Anybody using HD2500 with USB3?

[Corabar Steve]

Any problems?

Does the Denon read the drive OK?


I've got a Seagate USB 3 drive & although the DDJMM software communicates with the drive, the Player doesn't want to know.

[Excalibur]

Can't comment on the Denon, but my Numark HDMIX doesn't seem to like USB3. I shuffled drives round so that it could have an USB 2 instead, but the biggest improvement came by taking my own advice.

POWER EVERYTHING.

Even though the drive works fine on laptops, hard drive controllers seem to struggle to give it sufficient power.

Since the Numark can accept decent sized hard drives, I was able to consign this rig to backup, simply by using the internal drive instead. I don't think this would work for the Denon though, unless it's had a severe firmware update.

[Corabar Steve]

I think that's probably the case with the Denon too Peter. One of my existing HDs is playing up, so tried wit one of the USB3 drives we have for the Cortex & it doesn't want to know. Cortex plays from it no problem.

[Excalibur]

I think that's probably the case with the Denon too Peter. Cortex plays from it no problem.

A thought. :lightbulb:
In the good old days, when this forum was filled with questions about hard drives, hubs, brands to use and avoid, powered or unpowered, we also used to ask:

" What file system is it " ? I'm clutching at straws here, but I remember when Denons wouldn't read NTFS, but Cortex did. I also remember you finding a utility to convert large NTFS drives to Denon's beloved FAT32.

I don't suppose, by the faintest of remote chances, your Denon is on old software, and won't read NTFS? :confused:

Like I said, clutching at straws. :luck:

[DazzyD]

I'm not sure you're clutching at straws at all, Peter. That's a pretty good suggestion from where I'm standing!

Just last week in my computer magazine this topic came up. Apparently, Android devices can use external hard drives with a special adaptor cable but they too can only read FAT32-formatted drives but Windows premoninately formats in NTFS. So drive formatting format is still a current subject and could well be the case here, too!

[Corabar Steve]

A thought. :lightbulb:
In the good old days, when this forum was filled with questions about hard drives, hubs, brands to use and avoid, powered or unpowered, we also used to ask:

" What file system is it " ? I'm clutching at straws here, but I remember when Denons wouldn't read NTFS, but Cortex did. I also remember you finding a utility to convert large NTFS drives to Denon's beloved FAT32.

I don't suppose, by the faintest of remote chances, your Denon is on old software, and won't read NTFS? :confused:

Like I said, clutching at straws. :luck:

FAT32 drives, so that's not it.


Warning to anyone wanting to format NTFS to FAT32, don't use Seagate DiscWizard.

2 completely :Censored:d drives that windows won't recognise later.....

[Corabar Steve]

I think that the issue may be that although USB3 is backward compatible with USB2 devices, nobody has told the HD2500s this.

[Nakatomi]

I think that the issue may be that although USB3 is backward compatible with USB2 devices, nobody has told the HD2500s this.

If the new HDD is 'proper' USB3, it might not like working on a USB2 port due to higher than USB2 power consumption. USB3 has extra pins for more power & more speed - the controller chip in the device & in the host [b]should[b] be able to negotiate a good working connection but won't if the device can't get enough juice.

And I say 'should' in the above paragraph because I've had to debug some nasty issues with USB, SATA, IDE things not talking to other things like they should (and it ultimately turning out that a data analyser showed somebody didn't read the spec yet it miraculously 'just works' with other kit).

Oh and for what it's worth most kinds of backward compatibility usually mean newer host (should) still work with older devices, not the other way round.

[Corabar Steve]

I don't think power is an issue. As per Peter's initial reply, everything is powered. Hubs, drives etc, nothing is USB powered.

[Excalibur]

I don't think power is an issue. As per Peter's initial reply, everything is powered. Hubs, drives etc, nothing is USB powered.

Right, that's my last suggestion shot down. :confused::confused:

Good to see you still following my three golden rules, though. :)

Actually, no it's not. New USB cable to the drive. Worth a go.

[DazzyD]

Right, that's my last suggestion shot down. :confused::confused:

Good to see you still following my three golden rules, though. :)

Actually, no it's not. New USB cable to the drive. Worth a go.

I'm not sure if you're simply suggesting a replacement cable (like for like) as old cables can suffer wear and tear or if you're suggesting an upgrade to a USB3 cable. Unlike USB1.1 and USB2.0 cables, USB3 have a very different connector on the end so Steve's drive should have come with a new USB3 cable.

I didn't realise there was a difference until I went out to buy a backup cable for my new external drive, got it home and realised it didn't fit! Cue another trip back to the shop to swap it for the correct cable! My only concern is how I didn't spot this when I first set up the drive as it's pretty blatent! :eek:

[Nakatomi]

If it's not power & it's not the cable then it's a problem with the USB3 device not being able to negotiate USB2 with the HD2500 - either because of the controller in the peripheral or the HD2500 firmware.

