Which NAS too buy?

[Enquiries]

I have a Synology DS214play with two 16tb drives in SHR. I use 3.5tb of my storage. I use my NAS for Plex (I have a lifetime Plex Pass) and mainly for streaming FLAC audio files in and outside the house. I also use the NAS as a backup for my iPhone photos and I have a lot of video material from my youth on it (taken by my dad's camera). Two reasons why I want a new NAS: I want to use Sonic Analysis with Plex. I also want my NAS to support the latest DSM (my NAS goes to DSM7.1). I am thinking about using the NAS for movies and series as well, but I am not sure about that. I will play the movies and series at home on my LG smart TV. So I don't know if I will watch movies and series outside the home. Brand needs to be Synology. I also want my NAS to be future-proof, DSM software to be supported for a long time and there to be enough storage space. I was looking into the DS1522+, DS1621+ and the DS920+. Would like to hear your recommendations.

[ed]

Thank you for reaching out! It sounds like you're ready to upgrade your current Synology DS214play to a more capable NAS to meet your growing needs. Given your requirements for Plex, Sonic Analysis, and future-proofing, I have a few recommendations for you.

Recommended NAS Options:
Synology DS1522+:

Bays: 5 bays for expanded storage options.
Performance: Powered by a quad-core processor and upgradable RAM, it offers excellent performance for streaming and running applications like Plex.
Future-Proofing: Supports DSM 7 and will receive updates for a long time, ensuring you have the latest features.
Storage: With 5 bays, you can easily expand your storage as needed.
Synology DS1621+:

Bays: 6 bays, providing even more storage capacity.
Performance: Excellent for transcoding and handling multiple streams simultaneously, ideal for your Plex usage.
Future-Proofing: Like the DS1522+, it supports DSM 7 and has a strong upgrade path.
Additional Features: It also supports NVMe caching, which can improve performance when accessing frequently used files.
Synology DS920+:

Bays: 4 bays, a solid choice for your current and future needs.
Performance: It offers great performance for Plex and is capable of transcoding media, although it may be slightly less powerful than the DS1522+ and DS1621+.
Future-Proofing: Fully supports DSM 7, but might have a shorter lifespan in terms of future updates compared to the newer models.
Recommendation:
Given your budget of 800 euros and your need for future-proofing and performance, I recommend the Synology DS1522+. It strikes a good balance between price, performance, and storage capacity, ensuring you can expand as your needs grow.

Considerations:
Storage Expansion: Depending on your current storage usage, consider investing in higher-capacity drives (like 18TB or 20TB) to maximize your available space right from the start.
Plex Usage: For Sonic Analysis and streaming, the additional bays in the DS1522+ will allow you to configure your drives for optimal performance.