Synology DS1525chat_bubble_outlineFrom real comments

The dominant complaint across dozens of comments is that the DS1525+ restricts users to Synology-branded or verified drives, undermining the purpose of RAID/SHR protection and forcing expensive purchases. Many say this alone makes the product a non-starter, even after partial policy reversal in DSM 7.3.

@kimkimball6345

The DS1525+ I just bought is a royal PITA to administer. Via CLI or GUI things just don't work ... and fail without explanation .... often after blocking for a very long time. BOTH USB-C ports in the back of the box arrived dead. I tried disabling, enabling, all of the CLI stuff ... been doing this for 25+ years. It's going back. What a waste of time. Got it to replace 412+ I've been using for 10 years or so. Still have the 412+ but SSD support doesn't exist. I tried. I lost data. I had backups. I bought a 1525+. Maybe Ugreen?launch

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March 15, 2026

@jfkastner

Neat NAS, but I don't trust Synology anymore because of that back & forth about the HDD compatibility Lists. Great Video, thanks!launch

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January 10, 2026

@kennytheamazing

I'm sure this works fine, but Synology is pretty crap. Locked down OS, and they tried forcing consumers into buying their overpriced rebranded \"synology\" drives by vendor locking the OS so that it refuse any other drives. They only reverted the change after massive backlash. I wouldn't trust them anymore. I used to have one long ago, and it was horribly underpowered for what it cost, too.launch

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December 12, 2025

@coolcat23

Synology will have a hard time winning back consumer trust after they had blocked third-party hard drives. Only after a huge backlash, Synology reverted that decision. Who knows when they are going to change their mind again? Also, for the same price, one finds better hardware elsewhere. Some people really like Synology's DSM but other NAS OSs are getting better and other companies are not rolling back features (like video encodings) that users had already paid for. It remains to be seen whether Synology really learned a lesson or just held off with excluding third-party drives for now. Synology already only supports a proprietary 10 Gbit card and has been rather fuzzy about Synology RAM and SSDs as well (none of which they produce, they just rebrand products and sell them with a markup).launch

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December 5, 2025

Many long-time customers say the policy reversal came only after backlash, and they no longer trust Synology's direction, fearing further restrictive changes to backup services, RAM, or SSD support.

@coolcat23

Synology will have a hard time winning back consumer trust after they had blocked third-party hard drives. Only after a huge backlash, Synology reverted that decision. Who knows when they are going to change their mind again? Also, for the same price, one finds better hardware elsewhere. Some people really like Synology's DSM but other NAS OSs are getting better and other companies are not rolling back features (like video encodings) that users had already paid for. It remains to be seen whether Synology really learned a lesson or just held off with excluding third-party drives for now. Synology already only supports a proprietary 10 Gbit card and has been rather fuzzy about Synology RAM and SSDs as well (none of which they produce, they just rebrand products and sell them with a markup).launch

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December 5, 2025

@Nayef180

This is a shining example of a company ignoring customers, My DS920+ was my first Synology, was eyeing the DS1522+ or DS1621+ a few months ago but after the 2025 releases, I plan to keep the DS920 for now and eventually migrate to TrueNAS or a more innovative solution if it exists then. The contempt of this company is amazing.launch

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July 29, 2025

@doctork5640

Drive compatibility is not the end of the world but what terrifies me is that Synology has become unpredictable. Who knows at this point what they will do next to rub us the wrong way. Active backup going subscription way or some other services canceled. \nThey could require their own routers in the future for all we know….launch

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July 29, 2025

@tomschi9485

🤣 *How could ANY Synology device be reliable or solid, when the company is driven by greed?* 🤮 \r\n⚠ *Yesterday, Synology buried a standard Synology app, today Synology disks cost 200% more than 99% of Standard-Disks, and tomorrow Synology Backup will probably be more expensive than any other solution.* ⚠ \n⚠ _(Incidentally, Synology cloud storage is also much more expensive than many other providers. Probably because Synology also has to buy its own disks.)_ 🤣launch

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July 29, 2025

Multiple users are frustrated that a NAS of this size and price still lacks default 10GbE networking, requiring costly add-on cards or proprietary modules.

@coolcat23

Synology will have a hard time winning back consumer trust after they had blocked third-party hard drives. Only after a huge backlash, Synology reverted that decision. Who knows when they are going to change their mind again? Also, for the same price, one finds better hardware elsewhere. Some people really like Synology's DSM but other NAS OSs are getting better and other companies are not rolling back features (like video encodings) that users had already paid for. It remains to be seen whether Synology really learned a lesson or just held off with excluding third-party drives for now. Synology already only supports a proprietary 10 Gbit card and has been rather fuzzy about Synology RAM and SSDs as well (none of which they produce, they just rebrand products and sell them with a markup).launch

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December 5, 2025

@Erik-pu5hy

I love the DSM software on my DS916+ and was planning to upgrade, even though I know Synology hardware isn't the best. The omission of 10Gb/s expansion can be compensated for by investing more in the DS1525+. But the policy of only allowing Synology drives is a real bummer. My drives are old, so they'll need replacing eventually, but I just can't shake the lock-in. I'm postponing my decision and giving Synology a few more months to reconsider this foolish decision. But if a good Black Friday deal from another brand comes along, I'll be gone. Unfortunately.launch