An easy workaround would be to get hold of a USB2 disk enclosure & equip that with a hard disk - assuming the enclosure has enough welly to power the disk of course (it should do - disk power consumption has only ever really gone down over time). I say 'easy' - easy assuming you can still lay your hands on a USB2 disk enclosure these days.

EDIT: Yes, you can easily get hold of USB2 disk enclosures still. By never heard of brands but don't let that put you off. Do what I do - buy more than one at a time & you'll always have a spare :) In my experience it's more likely the enclosure (or rather a connector on it) that breaks first on portable HDDs.

[Andy P]

I have 2 car stereos that are media only players and both only play fat formatted sticks

[Creature]

The cortex wont play usb3 either.

but then again, as it wasnt out when the denon or cortex was released didnt expect it to :(

I know the cortex is no longer suported with firmwhere updates - is the denon ?

[Excalibur]

The cortex wont play usb3 either.

but then again, as it wasnt out when the denon or cortex was released didnt expect it to :(




I think that's probably the case with the Denon too Peter. One of my existing HDs is playing up, so tried wit one of the USB3 drives we have for the Cortex & it doesn't want to know. Cortex plays from it no problem.

I wonder if some will, and some won't? I have known that happen.

[Nakatomi]

The chip inside the disk enclosure which converts USB to & from the actual disk itself is the issue. Some may work, some may not. There's generally not even a way to go by models of external drives because there's no way to know what's inside. Manufacturers change stuff inside quite often to save costs or solve supplier bottlenecks.

Maybe the best course of action is to stock up on unpopulated usb2 HDD enclosures and add your own drives. Not as elegant as buying a ready made one but putting these things together is very simple. Dismantle the empty disk enclosure, plug a disk into the board inside. Screw it down. Close the casing. Job done :)

The box I got for my SSD is totally screwless, as a lot of HDD enclosures are now which makes it even easier

[Corabar Steve]

I'm not sure if you're simply suggesting a replacement cable (like for like) as old cables can suffer wear and tear or if you're suggesting an upgrade to a USB3 cable. Unlike USB1.1 and USB2.0 cables, USB3 have a very different connector on the end so Steve's drive should have come with a new USB3 cable.
It did

If it's not power & it's not the cable then it's a problem with the USB3 device not being able to negotiate USB2 with the HD2500 - either because of the controller in the peripheral or the HD2500 firmware.

An easy workaround would be to get hold of a USB2 disk enclosure & equip that with a hard disk - assuming the enclosure has enough welly to power the disk of course (it should do - disk power consumption has only ever really gone down over time). I say 'easy' - easy assuming you can still lay your hands on a USB2 disk enclosure these days.

EDIT: Yes, you can easily get hold of USB2 disk enclosures still. By never heard of brands but don't let that put you off. Do what I do - buy more than one at a time & you'll always have a spare :) In my experience it's more likely the enclosure (or rather a connector on it) that breaks first on portable HDDs.
That had been considered as an option.


UPDATE: I tried it with a 32gb USB3 Flash drive & it worked fine. Seems the problem is with the drives as opposed to the USB version.

On the plus side the original USB2 drive seems to be behaving itself now.

[Excalibur]

UPDATE: I tried it with a 32gb USB3 Flash drive & it worked fine. Seems the problem is with the drives as opposed to the USB version.



Power, power, power. I'm still sure that's the problem.
Also, Creature said he'd failed with a Cortex/USB3 combination, whereas you had success. ( You have a 3000, he has a 1000, so don't know if that has a bearing ) so perhaps not al drives are equal? :confused:

OK Steve, apologies for trying to spend your hard earned, but what about a Solid State Drive? I'm guessing they need less power to drive them. :confused:

Hopefully, one of the Technocrats will give us a link to a portable USB3 SSD which fits the bill. Please? Do they exist, or are they only for replacing internal drives?

Also Steve, you can now get some exceedingly large flash drives, way bigger than 32Gb. .

[Creature]

Power, power, power. I'm still sure that's the problem.
Also, Creature said he'd failed with a Cortex/USB3 combination, whereas you had success. ( You have a 3000, he has a 1000, so don't know if that has a bearing ) so perhaps not al drives are equal? :confused:. .

I have 11 (all brought for backups as limited spares available) cortex 1000's 10 of them working, one using for spares - non of them reconise usb3.

never owned the 3000 series so dont know about them.

[Corabar Steve]

Ours are 3000s both read the USB3 drives that the HD2500 won't