i bought the 0GB version & added my own dual-4TB hard drives because i found it to be cheaper than buying the 8TB version. this is my 2nd OWC Elite Pro Dual enclosure and i couldn't be happier. my 1st one still works great to this day but i replaced it due to it's limitation of hard drives up to 2TB drives.
this is no longer a problem, this version now allows for the use of drives up to 4TB & it works great as my TIME MACHINE backup drive.
I'm about 2 weeks into ownership of this enclosure, and so far, so good.
Setup: Installing drives is very straightforward. It was a little tricky getting the power and SATA cables out of the way so they didn't interfere with the fan. If you need them, the included step-by-step instructions seem very easy to follow as well.
Use: Very happy so far. This enclosure support RAID 0, 1, and Span modes. I'm using it in span mode to store my media library, and it works very well. USB 3 transfer speeds are very fast (sorry, no actual data). Can't speak to Firewire speeds.
Design/Manufacturing: Aluminum case feels very solid. It looks good next to my Mac Mini. I could do without the OWC branding on the side, but such is life. I have a few real issue in this area: 1) The stock fan seems fairly noisy for a 40 mm fan. Especially in light of OWC's claim that it's "whisper quiet." I've ordered a replacement to hopefully remedy this. 2) Whoever installed the feet on my enclosure managed to strip one of the screws while doing so. It made getting the feet off rather challenging. 3) It doesn't sit flat on my desk. Presumably a manufacturing defect, but it rocks a little bit side to side. This occurs with and without the feet attached, so it seems that the case isn't as square as it's supposed to be.