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July 30, 2025

@ChipLinck

They make way too many plus models. 9XX, 15XX, 16XX, 18XX, and 24XX all with the same CPU and specs. At least two of these models should not exist. There are total 9 Plus models. If I have to think for more than 5 seconds about whether I want one model or another, their designs are too close together. I get it. Many people have their favorite model and don't want the next one up or down, but that highlights the problem. These models are trying to cover every configuration someone would want. Each model should be a jump over the previous one, not a step. They don't have time to validate drives to the point that they pushed it off on the drive OEMs, but they can crank out similar model after similar model, and not even create significant improvements when they make an update. Of course not. They also have their XS+ line. If they upped the CPU the Plus line, they'd be cutting into the XS+. So we get the same CPU that was new last time, but isn't even listed on AMD's Embedded Ryzen portfolio page. You have to search for it.\n\nThey should turn the 9XX into a 14XX model, and kill the 15 and 16 drive models. Other than being able to release new models more frequently, I see no benefit to that many choices. Next, they'll add another bay to the 1525+, and we'll get a 1625+ review that is practically identical to this one.\n\nAs for the review, yes, same as the 1825+ review, they should have given us 4 2.5 Ethernet ports. I have an 1821+, and I use all 4 of my ports. If I upgraded I'd have to make changes to my network config. One improvement, would be that two of my bonded 1G ports would now be a 2.5 port. On the other hand, my other 2 1G ports go to different VLANs. Yeah, it's not the end of the world. I'd just have to set up the other 2.5 port to use tagged VLANs, but I like setting up my ports to only serve up one VLAN. It's simple and clean. Besides, if I had 4 ports, I could LAG two 2.5G ports for more throughput. That's minor really. In the end it would not be that big of a deal regardless of how I set it up. I'm not a cynical about the drive issue as most. I am surprised that an OEM hasn't validated a single drive yet. Whoever gets there first will see at least a small boost in sales.\n\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9t-slLl30Elaunch

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July 29, 2025

@JohnValakas

Don't envy your job here with all the negative Synology comments. I agree the updates are disappointing and Synology overall has dropped the ball. As an example I was looking to upgrade from my 4 bay to a 5 bay hoping they would have a full slot for a true SFP card. That would eliminate adapters to my network. Also, as an alternative, hoped the mini NIC would at some point come out with a SFP version. I purchased a 923+, and it sits new in the box thinking the 5 bay would come out and I would sell it as new and recoup some of the money laid out.\n\nWith your review of the 1525+ it seems there is no reason not to just deploy the 4 bay without the drive restrictions and just settle for the mini NIC with the ethernet adapter. I have 4 newer hard drives that I would not even be able to easily migrate without potential issues. Not smart Synology.\n\nHave learned so much from all your videos and it is much appreciated. I think continuing those reviews, even if not favorable, is important and very helpful. In my situation it seems you have provided the information that helped me determined to just unbox what I have and deal with the limitations.\n\nBest.launch

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May 9, 2025

Commenters call the pricing 'insane' or 'bonkers' given the modest CPU, 8GB RAM, and drive restrictions, with several comparing costs unfavorably to competitors or shucked drives.

@joaodasilva8008

Tanks for the lesson, i was planning to buy a DS923+ more than $960.00 US Dollars in Newegg, and also it is expensive and old, but much more expensive than a new DS925+ but the 925 you can not do many upgrades, so i went to a DS1525+ (for $847.99 in Best Buy, yes i know Adorama and BH they have it cheaper($800.00) but with Best Buy i have 12 months with ZERO interests, i love 1525 because it is faster, 8GB DDR ram and you can make all the upgradeslaunch

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January 27, 2026

@ChrisRogersTheAngryChef

Wow, with 5x12TB drives this thing is over $3,000 when 24TB HDD's cost $250 on Amazon if you know what \"shucking\" means. I just purchased a nice 4 bay Terramaster JBOD for less than $200, that makes the NAS component on this enclosure worth over $400... The math is just not mathing on this one after you find a network module for $100.launch

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December 12, 2025

@lordxibalba825

This was going to be the next Nas I was going to upgrade to. I’m so glad you’ve covered these, because the HDD compatibility was a huge dealbreaker for me. Those synology hdds are stupidly expensive.launch

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July 29, 2025

@Brickingawesome2

Please stop mentioning that the price stayed the same. This seems to be the only good thing about synologys new nas systems. No need to to highlight it all the time when the system is pure crap thanks.launch

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May 8, 2025

Several commenters note the DS1525+ uses the same CPU as 2021-era models like the DS923+ and DS1621+, delivering essentially zero performance benefit despite being marketed as new.

