Storage of ripped CD's to PC HDD, external USB HDD or on NAS?

USB Drives are ok as just a copy and paste / backup but if you want more flexibility, NAS is better in terms of being able to set it up as a streaming device and remote access.

My NAS set up as RAID to ensure a single drive failure doesn't wipe the lot, and I can access any of my music / videos / files from anywhere with an internet connection. I also use it as a media server when I am home.

If your intention is purely backup, then files copied to a couple of USB drives and put in a safe might work fine for you.
 
LAN is in general faster than USB (even 3.0), but it won't matter as both are more than fast enough for audio. But LAN based solutions (like a NAS) can be accessed from different computers on the same time, and a NAS in the right RAID config makes backups less needed. My NAS is set in RAID6 so when a disk breaks down nothing is lost. I still make regulary backups to an external USB drive that is kept offline for most of the time altough.

But when using a NAS over LAN or wifi, you need to know how to configure your network right, and give the NAS an fixed IP (so often you need an own router and network config as a lot of ISP's don't let you do that from their router) so the computer and your music software keeps finding the music, with an USB drive there is no IP, it's always on the same place so easier to set up and maintain.
 
Bespoke Constructor
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Hello .. thanks for the post

I use external hard drives that now I make my self. I use wav files and yes these can be tagged if you use the correct software to complete this task I have been doing this for years with out any issues (wav files can be tagged with meta data and used on any pc) the programs I use for playback are as follows

1- J river media
2- foobar 2000
3- power dvd ultra 21
4- wmp in win 10
 
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Bespoke Constructor
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I have attached a few pics of a external drive that I made years ago and is still going strong (in a hifi200 case) this is usb 2 and works fine .. these days I would use SSD drives but the old mech hard drives are still good value for money ..
 

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Bespoke Constructor
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I made a dedicated power supply and the drive is triggered when the pc is turned on .. plus I can use in any pc that I have operating in my home .. again no meta data issues at all
plus the files work ok in my mini cooper s and my F Type Jaguar and Range Rove Evoque
 
I was planning to simply use two 64GB microSD card usb adaptors in the USB socket of the RPI4. That's basically 200 CDs - more than enough for our combined CDs including those in the attic. The issue with a external USB CD/DVD drive attached is that they suck alot of 5V current.
 
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Bespoke Constructor
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I was planning to simply use two 64GB microSD card usb adaptors in the USB socket of the RPI4. That's basically 200 CDs - more than enough for our combined CDs including those in the attic. The issue with a external USB CD/DVD drive attached is that they suck alot of 5V current.
Hell yes

These days SSD drives are fine ... which I use as well
But a 4tb Hard drive is cheap when compared to a SD drive
Currently I use dedicated USB or ESATA