Hi everyone and Happy pre-Thanksgiving.
Thanks, same to you!!
I'm looking at making some system changes as I consider finally moving beyond a mac mini direct to DAC, e.g. use a server or renderer. So, that's the big picture view.
The Mac was your server/renderer.
What's the pro/con of using an external ?
NAS serves your whole LAN, not just one host like local attached drive. NAS is a fileserver which can stream content to any clients on the LAN or even to web. HDD can be easily added to any host by USB, whereas a NAS must be configured to run on the network. NAS usually has 2 or more physical drives offering data redundancy like RAID and automated backups, etc.
Is it possible to utilize a renderer with just external HDDs?
No. Renderer in the strictest sense has no "server" no file storage, like uRendu, Squeezebox, Sonos. But some renderers have server built in, like Auralic Aries Mini, Volumio/RPi/hat. Think of renderer as the "player" controls what is played, and the server as the fileserver which stores the files.
If I were to use a NAS will it require a separate switch? [Or, is it possible to control a NAS directly via a phone or tablet, etc.].
If you want wifi remote control of music playback then yes, you'll need to have a functioning wifi LAN so all the parts can talk. Most people use their home's router to create a wifi network.
The renderer is what gets controlled, not the NAS. The renderer is the player, it runs the song selection software and transport controls. The NAS/server just serves file requests from the renderer client.
Some wifi NAS probably have phone apps for remote administration, which would control the NAS, but I think you're talking about music control.
I'm of the mindset of "less is more," and I see guys running extensive chains with FMC and isolators, etc. and it seems overly complex. And, each of those components can introduce power supply noise. An mRendu or sms 200 might be great, but I'm also considering an upcoming Matrix X-Server which is more akin to an Aurender--files, server in one box.
I don't know what any of that shit is.
I do know that simple is great until it won't do what you want it to, then you have to buy again. Features are great until it breaks just when you want music. Don't be intimidated by the complexity, as long as their is purpose for it. New technology that's simpler and cheaper is coming so fast now, it is risky to jump into overly complex setups. But the features of complexity can be worth the extra effort, like running Rune, or achieving femto-second jitter, etc.
PS. IF you are recommending a NAS, might you recommend a specific brand/model.
Synology, QNAP, WD are popular and good value. For straight up fileserver, just pick a brand with good reputation that fits your budget and desired features. For music, a simple 2 drive NAS for a couple hundred is all you need. Streaming music is very easy job, (10MB/minute for stereo wav) so you don't need any kind of extra speed. You just need silence, reliability and low cost. They all do RAID1 to protect your data against a drive failure. You can plug it into a port on your router far away from the stereo room to avoid noise from a cooling fan. If you get a silent NAS, research that it is reliable before buying because HDDs need cooling. You might want to use HDDs intended for media use, like WD red. They have better bearings for continuous operation in DVRs, etc.