Can the hard drive on which you store files affect your sound?

[BenLaw]

Saying the idea that a hard drive affecting sound is as likely as changing the colour of your pictures or the figures on your spreadsheet is true, however, not in the way implied. The hard drive CAN affect these things - it can lose them altogether.

So presumably the music will sound different every time you listen to it on the same system in that case?

I think Trefor is using a semantic argument. He could quite accurately answer you by saying, 'it might!'

Only if his argument was correct. Which it isn't.

Agreed.

 

[altruistic.lemon]

It's a bit irrelevant since the world is moving to SSD, which everyone knows sounds better :shhh: .

 

[AlmaataKZ]

It's a bit irrelevant since the world is moving to SSD, which everyone knows sounds better :shhh: .

 

[tino]

Even if different HDDs did sound different, which I doubt, and consumers were in some way influenced into buying a different (probably more expensive HDD), how on earth would they make a decision on what to buy? Auditioning lots of loan HDDs from your local PC World ... I doubt it. Perhaps WHF should repeat the subjective HDD test with expert reviewers? Or better still ... stick some measuring equipment on the end of the system being listened to and do cross correlation to see if there are any differences. My guess is that all you would observe in any scientific measurment is the same miniscule random perturbations that you get in any sound reproduction system of which the HDD probably causes the least if not zero variation. I would say the listener's ears and short term memory are the most volatile component in the listening chain.

 

[Anonymous]

Perhaps WHF should repeat the subjective HDD test with expert reviewers? Or better still ... stick some measuring equipment on the end of the system being listened to and do cross correlation to see if there are any differences.

Please no. :doh:

 

[CnoEvil]

Blimey!

I suspect Pantechnicon now has more than enough for a full load! :roll:

 

[Crossie]

What's happening? I thought this thread had been locked. :wall:

 

[CnoEvil]

What's happening? I thought this thread had been locked. :wall:

Pruned and ready for re-growth. >)

 

[John Duncan]

Like a fungal nail infection...

 

[CnoEvil]

Like a fungal nail infection...

I was thinking more topiary than toenails! :rofl:

 

[Crossie]

Anyway, I am really pleased thet it has been unlocked. I note that some have had trouble with noisy drives, particularly WD. I have a WD 'my book live' and it makes virtually no sound at all. Recently I tried to install a second WD 'my book live' to use for backup but I could not get windows XP to see them as two distinct drives. I am doing a backup via a USB HHD but this takes a day to complete. Back to the point NAS drives do not affect SQ - its just not possible in theory or in practice.

 

[Crossie]

Sorry HDD not HHD.

 

[Anonymous]

Going by one of man's most famous faux pars, we once thought the world was flat.

You made a faux pas with your faux pars.

 

[Anonymous]

Can I just ask, if the differences are so small, does it really matter? If I was trying to tell the differences between hard drives I wouldnt really be enjoying the music.

Ditto for most hifi and especially the cable debate - simply switch off and enjoy the music instead!

 

[BenLaw]

Back to the point NAS drives do not affect SQ - its just not possible in theory or in practice.

Despite the absolutist way in which this opinion is expressed, I agree

 

[John Duncan]

Back to the point NAS drives do not affect SQ - its just not possible in theory or in practice.

Despite the absolutist way in which this opinion is expressed, I agree

I agree with your anti-absolutist stance, but tend to agree that a) they *almost certainly* don't and b) life's too short to care.

 

[Crossie]

Sometimes you just have to draw a line in the sand...

 

[Anonymous]

its so ridiculous

To ask a question?

yes

can we next month have a shoot out between using different coloured speaker cables, im told ones with blue outer coverings tend to give a colder, harder sound and red gives a warmer, smoother sound. please can you investigate.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Going by one of man's most famous faux pars, we once thought the world was flat.

You made a faux pas with your faux pars.

More than likely, but then, I'm not French. That's my excuse anyway

 

[The_Lhc]

Going by one of man's most famous faux pars, we once thought the world was flat.

You made a faux pas with your faux pars.

More than likely, but then, I'm not French. That's my excuse anyway

We haven't thought the world was flat for about 3,000 years either (if we ever did), the Persians were advanced astronomers and knew the Moon was a sphere, so it's very likely they knew the Earth was as well, either way the Greeks proved the world was round over 2,500 years ago.

 

[Timbot]

I guess the "answer" I have inferred from the Big Question article is:

The HDD makes such a negligible difference to sound (though I don't think it'll make the slightest bit of difference personally) that it's probably not worth spending a fortune on an expensive HDD. Buy some CDs instead with your hard earned cash.

Thank you and good night.

 

[Frank Harvey]

We haven't thought the world was flat for about 3,000 years either (if we ever did), the Persians were advanced astronomers and knew the Moon was a sphere, so it's very likely they knew the Earth was as well, either way the Greeks proved the world was round over 2,500 years ago.

My point is there are plenty of things that we thought we knew about, only to be proven wrong. There's still plenty of things we don't know. How Sam Worthington has a film career being one of them.

 

[Andrew Everard]

This thread has now become sufficiently circular that it really needs to be drawn to a close. It's been pruned once and reinstated, but it's really going nowhere...