. |
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| At this external 2.5" USB HDD the HDD and the USB controller are one thing. If the controller fails, you are in trouble. |
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| 2.5" ICE BOX case, HDD and USB controller. |
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| The USB controller and the HDD are two separate things. |
Each time we made a comparison between two different HDDs, connected to the same USB 3.0 controller of our laptop. We listened to the same track (Limehouse Blues, Jazz at the Pawnshop, 24bit 196kHz FLAC) with a VAIO laptop & Foobar2000 set up to provide bit perfect output to the custom modified EMU 0404 USB audio interface with a custom made battery power supply.
The result was that we could not distinguish any differences in the sound quality coming from the three different HDDs. Me and Panos repeated the test just to keep concluding that the sound quality was the same. Although this result might be blog wise disappointing, it does offer some piece of mind. Imagine how many HDDs we would need to buy in order to find the best sounding one. Or imagine the new kind of snakeoil regarding High-End HDDs that would appear: the sky is the limit.
Happy listening as always, no matter what your HDD is. It is the content that matters!
Last but not least, as I have already mentioned at a previous post, there is no sound difference between the internal laptop's HDD and an external USB.
Feel free to like, share, follow or comment if you liked this post.
Chris
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