NAS (Network Attached Storage) for audio
TL;DR
A NAS is a network-connected storage device that holds your FLAC/DSD music library accessible to any network audio streamer. Popular in the audiophile community for centralizing large local libraries. Synology and QNAP are dominant brands.
A NAS (Network Attached Storage) is a dedicated file server that sits on your home network. Stores files (music, movies, backups) accessible to any connected device.
Audio use case
- Rip CDs to FLAC once – accessible from any device forever
- Buy hi-res downloads (Qobuz, HDTracks) – store on NAS, stream to any network audio player
- Run music library software (Plex, Jellyfin, Roon Core) on the NAS
- DLNA/UPnP server for network streamers
Popular brands
Synology (DS220+, DS223, DS920+) and QNAP dominate. Look for 2-bay units with RAID mirroring for data safety. 4 TB pair (RAID 1) = ~4 TB usable = holds ~10,000 FLAC albums.
Compatible streamers
Fosi Audio S3, WiiM, most Roon-Ready streamers can access NAS libraries.
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