@ChipLinck

They make way too many plus models. 9XX, 15XX, 16XX, 18XX, and 24XX all with the same CPU and specs. At least two of these models should not exist. There are total 9 Plus models. If I have to think for more than 5 seconds about whether I want one model or another, their designs are too close together. I get it. Many people have their favorite model and don't want the next one up or down, but that highlights the problem. These models are trying to cover every configuration someone would want. Each model should be a jump over the previous one, not a step. They don't have time to validate drives to the point that they pushed it off on the drive OEMs, but they can crank out similar model after similar model, and not even create significant improvements when they make an update. Of course not. They also have their XS+ line. If they upped the CPU the Plus line, they'd be cutting into the XS+. So we get the same CPU that was new last time, but isn't even listed on AMD's Embedded Ryzen portfolio page. You have to search for it.\n\nThey should turn the 9XX into a 14XX model, and kill the 15 and 16 drive models. Other than being able to release new models more frequently, I see no benefit to that many choices. Next, they'll add another bay to the 1525+, and we'll get a 1625+ review that is practically identical to this one.\n\nAs for the review, yes, same as the 1825+ review, they should have given us 4 2.5 Ethernet ports. I have an 1821+, and I use all 4 of my ports. If I upgraded I'd have to make changes to my network config. One improvement, would be that two of my bonded 1G ports would now be a 2.5 port. On the other hand, my other 2 1G ports go to different VLANs. Yeah, it's not the end of the world. I'd just have to set up the other 2.5 port to use tagged VLANs, but I like setting up my ports to only serve up one VLAN. It's simple and clean. Besides, if I had 4 ports, I could LAG two 2.5G ports for more throughput. That's minor really. In the end it would not be that big of a deal regardless of how I set it up. I'm not a cynical about the drive issue as most. I am surprised that an OEM hasn't validated a single drive yet. Whoever gets there first will see at least a small boost in sales.\n\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9t-slLl30Elaunch

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July 29, 2025

@chrisulrich4141

I own a 1621+ with a (third party 😊) 10GBe card. 4 years have passed and there is absolutely zero benefit of this new station, even the CPU is the same. And on top only Synology drives canbe used. Absolutely ridiculous.launch

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May 11, 2025

@acoustistudio

yep OLD, technology, this shoulda been out like 5 years ago!! the competition is WAY ahead, and is not requiring \"their\" HD's, no thanks!!!launch

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May 8, 2025

@norgtube

That price for that CPU, 8GB of ram, no 10gbe and HDD lock-in is absolutely bonkers.launch

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May 8, 2025

One user reports a frustrating setup experience with CLI/GUI failures and dead USB-C ports, ultimately returning the unit after 25+ years of hands-on tech experience.

@kimkimball6345

The DS1525+ I just bought is a royal PITA to administer. Via CLI or GUI things just don't work ... and fail without explanation .... often after blocking for a very long time. BOTH USB-C ports in the back of the box arrived dead. I tried disabling, enabling, all of the CLI stuff ... been doing this for 25+ years. It's going back. What a waste of time. Got it to replace 412+ I've been using for 10 years or so. Still have the 412+ but SSD support doesn't exist. I tried. I lost data. I had backups. I bought a 1525+. Maybe Ugreen?launch

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March 15, 2026

One detailed comment criticizes Synology for releasing too many similar Plus models with identical CPUs and specs, making differentiation between models unnecessarily difficult.

@ChipLinck

They make way too many plus models. 9XX, 15XX, 16XX, 18XX, and 24XX all with the same CPU and specs. At least two of these models should not exist. There are total 9 Plus models. If I have to think for more than 5 seconds about whether I want one model or another, their designs are too close together. I get it. Many people have their favorite model and don't want the next one up or down, but that highlights the problem. These models are trying to cover every configuration someone would want. Each model should be a jump over the previous one, not a step. They don't have time to validate drives to the point that they pushed it off on the drive OEMs, but they can crank out similar model after similar model, and not even create significant improvements when they make an update. Of course not. They also have their XS+ line. If they upped the CPU the Plus line, they'd be cutting into the XS+. So we get the same CPU that was new last time, but isn't even listed on AMD's Embedded Ryzen portfolio page. You have to search for it.\n\nThey should turn the 9XX into a 14XX model, and kill the 15 and 16 drive models. Other than being able to release new models more frequently, I see no benefit to that many choices. Next, they'll add another bay to the 1525+, and we'll get a 1625+ review that is practically identical to this one.\n\nAs for the review, yes, same as the 1825+ review, they should have given us 4 2.5 Ethernet ports. I have an 1821+, and I use all 4 of my ports. If I upgraded I'd have to make changes to my network config. One improvement, would be that two of my bonded 1G ports would now be a 2.5 port. On the other hand, my other 2 1G ports go to different VLANs. Yeah, it's not the end of the world. I'd just have to set up the other 2.5 port to use tagged VLANs, but I like setting up my ports to only serve up one VLAN. It's simple and clean. Besides, if I had 4 ports, I could LAG two 2.5G ports for more throughput. That's minor really. In the end it would not be that big of a deal regardless of how I set it up. I'm not a cynical about the drive issue as most. I am surprised that an OEM hasn't validated a single drive yet. Whoever gets there first will see at least a small boost in sales.\n\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9t-slLl30Elaunch

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July 29, 2025