Need advice on what to purchase to hold 1TB of music and connect to my new Innuos Pulsar.

@lalitk : it depends on how one looks at the situation. For obvious reasons, Innuos would love the Pulse to be part of its echo system that would also include an Innuos server like ZEN series. The Endpoint mode. On the other hand, in standalone mode, nowadays most people just use Tidal or Qobuz. And for those with a library of ripped CDs, a NAS is a common feature to have in the house, or if not, fairly easy to add, not expensive, with added benefit for other usage in the house, not just music storage 

@grannyring : how are you streaming from the PULSar? Assuming via Sense? (not Roon or similar). From the website https://innuos.com/pulse-series/

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– In Standalone mode, you are able to use the Innuos Sense app to play streaming services, Internet Radio and music stored on a NAS to a multitude of audio systems. In this mode, the network player becomes the centre of your audio system, enabling also to use the Sense app with other streamers on your network. 
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The other option (Endpoint mode) would require a ZEN series server, which appears you no longer have. So I am afraid a NAS will be needed. But then in your OP you say:

My music, only 1100 CDs, is already stored on a Raid and I will only use this Raid for backup. 

What do you mean by “Raid”? It can mean different things. Maybe you already have a NAS? A NAS is simply a storage device connected to the network that can be accessed remotely in that same network from other devices

@grannyring : I hear you. I am perhaps biased myself as I already have two NAS devices, with redundant storages, which honestly don’t currently use for streaming audio, just for back up. I use them for file storage in my house, including family photos, video files, documents and so on. So general use, not exclusively audio.

Love to see links for a 1-2Tb NAS in the $200 range. Is this possible for a good one?

Maybe those simple WD My Book or My Cloud NASs? They carry them at Best Buy (I think), or they used to.

Actually I looked them up: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/wd-my-cloud-home-4tb-personal-cloud-white/5990204.p?skuId=5990204

But granted, I don’t know if they work with Innuos. So do your own due diligence.

I did contact Innuos and shared my disappointment in a constructive manner. 

Good! You are right, such added functionality should have been easy to incorporate 

@grannyring :

The Pulsar is like a Zenith 3 plus Phoenix in sound quality or so I read. Not sure this is really true. I loved my Zenith 3 and will miss its ease if use with internal storage. The Zenith 3 also rips CDs and auto loads them. The Pulsar costs some $1100 more than the Zenith 3 with no CD ripping ability or storage.

I currently have the Zenith MK3. It will go nowhere until it breaks. When the Pulse series came out, I cannot say I did not consider purchasing the Pulsar. I decided against it for these very reasons you describe. Unless of course I had a second system to use, which I don’t. So Zennith remains. And I have owned and used the ZEN, the Phoenix USB, and the Statement in the past. Let’s just say I am back to Zenith and happy with it.