Home Computer Audio Asylum

Music servers and other computer based digital audio technologies.

RE: HDD guidance

I figured since Ryelands dropped my Naim (anyone else remember the cute Naim ad with the amplifier having broken through the wooden floor at the crestfallen guy's feet with the caption 'I didn't mean to drop your Naim!'?), I thought I should respond too.

First, I totally agree with Dave on a single, larger, slower-rotation-speed drive being the better solution, sonically.

On HDD vibration isolation, I have my drive mounted to a square of bamboo flooring which sits on three 'Tenderfeet' damper feet from Herbie's Audio Lab (URL below). Then I currently have a homemade 'VPI Brick', which is nothing more than a laminated steel transformer core encased in heavy heatshrink (VPI built them into wooden cases, but I'm too lazy for that). Their theory was that the steel laminate block 'absorbs' much of the stray magnetic field and reduces the amount that radiates around. Don't know if it works, but the weight does make a difference, just like Dave said. Someday I'll try replacing it with a lead brick and see if that works any differently (I doubt, but I could be wrong).

I also have a sheet of ERS cloth wrapped around the drive. Dunno if that makes a difference, but I had it around, it was easy to put on, and I doubt it hurts.

My HDD is sitting on the bottom of the standard cMP^2 Zalman case. Having it sited 'just so' seems to be important. If I am working in the case and move things around, I need to make sure that the HDD is situated on the feet, not touching anything else in the case, and that the power and data cables are dressed so they don't touch anything between either end. More than once I've put it back together, heard that it sounded off (conjested, sluggish, blurred), and checked the HDD and it was not sited right. Putting it back restores the sound quality.

I'm slowly planning a homebuild case that will provide better isolation of the HDD... at least until SSD prices come down more.

Greg in Mississippi

P.S. In my experience, having the HDD separately powered is also very important. I'm a fan of well-built linear supplies here, but anything other than your main motherboard supply is a plus.

Everything matters!



Edits: 12/06/09

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  • RE: HDD guidance - GStew 16:00:17 12/05/09 (0)

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