SSD drive for Nucleus+

Any advice on the largest SSD drive that will fit and work reliably in Nucleus+?

@Avi_Markowitz I’m using a 2TB Samsung 860 EVO. Works like a charm. You can get more storage, just be sure the drive is no more than 9.5mm tall, due to space restrictions with the Nucleus.

I’m using a SanDisk Ultra 3D SSD 2 TB in my NUC. Also under the 9.5mm hight limit, and works perfectly.

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Samsung is coming with a new type of SSD with 3d v-nand (QLC), named Samsung 860 QVO 4TB. Same form factor. In the Netherlands they will be for sale at €639 That,s about 200 euro cheaper.

If understood correct, you use the Nucleus both as Roon server and storage of your music files.

Do you use usb out directly to usb in at a separate dac? Or would you need a streamer as well to maintain SQ?

Will it be possible with a Nucleus (i3) as well - I do not need upsampling?

@Redwine Yes, you may use the Nucleus to both serve your Roon files and to store them, assuming you install an internal hard drive. Of course, you may always connect a USB drive with music files to either of the Nucleus devices. You may also use one of the two USB connections to tether a USB dac. In my case, I simply have a network connection so the Nucleus can see my Devialet 200, which Roon controls (turns on, adjusts volume, streams music and turns off). You can even do some rudimentary upsampling with the base model. A Nucleus+ is only needed for really large libraries and aggressive upsampling.

So you use the Devialet as streamer and the Nucleus is not direct connected/wired using usb or similar. Does it give better sq using streaming?

@Redwine That’s correct: the Devialet is the streamer and is not direct connected. It’s simply on the network. Lots of devices can work this way. In terms of SQ, Roon will say it just serves the bits to the appropriate dac/streamer and that device will determine SQ. My impression is that the Nucleus made everything sound much better than my old process with a Roon core on my Win10 computer. Check out the Hi-Fi Pig review here for a similar experience. Maybe the author @John_Scott1 will chip in!

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I connect directly to my network using Ethernet and then stream to all compatible devices in my home (e.g. Bluesound and Sonos), but I can also connect directly to the my PS Audio Directstream DAC using USB. I haven’t tried connecting yet using HDMI to output multichannel music.

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Thanks. I’ll add that to the 4TB SSDs to look at for the Nucleus+.

Thanks. I also found this searching on-line and it’s high on my list of choices.

Been through the referred review (Hi-Fi Pig), thanks. I didn’t spot however if used as a Roon server alone improved the sound quality.

As such to me it’s still not clear if I gain anything major in terms of sq, in case I stream instead of using the Nucleus directly linked to a dac.

If directly linked up and using the Nucleus for Roon and as music server for my music as well, I also noticed that products like Innous and others can do the same with a Roon subscription.

Do you notice any sq difference between direct connect (usb) and ethernet (streaming)?

Hi just a follow up question on this old thread please. I am currently trying to decide between the Samsung EVO 4TB drive you suggested last year and the slightly cheaper QVO version. Do you think the QVO would work just as well as the EVO in terms of SQ and performance inside my Roon Nucleus?

Here’s the QVO version…

Thanks

Personally I’d stay away from any QLC design from any brand.

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QLC is perfect for a large capacity storage drive – it raises capacity in trade for reducing write endurance and write performance.

Given that you rarely write to your music drive, this sounds like a perfect match.

The real question should be if you require SSD (vs spinning HDD) for your music. If your goal is silence, you have no choice and QLC is a great solution.

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Thank you very much. Danny, by silence do you mean just the whirring of a spinning HDD? Or is it more than that, i.e., a reduction in noise floor etc? I have been assuming the latter is also achieved when you use an SSD in the Nucleus, but it’s a point worth checking for me as the whirring sound from the physical spinning of my current USB HDD does not bother me overly. I have my USB HDD tucked away inside a cabinet, so that helps.

Thanks again.

I’m talking about the whirring.

Digital bits leave the Nucleus perfectly. There noise floor can only be made worse by digital alteration or in the analog domain. We aren’t mucking with the signal digitally (unless you add DSP) and the Nucleus has no analog outputs.

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Thanks again Danny. This is very helpful.