Alternatives to Vantec or OWC Enclosures?

[Damned]

Hi everyone,

I am in a bit of a conundrum right now regarding powering Pioneer optical drives I plan to purchase in the near future.

My current computer case does not have any 5.25” bays where I can feasibly put an optical drive.

Thus far, I own a LG WH16NS40 I bought around 2016 and used in my old PC that did have a 5.25” bay, up until about April of 2024. At that time I switched to a Vantec Nexstar DX2. The LG drive and the Vantec have both been used semi-regularly without issue.

My original plan was to continue using the Vantec Nexstar DX2 for all future drives, but a few posts from billycar11 have made me apprehensive about buying more of them.

https://www.reddit.com/r/makemkv/commen ... 26_vantec/

The problem with the OWC is twofold. One, it doesn’t fit the Pioneer drives and I am extremely apprehensive about bending any metal for fear of damaging something. Secondly, there is also a post on this forum about the OWC also having power surge problems.

viewtopic.php?t=41300

Given all of the above, I appear to be at an impasse. Is it possible that Vantec just had a bad batch of enclosures? Can anyone who has purchased a Vantec recently, as well as one from before late 2023, verify if they changed the power adaptor? I find it rather peculiar that the exact same model that was at one point highly recommended has spontaneously become junk. Ditto with my LG drive as that has been going for over a decade with no issues.

In any case, if anyone has any advice, I’m all ears. Worst case scenario, I’ll only use the Pioneer drive to rip UHD-BD discs, only keep it on for the bare minimum amount of time needed, and stick to using the LG to rip everything else.

[MartyMcNuts]

Hi everyone,

I am in a bit of a conundrum right now regarding powering Pioneer optical drives I plan to purchase in the near future.

My current computer case does not have any 5.25” bays where I can feasibly put an optical drive.

Thus far, I own a LG WH16NS40 I bought around 2016 and used in my old PC that did have a 5.25” bay, up until about April of 2024. At that time I switched to a Vantec Nexstar DX2. The LG drive and the Vantec have both been used semi-regularly without issue.

My original plan was to continue using the Vantec Nexstar DX2 for all future drives, but a few posts from billycar11 have made me apprehensive about buying more of them.

https://www.reddit.com/r/makemkv/commen ... 26_vantec/

The problem with the OWC is twofold. One, it doesn’t fit the Pioneer drives and I am extremely apprehensive about bending any metal for fear of damaging something. Secondly, there is also a post on this forum about the OWC also having power surge problems.

viewtopic.php?t=41300

Given all of the above, I appear to be at an impasse. Is it possible that Vantec just had a bad batch of enclosures? Can anyone who has purchased a Vantec recently, as well as one from before late 2023, verify if they changed the power adaptor? I find it rather peculiar that the exact same model that was at one point highly recommended has spontaneously become junk. Ditto with my LG drive as that has been going for over a decade with no issues.

In any case, if anyone has any advice, I’m all ears. Worst case scenario, I’ll only use the Pioneer drive to rip UHD-BD discs, only keep it on for the bare minimum amount of time needed, and stick to using the LG to rip everything else.

The ICY BOX IB-525-U3 looks like a good one.

I have my 2 x 5.25" Pioneer drives in Vantec DX2 enclosures and have not had any issues. I think there may have been a bad batch at some point.