This audiophile optimised SSD is designed to make your audio sound better

PC audio has come a good distance over time. An honest sound card is properly definitely worth the cash. Audiophiles are recognized to spend exorbitant quantities of cash within the pursuit of audio excellence, however there are limits. An audiophile SSD although? Seize the tin foil hat.

Tom’s {Hardware} drew our consideration in direction of the Audiophile Model boards, the place a developer proudly confirmed off a 1TB NVMe SSD with a number of optimisations that intention to offer improved 3D sound and “dynamic sound no different SSD at present can provide and even near.” Yeah. Positive. Proper.

The specs of the drive look ok. There’s a 1TB capability, or 333GB in pSLC mode which is supposedly the mode that makes the magic occur. There’s an exterior clock oscillator, Audionote capacitors, elevated PCB copper isolation, gold plated connectors and even an exterior 5V energy enter. That may all sound fairly good if we had been coping with analogue alerts. Consideration to element on the electronics aspect of issues will normally enhance analogue sound high quality, although maybe not a lot on the bodily storage aspect. There are different extra influential elements in between the SSD and your ears.

The issue with this idea is that an SSD shops binary information that’s saved in 1s and 0s. These 1s and 0s shouldn’t encounter any interference or alteration till they attain the audio processing a part of the PC or DAC the place they’re transformed to analogue. That’s the realm the place digital parts will have an effect on audio constancy, and by that point, the affect of the SSD is irrelevant. For the reason that storage medium is outwardly so essential, I ponder if an audiophile thinks in regards to the CD that price 10c to fabricate once they pop it right into a $2000 CD participant?

Its fascinating studying a few of the feedback from customers on the Audiophile Model boards who actually do imagine that their ears can detect the distinction between this SSD and an everyday shopper drive. I ponder if a blind audio check would reveal the identical? Affirmation bias at its best.

I truly contemplate myself a little bit of an audio buff. A high-quality set of audio system is an actual funding. I’ve a set of Klipsch Reference audio system that I’ve had for over ten years, they usually’re price each one of many roughly $5000 I spent on them. However my PC connects to a Rotel amp by way of S/PDIF and so this SSD would have precisely zero affect on what comes out of my audio system.

We merely need to chortle on the absurdity of an audiophile SSD. There’s no data on worth, however absolutely it received’t get near this $10000 Ethernet cable. Or will it?  Somebody with an excessive amount of cash will purchase it. A idiot and his cash are quickly parted.